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the Mediterranean sea level, may

induce an intensification of the

erosion rate of the Sicilian high

coastal areas [4].

Some of the most popular places

of Favignana Island are bays

characterised by cliffs overlooking

an astonishing sea.Rock falls along

the cliffs are common and involve

the underlying beaches. The low

human activity in these areas Research & development

actually reduces the risk condition

that remains concentrated during FIGURE 1 Bivalves (left) and cross-bedded layers (right) in the calcareous sandstones

the long warm season of the year,

when tourist frequentation is considerable. In addition,

the quarries opened in some of these bays, locally

called “pirrere”, constitute a cultural heritage of great

anthropological value that, once destroyed, can no

longer be reconstructed.

This paper reports a brief description of the investigation

on the cliffs and quarries of the eastern coast of Favignana

Island (western Sicily) where a quaternary calcareous

sandstone diffusely outcrops. The cliffs monitoring and the

slope movements assessment carried out during the study

are aimed to identify the most active areas.The study results

may contribute to the mitigation of the geomorphological

risk in Favignana Island and greatly support the local TABLE 1 Geotechnical characters of calcarenites

authorities’ policies in the implementation of mitigation

measures. Given the characteristics of the sites, inserted Favignana Island mainly consists of Mesozoic-Tertiary

into the largest European marine protected area, the carbonates unconformably overlain by Middle-Upper

intervention measures must be characterized by a high Pliocene marls and shales followed by Pleistocene

degree of environmental sustainability. If valid, effective biocalcarenites and Tyrrhenian calcarenites [5,6,7]. The

and sustainable measures are taken in the future, operators Mesozoic-Tertiary carbonates outcrop in the western

and users of the tourist circuit will have the opportunity to and central part of the island. The lower Pleistocene

enjoy these amazing areas with a lower landslide risk. biocalcarenites outcrop in the eastern part of the island,

generating a wide flat plate with nearly horizontal layers. In

Study area literature,itsthicknessranges between5and35m[8],though

a quarry in the inner part of Cala Rossa (“Niuro vecchio”and

“Niuro nuovo” caves) shows a vertical development of more

Favignana is the largest of the Egadi Islands, located off the than 50 m entirely in the calcarenites.The facies association

northwestcoastofSicily,nearthecitiesofTrapaniandMarsala. suggests different depositional environments (Figure 1) from

It extends for approximately 19 km2 and is surrounded by a the nearshore-beach zone (close to the Mt. Santa Caterina)

33 km of indented and mainly rocky coastline, marked by to the shoreface zone (in the eastern part of the Island).The

natural and anthropic cavities. The island is mostly flat, Middle-Upper Pliocene marls and shale locally outcrop

except for the mountain ridge that runs through it from between the base of the calcarenite cliffs and the sea

north to south (M.te Santa Caterina, 314 m a.s.l.). surface,partially hidden by a significant boulders deposit.

61EAI Energia, Ambiente e Innovazione 4/2015