Page 3 - Ruggieri-Bambina-Messina_2018
P. 3

© Società Geologica Italiana, Roma 2018                                     CONGRESSO SGI-SIMP 2018



                                     Karst features of the Favignana island (Sicily)

                                      Ruggieri R.*, Bambina A. & Messina Panfalone D.

                                     Centro Ibleo di Ricerche Speleo-Idrogeologiche di Ragusa

            * Corresponding email: info@cirs-ragusa.org

            Keywords: Favignana island, Sicily, karst Geosites.


               The island of Favignana is the main island of the Aegadian archipelago, which also includes the island
            of Marettimo and Levanzo. From a geological point of view, the Egadi archipelago represents the emerged
            part of the submarine mountain chain connecting the Sicilian-Maghrebian Chain with the Tunisian one. The
            island consists mainly of Mesozoic carbonate rocks, and secondly of Quaternary rocks, which have undergone,
            from the early stages of their emergence, a widespread process of karst corrosion, both on the surface and in
            depth. This highlights a marked karst morphological in the landscape imprinted with karren and cavities in the
            hinterland and along the coast, the latter also characterized by numerous sea caves. To study this interesting
            geomorphological context a research project on the karstic aspects of the island was carried out by the CIRS
            Ragusa, also having the purpose of documenting the presence of geomorphological features of scientific and
            / or aesthetic relevance to be proposed as Geosites under the Regional Law 25/2012, for their protection
            and fruition with minimum impact. With these objectives the study was structured in three phases, with a
            series of field-trips for the surveying of the surface karst features, the exploration and surveying of different
            type of caves and for the surveying of sea karren along the coastal belt. The surveying of the surface karst
            morphologies has allowed for the highlighting of the widespread presence of corrosion forms in the dolomites
            and dolomitic limestone of the Upper Trias-Lias period, constituting the lithostructural framework of the Santa
            Caterina ridge. Among the 22 surveyed and documented caves (classified as epigenetic, singenetic, hypogenic,
            structural and littoral caves), the study has highlighted, for different features: the Ciacca Niura, as the deepest
            and widest cave of the island; the Grotta d’Oriente, an interesting cave for its spectacular flowstone formations;
            the Grotta delle Pecore, the Grotta della Ucceria and the Grotta Faraglione, classified as flank margin caves,
            present in the western sea paleo-cliff of Capo Grosso - Faraglioni promontory and, among the documented
            paleo-sea caves, the Grotta dell’Acqua, located at 85 m asl, which presents a particular paleontological interest
            due to the discovery of fossil coral incrustations on the walls, to be studied for their paleoenvironmental and
            paleogeographical implications for the knowledge of the geological history of the central Mediterranean area.
            Finally, the surveying of sea morphologies along the coastal belt of the island has highlighted the presence of
            a varied and rich range of marine karren as a result of the erosion and corrosion processes, both physical and
            biological. On the basis of the results obtained, the establishment of seven Geosites were proposed, made up
            of six karst caves and one Stone forest area, according to Regional Law 25/2012, for their valorization and
            protection.




























                                                           673
   1   2   3