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846 L. GIANGUZZI ET AL.

Figure 1. Framework of Sicily and its smaller islands in the Mediterranean region.

The landforms of the northern part of Sicily are Evaporitic Complex (‘Gessoso-Solfifera’ Formation of
characterized by mountains that, from east to west, the Upper Miocene, characterized by Tripoli, sulphur
include the Peloritani, the Nebrodi, the Madonie, limestones, gypsum and salts); Conglomerate–
Palermo and Trapani mountains. The central-southern sandstone Complex (terrigenous lithofacies of the
and south-western parts – with the exception of the mid-upper Miocene); Sandstone–clayey–calcareous
Sicani Mountains – show a different landscape, with Complex (flyschoid formations with a predominant
lower heights and hills. The central-eastern part sandstone composition, mainly spread in the northern
is dominated by the volcanic cone of the Mt. Etna, sector of Sicily); Carbonate Complex (calcareous,
southwards of the Peloritani Mountains, whereas the calcareous-dolomite and dolomite formations, aged
south-eastern part is dominated by the Hyblean Moun- between Mesozoic and Tertiary, which constitute the
tains plateau. structure of the Apennine-Maghrebian Sicilian chain,
The geological history of Sicily is linked to that of a present on the heights of the northern part of Sicily
large area of the Mediterranean Sea, characterized by and in the Hyblean area); Phyllitic and shale-crystalline
extreme tectonic mobility, mostly defined by sedimen- Complex (metamorphic basement of the Peloritani
tary rocks deposited in different paleogeographic Mts.).
domains, subject to tectonic vicissitudes from the According to the classification of Rivas-Martínez
Upper Palaeozoic to the Quaternary. On the basis of (1985), the territory is divided into the following six
petrographic, sedimentological and textural character- bioclimatic belts (Brullo & Spampinato, 1990): (1)
istics, and stratigraphic and structural setting, the geo- Inframediterranean (annual average temperature:
logical formations of Sicily can be grouped in various 18–20°C), along the southern slopes of some small
lithological complexes (Lucchesi, 2004), which can be islands in the extreme south (Lampedusa, Linosa, Pan-
summarized as follows: Continental deposition clastic telleria) and of Sicily itself; (2) Thermomediterranean
Complex (alluvial deposits, sometimes terraced; coastal, (annual average temperature: 16–18°C), circumscrib-
lacustrine and marsh deposits; slope accumulations); ing the coastal and sub-coastal belt of the various insu-
Volcanic Complex (Mt. Etna, ancient volcanics of the lar areas; (3) Mesomediterranean (annual average
Hyblean Mts., Aeolian, Ustica and Linosa islands); temperature: 13–16°C), spread over most of the hilly-
Clayey–marly Complex (Pleistocene clays, mid- submountain areas of Sicily and also in the higher
Pliocene blue clays, marls with foraminifera of the parts of some small islands, such as Pantelleria, Maret-
lower Pliocene, clayey and marly formations of the timo and Salina; (4) Supramediterranean (annual aver-
middle-upper Miocene, pelitic lithofacies of Flysch age temperature: 8–13°C), on the highest peaks of the
deposits, brecciated clays and varicoloured clays); Sicani, the Madonie, the Nebrodi, the Peloritani Mts.