Francesca D’Ajello Caracciolo

Extensional tectonics on Sardinia (Italy): insights into the arc–back-arc transitional regime

Although the tectonic features and stress regime typical for accretionary complexes and back-arc domains have been widely documented so far, few are known on the transitional zone separating these two systems. Here we report on structural analysis and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) results from Eocene–Pliocene sediments exposed in western Sardinia. From late Oligocene to middle Miocene, the studied area was located between the Alpine–Apennine wedge to the east, which was undergoing shortening and accretion, and the Liguro–Provencal basin, undergoing extension and spreading. We find that, prior to the formation of the Liguro–Provencal basin, the middle Eocene–lower Oligocene sediments cropping out at the southwesternmost edge of Sardinia were subjected to NE–SW shortening (in present-day coordinates), in agreement with recently reported geological information. Conversely, the upper Oligocene–Pliocene sedimentary sequences record a different evolutionary stage of extensional processes. Upper Oligocene–middle–upper Burdigalian sediments clearly show a N–S-oriented magnetic lineation that can be related to extensional direction along the prevalent E–W-oriented normal faults. On the other hand, no magnetic lineation has been detected in upper Burdigalian–Serravallian sediments, which mark the end of the first rifting process in Sardinia, which likely coincides with the rift-to-drift transition at the core of the Liguro–Provencal basin. Finally, a NE–SW extension is observed in two Tortonian–Pliocene sites at the northwestern margin of the NNW–SSE-oriented Campidano graben. Our study confirms that AMS may represent a valuable strain-trajectory proxy and significantly help to unravel the characters of temporally superimposed tectonic events.

Constraining chronology and time-space evolution of Holocene volcanic activity on the Capelo Peninsula (Faial Island, Azores): The paleomagnetic contribution

Faial is one of the most volcanically active islands of the Azores Archipelago. Historical eruptions occurred on the Capelo Peninsula (westernmost sector of the island) during A.D. 1672–1673 and more recently in A.D. 1957–1958. The other exposed volcanic products of the peninsula are so far loosely dated within the Holocene. Here, we present a successful attempt to correlate scoria cones and lava flows yielded by the same eruption on the Capelo Peninsula using paleomagnetic data from 31 sites (10 basaltic scoriae, 21 basaltic lava flows). In the investigated products, we recognize at least six prehistoric clusters of volcanic activity, whereas 11 lava sites are correlated with four scoria cones. Dating was conducted by comparing our paleomagnetic directions with relocated Holocene reference curves of the paleosecular variation of the geomagnetic field from France and the UK. We find that the studied volcanic rocks exposed on the Capelo Peninsula are younger than previously believed, being entirely formed in the last 8 k.y., and that the activity intensified over the last 3 k.y. Our study confirms that paleomagnetism is a powerful tool for unraveling the chronology and characteristics of Holocene activity at volcanoes where geochronological age constraints are still lacking.

Aeromagnetic investigation of southern Calabria and the Messina Straits (Italy): Tracking seismogenic sources of 1783 and 1908 earthquakes

Southern Calabria and the NE corner of Sicily (Italy) were struck in 1783 and 1908 A.D. by two of the most catastrophic earthquakes ever in European history. Although it is generally acknowledged that the seisms were yielded by normal faults rupturing the upper crust of the Calabria-Peloritani terrane, no consensus exists on seismogenic source location and orientation. Here we report on a high-resolution low-altitude aeromagnetic survey of southern Calabria and Messina Straits. In southern Calabria we document a broad weakly positive (5–10 nT) anomaly zone interrupted by three en echelon SW-NE null to negative magnetic anomaly corridors. Euler deconvolution and magnetic modeling show that the anomaly pattern is produced by a 1–1.5 km thick crustal “layer” located within 3 km depth. This layer is offset by a 25 km long NE trending fault that corresponds to the Armo normal fault, recently inferred to be the source for the 1908 earthquake. Few kilometers to the south, we also document a subparallel and previously unrecognized fault, entering the Messina Straits and likely joining the Armo fault at depth. Further east, we model a 40 km long normal fault, probably extending northeastward for additional 40 km, running along the south Calabria axis from Aspromonte to the Serre mountains and partly following the 18 km long surface rupture witnessed by Deodat de Dolomieu after the 1783 earthquake. Thus, aeromagnetic data suggest that the sources of the 1783 and 1908 earthquakes are en echelon faults belonging to the same NW dipping normal fault system straddling the whole southern Calabria.

High-resolution aeromagnetic survey of Calabria (Southern Italy)

ABSTRACT We present a 1:350,000 high-resolution magnetic anomaly map of Calabria (Southern Italy), obtained by merging the results from two low-altitude aeromagnetic surveys performed in southern and northern Calabria. Magnetic anomalies of Calabria are of low intensity, and mostly range from 11 to –9 nT. Northern Calabria is characterized by positive anomalies in the Tyrrhenian margin (Coastal Chain) that turn into negative values moving eastward in the Sila Massif. Southern Calabria is characterized by slightly positive anomaly values, interrupted by a null magnetic anomaly corridor roughly corresponding to the eastern margin of the Gioia Tauro basin. Finally, anomaly values turn systematically negative in the Messina Straits. Due to the unprecedented resolution (low flying height, spatial sampling along the flight line of ∼5 m and 1–2 km flight line spacing), the new map highlights, in detail, the geometry and setting of the upper crustal features. As Calabria is one of the most seismically active regions in Italy, hit by several high-magnitude earthquakes in recent centuries, the interpretation of this new map will hopefully contribute to new insights into the crustal geological setting, location and dimension of the main seismogenic sources.