Sistema a pieghe tardoquaternarie nell'area di Catania: un esempio di fronte orogenico attivo

Structural and morphological investigation performed in the region of Catania (eastern Sicily) evidenced the occurrence of a Late Quaternary thrust and fold system, which developed on foredeep deposits at the front of the Apenninic-Maghrebian Orogen. Particularly, folding affected terraced deposits as young as 40 ka B.P. (OIT stage 3), while thrusting involved the Holocene alluvial plain, also having a morphological response on the channel morphology of the Simeto River. This evidence indicate that, in the Catania area, the front of the orogen experienced very recent (historical?) motions connected to the foreward propagation of a detachment fault within the eastern Sicily foredeep domain.