A series of volcanic edifices discovered a few kilometers off the coast of SW Sicily
2019
Abstract The Graham and Terrible banks, located about 35 km from the south-western coast of Sicily, host a large number of
volcanicconstructs, the most famous being the ephemeral
FerdinandeaIsland. These
volcanoesoccur along two N-S trending strike-slip
lineamentsthat constitute the lithospheric-scale Capo Granitola-Sciacca Fault Zone. Here we present recently acquired swath bathymetric data and magnetic measurements, in conjunction with high-resolution seismic profiles, which reveal the presence of another six
volcanicedifices located very close to the
Siciliancoasts, one of which is only 7 km away. Three of these
volcanicconstructs have been previously identified only on the basis of available seismic profiles, but their morphology and their
volcanicnature had so far not been documented. Two edifices to the north show a possible tuff cone/ring-like morphology modified by crater breaching, while the three southernmost
volcanoeshave a truncated-conical shape. The northwestern-most
volcano(here called Actea) shows a more complex morphology, probably representing the remnants of a previous crater rim. Seismic data analysis suggests that the six
volcanicedifices were generated during a pre-
Last Glacial Maximum(LGM, ca. 20 ka B.P.) magmatic phase associated with a tectonic event. Only the Actea
volcanoshows indications of magmatic reactivation, possibly between the LGM and the initial post-LGM transgressive phase. This reactivation is evident by the emplacement of a prominent young lava flow. The discovery of submerged
volcanoesso close to the populated coast of Sicily demonstrates that there are large submerged areas near the littoral that are still little known and studied, and underlines how crucial it is to analyze the issue of
volcanicrisk for densely inhabited coastal areas like Sicily.
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