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2022 | Book

The Territory of the Region Read chapter Read first chapter

Karst of Sicily

A Journey Inside and Outside the Island’s Mountains

Author: Rosario Ruggieri

Publisher: Springer International Publishing

Book Series : Cave and Karst Systems of the World

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik"

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About this book

This book describes Sicily’s unique and varied karst features, discussing the notable geographical areas, their lithology and genesis and, in a number of cases, their value as geosites to be preserved for scientific or tourism purposes. The rich variety of Meso-Cenozoic outcropping rocks in Sicily make the island highly significant in terms of the geological history of the Mediterranean area.

The soluble rocks (limestones and gypsum), widely present on the island, play an important role in shaping and continuously altering the landscape, both in the reliefs with spectacular fluviokarst cayons and suggestive gorges, and below ground where there is a wide range of speleogenically and speleologically important caves.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. The Territory of the Region
Abstract
Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean sea (25,832.39 km2) and the southernmost and largest region of Italy. The Strait of Messina, just over 3 km wide, separates it from the Italian peninsula and the Strait of Sicily separates it from Africa, which is only 140 km away (from Marsala to Cape Bon in Tunisia).
Rosario Ruggieri
Chapter 2. Karst Areas of Sicily
Abstract
In making this journey into the variegated world of karst in Sicily we will cross some of the main karst areas of Sicily.
Rosario Ruggieri
Chapter 3. South-Eastern Sicily
Karst Area of the Hyblean Mountains
Abstract
We begin our travel in the karst world of Sicily with the karst area of the Hyblean Mountains, in the south-eastern sector of the island.
Rosario Ruggieri
Chapter 4. Central-Southern Sicily
Karst Area of the Agrigento Basin and Southern Imera Basin
Abstract
The area of the central-southern Sicilian sector, schematically included in the territories of the Provinces of Caltanissetta and Agrigento, to the east is delimited by the Hyblean Mountains, to the north by the reliefs of the northern Apennine-Sicilian chain.
Rosario Ruggieri
Chapter 5. Central and South-Western Sicily
Karst Area of the Sicani Mts. and the Mazzara del Vallo Basin
Abstract
The area of the Sicani Mountains, located between the Provinces of Palermo, Trapani, and Agrigento, is the main mountain complex in central-western Sicily and extends for about 60 km east–west from Mount Cammarata, the largest relief in the chain (1,578 m), located on the edge of the Caltanissetta Basin, at Mount Magaggiaro (399 m) near Montevago, in the Province of Trapani.
Rosario Ruggieri
Chapter 6. North-Western Sicily
Karst Area of the Trapani Mountains
Abstract
The extreme north-west of the island of Sicily forms part of the mountain range of the “Monti di Trapani”.
Rosario Ruggieri
Chapter 7. Northern Sicily
Karst Area of the Palermo Mts. and the Madonia Mts.
Abstract
In the northern sector of Sicily, between the reliefs of the Mountains of Nebrodi to the east and the Mountains of Trapani to the west, there are two important karst areas consisting of the Mountains of Palermo, in the north-western part and the Madonie Massif in the north-eastern part.
Rosario Ruggieri
Chapter 8. North-Eastern Sicily
Karst Area of the Nebrodi Mts. and the Peloritani Mts.
Abstract
The north-western sector of Sicily is characterized by the presence of two contiguous mountain ranges consisting of the Peloritani Mountains and the Nebrodi Mountains.
Rosario Ruggieri
Chapter 9. Volcanic Caves of Mount Etna
Abstract
Through a junction of lines of tectonic weakness on a regional scale, the volcanic edifice of Etna began to take place 600,000 years ago (see the Volcanic district of Sicily in Chap. 1).
Rosario Ruggieri
Metadata
Title
Karst of Sicily
Author
Rosario Ruggieri
Copyright Year
2022
Electronic ISBN
978-3-031-07406-6
Print ISBN
978-3-031-07405-9
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07406-6