title: The tectonic puzzle of the Messina area (Southern Italy): insights from new seismic reflection data.
abstract: The Messina Strait, that separates peninsular Italy from Sicily, is one of the most seismically active areas of the Mediterranean. The structure and seismotectonic setting of the region are poorly understood, although the area is highly populated and important infrastructures are planned there. New seismic reflection data have identified a number of faults, as well as a crustal scale NE-trending anticline few km north of the strait. These features are interpreted as due to active right-lateral transpression along the north-eastern Sicilian offshore, coexisting with extensional and right-lateral transtensional tectonics in the southern Messina Strait. This complex tectonic network appears to be controlled by independent and overlapping tectonic settings, due to the presence of a diffuse transfer zone between the SE-ward retreating Calabria subduction zone relative to slab advance in the western Sicilian side.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università Sapienza , P.le A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy. carlo.doglioni@uniroma1.it
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doglioni
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ligi
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scrocca
authors.forename: Sabina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bigi
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bortoluzzi
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Carminati
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cuffaro
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Oriano
authors.forename: Vittoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Forleo
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Muccini
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Riguzzi