Karst and speleology in Sicily (Italy)
1993
Panzica la Manna, M. (Gruppo speleologico "Palermo", Palermo (Italy))
The differientiated and complex geological structure of the island of Sicily (25708 sq. km) has permitted that the most important karstic features known in nature were formed. In fact in the very extended outcrops of calcareous rocks, evaporites and volcanic rocks, it is possible to find interesting surface landforms and underground features: these are strictly karstic on limestone terrains, parakarstic on evaporites (gypsum and halite) and pseudokarstic on basalts. At this moment in Sicily there are known and surveyed a few hundred caves that are mainly located in the northwestern part of the coastal chain, in the foreland calcareous areas (Iblean Plateau southeast and Sciacca Mounts southwest), in the messinian Gessoso-solfifera Formation (central and western zones) and in the Mt Etna volcano. The underground features are not completely known because of the small number of speleological groups operating in a very large territory.
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