Sedimentary evolution of basins in mobile belts: examples from the Tertiary terrigenous sequences of the Peloritani Mountains (NE Sicily)

The Tertiary covers of the Peloritani Mountain Belt (NE Sicily) provide a complete stratigraphical record of tectonic events related to collision in the Central Mediterranean region. The tectonosedimentary evolution is inferred from interpretation of new field data and indicates various stages of polyphase deformation. The Peloritani Mountain Belt is composed mostly of crystalline units representing the active margin of the European Plate that was thrust over the descending African Plate during the Tertiary. Late Eocene-early Oligocene syn-orogenic deposition took place within a fore-arc basin located along the leading edge of the Peloritani Mountain Belt. From the late Oligocene to late Langhian, terrigenous deposition occurred throughout the mountain belt and extended into perched basins, located in southern areas. The basin was fed from the north, from source areas located in the hinterland of the orogenic belt. Deposition was controlled by a combination of active thrusting, regional subsidence and sea-level change. During the early Serravallian sudden tectonic inversion took place, associated with collapse of hinterland areas and uplift of former low-lying southern areas of the mountain belt. These processes were related to onset of opening of the Tyrrhenian Sea that was completed during the Serravallian-Tortonian, and resulted in the deposition of a northwestward prograding clastic fan, fed by source areas located in the southern area of the mountain belt. This setting characterized Messinian and Plio-Pleistocene deposition, and was controlled by both active tectonics and eustasy. The Recent evolution of the Peloritani Mountain Belt is characterized by major progressive uplift of the southern margins of the Tyrrhenian Basin, and local active subsidence related to downfaulting. Such processes resulted in the uplift of mid-Pleistocene fan-delta deposits and late Pleistocene marine terraces deposits to various altitudes above present sea-level.