Geological and Ecological Insights on the Lake Faro Global Geosite Within the Messina Strait Framework (Italy)
The Lake Faro brackish basin (Sicily, Italy) was established as a Global Geosite as a key locality of tectonic coastal lakes, but little research has been devoted to this rare geological and ecological framework. To fill this gap, the main stratigraphical, sedimentological, ecological, morpho-bathym...
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2024-11-01
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| author | Roberta Somma Ezio Giuffrè Sakho Amonullozoda Sebastiano Ettore Spoto Arturo Giacobbe Salvatore Giacobbe |
| author_facet | Roberta Somma Ezio Giuffrè Sakho Amonullozoda Sebastiano Ettore Spoto Arturo Giacobbe Salvatore Giacobbe |
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| description | The Lake Faro brackish basin (Sicily, Italy) was established as a Global Geosite as a key locality of tectonic coastal lakes, but little research has been devoted to this rare geological and ecological framework. To fill this gap, the main stratigraphical, sedimentological, ecological, morpho-bathymetric, and structural features were reported, linking geodiversity with biodiversity. In Lake Faro, a shallow platform develops alongside a deep funnel-shaped basin, reaching a maximum depth of 29 m. A NNW-SSE trending steep cliff, representing the abrupt transition from the platform to the basin, was interpreted as a dextral transtensional fault (Lake Faro Fault), presumably active since the middle-late(?) Pleistocene. The switches of the steep cliff NW-wards, acquiring an E-W trend, was interpreted as being due to the occurrence of the normal Mortelle Fault, cut by the Faro Lake Fault. Bottom terrigenous deposits consisted of coarse- to fine-grained quartzo-lithic rich sediments deriving from high-grade metamorphic and igneous rocks, whereas bioclasts mainly derived from clam farming actives for several centuries up until today. The Quaternary shallow platform, from top to base, includes the following: (i) soft cover composed of coarse terrigenous and prevalent bioclastic deposits; (ii) hard conglomerates cemented by carbonates; and (iii) siliciclastic coarse deposits of the Messina Fm. In the deep basin, siliciclastic silty loams with minor amounts of bioclastic deposits prevailed in the soft cover. Substrate heterogeneity coupled with brackish-marine gradients are the main factors responsible for an articulate patchiness of different lagoon habitats and related benthic associations, which, according to the Barcelona Convention classification, can be summarized as follows: (i) MB1.541 (marine angiosperms or other halophytes), (ii) MB1.542 (Fucales), (iii) MB5.543 (photophilic algae, except Fucales), (iv) MB5.544 (Facies with Polychaeta), and (v) MB5.545 (Facies with Bivalvia). Typical marine associations, such as rhodolite beds, also occur. Finally, the lake, which has been exploited since the prehistoric age because of its high biodiversity and productivity, maintains some evidence of millennial relationships with the resident human cultures, attracted there by the favorable geomorphological and ecological peculiarities. |
| format | Article |
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| spelling | doaj-art-3f6bdced9bd84b0e8b2df4c1b1ba20ae2024-12-27T14:28:15ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632024-11-01141231910.3390/geosciences14120319Geological and Ecological Insights on the Lake Faro Global Geosite Within the Messina Strait Framework (Italy)Roberta Somma0Ezio Giuffrè1Sakho Amonullozoda2Sebastiano Ettore Spoto3Arturo Giacobbe4Salvatore Giacobbe5Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, ItalyMetralab srl, 35020 Padova, ItalyDepartment of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, ItalyDepartment of Mathematical and Computer Sciences, Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, ItalyUniversitat Rovira I Virgili, 43002 Tarragona, SpainDepartment of Chemical, Biological, Pharmaceutical and Environmental Sciences, University of Messina, 98166 Messina, ItalyThe Lake Faro brackish basin (Sicily, Italy) was established as a Global Geosite as a key locality of tectonic coastal lakes, but little research has been devoted to this rare geological and ecological framework. To fill this gap, the main stratigraphical, sedimentological, ecological, morpho-bathymetric, and structural features were reported, linking geodiversity with biodiversity. In Lake Faro, a shallow platform develops alongside a deep funnel-shaped basin, reaching a maximum depth of 29 m. A NNW-SSE trending steep cliff, representing the abrupt transition from the platform to the basin, was interpreted as a dextral transtensional fault (Lake Faro Fault), presumably active since the middle-late(?) Pleistocene. The switches of the steep cliff NW-wards, acquiring an E-W trend, was interpreted as being due to the occurrence of the normal Mortelle Fault, cut by the Faro Lake Fault. Bottom terrigenous deposits consisted of coarse- to fine-grained quartzo-lithic rich sediments deriving from high-grade metamorphic and igneous rocks, whereas bioclasts mainly derived from clam farming actives for several centuries up until today. The Quaternary shallow platform, from top to base, includes the following: (i) soft cover composed of coarse terrigenous and prevalent bioclastic deposits; (ii) hard conglomerates cemented by carbonates; and (iii) siliciclastic coarse deposits of the Messina Fm. In the deep basin, siliciclastic silty loams with minor amounts of bioclastic deposits prevailed in the soft cover. Substrate heterogeneity coupled with brackish-marine gradients are the main factors responsible for an articulate patchiness of different lagoon habitats and related benthic associations, which, according to the Barcelona Convention classification, can be summarized as follows: (i) MB1.541 (marine angiosperms or other halophytes), (ii) MB1.542 (Fucales), (iii) MB5.543 (photophilic algae, except Fucales), (iv) MB5.544 (Facies with Polychaeta), and (v) MB5.545 (Facies with Bivalvia). Typical marine associations, such as rhodolite beds, also occur. Finally, the lake, which has been exploited since the prehistoric age because of its high biodiversity and productivity, maintains some evidence of millennial relationships with the resident human cultures, attracted there by the favorable geomorphological and ecological peculiarities.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/14/12/319coastal lakesmorpho-structuresgeodiversitybiodiversity |
| spellingShingle | Roberta Somma Ezio Giuffrè Sakho Amonullozoda Sebastiano Ettore Spoto Arturo Giacobbe Salvatore Giacobbe Geological and Ecological Insights on the Lake Faro Global Geosite Within the Messina Strait Framework (Italy) Geosciences coastal lakes morpho-structures geodiversity biodiversity |
| title | Geological and Ecological Insights on the Lake Faro Global Geosite Within the Messina Strait Framework (Italy) |
| title_full | Geological and Ecological Insights on the Lake Faro Global Geosite Within the Messina Strait Framework (Italy) |
| title_fullStr | Geological and Ecological Insights on the Lake Faro Global Geosite Within the Messina Strait Framework (Italy) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Geological and Ecological Insights on the Lake Faro Global Geosite Within the Messina Strait Framework (Italy) |
| title_short | Geological and Ecological Insights on the Lake Faro Global Geosite Within the Messina Strait Framework (Italy) |
| title_sort | geological and ecological insights on the lake faro global geosite within the messina strait framework italy |
| topic | coastal lakes morpho-structures geodiversity biodiversity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/14/12/319 |
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