GNGTS 2018 - 37° Convegno Nazionale

16 GNGTS 2018 S essione 1.1 these tectonic lineaments (Fig. 1), belonging to the NNW oriented normal fault system called the “Timpe” system. The finding of this earthquake damage and its time constraints represents the starting point for archaeoseismological research in the Etnean area. Geological framework. Geological, seismological and geophysical evidence indicate that the lower eastern flank of Mt. Etna is affected by a slow but continuous fault-controlled seawards extension, with prevailing ESE-WNWdirection, interpreted as due to flank instability. This sector is basically confined within two ~E-W oriented boundaries (Fig. 1). Geodetic measurements over the last decades suggest a short-term deformation rate of some cm/yr, reaching even faster peaks in some restricted places or periods, sometimes in association with eruptive episodes (Alparone et al. , 2013). This unstable area is dismembered into different blocks characterized by homogenous kinematics and bordered by tectonic lineaments where abrupt changes in the ground velocity field have been marked (Bonforte et al. , 2011). The most important of these lineaments is arranged to form a system of several parallel fault segments, mostly dipping eastward, reaching lengths up to 5-8 km and forming tens of meters fault scarps (called Timpe system). The archaeological site of Santa Venera al Pozzo lies just to the north of one of above mentioned fault segment (Fig. 1), which offsets, with a N-S direction, some volcanic products of an ancient phase of Mt. Etna, dated at ~120 ky (Branca et al., 2011a). Fig. 1 - a Main faults with epicentral location of some of the most important earthquakes of Eastern Sicily (from Monaco and Tortorici, 2007); the yellow box corresponds to Fig. 1b; b Cut out of the geological map of Etna Volcano (Branca et al. , 2011b); the red box indicates the study area.