Figure 10
From: Time and space scattered volcanism of Mt. Etna driven by strike-slip tectonics
Schematic conceptual model illustrating the time and space evolution of volcanism in the Mt. Etna area driven by strike-slip tectonics, which is controlled by the regional stress field shown in the central inset (T: Tension; S: Shortening; Hmax: Horizontal maximum stress axis; modified from ref.19). Volcanic Synthems from ref.26. Panel (a) The WNW-ESE trending dextral “Southern Etna Shear Zone”, offshore centred on ATL and continuing onshore up to the regional transcurrent lineament described by ref.17 (red dot), produced scattered and fissure-type volcanism at local releasing zones, both off and onshore, from the TP area to the surroundings of Adrano. Panel b - Following the model by refs15,16, migration of releasing and restraining regions along the “Southern Etna Shear Zone” favoured new fissure-type volcanism and hampered the former one, with positive tectonic inversion affecting the previous releasing zones (e.g. the push-up observed on TP). Meanwhile, releasing zones migrated northwards along the NW-SE trending “Central Etna Shear Zone”, of which the offshore expression results in AL, favouring volcanism along the Acireale coast up to Moscarello and Mt. Calanna. This second shear zone may represent a splay fault of ATL or a step-over belt between the “Southern Etna Shear Zone” and an analogous dextral sub-parallel structure to the north (a possible “Northern Etna Shear Zone”). Volcanism along the “Southern Etna Shear Zone” ceased (c); a further migration of releasing and restraining zones produced a new shifting of volcanism firstly to the present-day Valle del Bove area (c) and then to the Mt. Etna summit craters (d), (see text for further details).
