Sicily in the last one million years

Abstract

The morphologic set up of Sicily is extremely varied and can generally be considered representative of different geomorphological contexts characterizing the Mediterranean area. Paleoenvironmental reconstructions regarding the Middle Pleistocene to Holocene are mostly based on paleontologic informations and geomorphologic data. The geodynamic evolution of Sicily, characterized by particularly active neotectonics that has caused the raising and emerging of large areas, has interacted with the significant climatic fluctuations and eustatic oscillations, aiding remarkably in the landscape evolution. Tree different period are analyzed: the environment during Middle Pleistocene and Early-Upper Pleistocene (1,000,000- 75,000 y B.P.; from Pleniglacial to Tardiglacial (75,000 – 10,000 y B.P.) and from Holocene to Present (from 10,000 B.P. to present time).