Southern Tyrrhenian Research Articles

Marine geological maps of the Campania Region (Southern Tyrrhenian sea, Italy): considerations and contributions to a different scale of geological survey

Marine geological maps of the Campania region have been constructed both to 1:25.000 and to a 1:10.000 scales in the frame of research projects financed by the Italian National Geological Survey, focusing, in particular, on the Gulf of Naples (Southern Tyrrhenian sea), a complex volcanic area where volcanic and sedimentary processes strongly interacted during the Late Quaternary and on the Cilento Promontory offshore. In this paper the examples of the geological sheets n. 464 “Isola di Ischia” and n. 502 “Agropoli” have been studied. The integration of the geological maps with the seismo-stratigraphic setting of the study areas has also been performed based on the realization of interpreted seismic profiles, providing interesting data on the geological setting of the subsurface. The coastal geological sedimentation has been studied in detail in the Ischia and Agropoli offshore. The mapped geological units are represented by: i) the rocky units of the acoustic basement (volcanic and/or sedimentary), ii) the deposits of the littoral environment, including the deposits of submerged beach and the deposits of toe of coastal cliff, iii) the deposits of the inner shelf environment, including the inner shelf deposits and the bioclastic deposits, iv) the deposits of the outer shelf environment, including the clastic deposits and the bioclastic deposits, v) the Lowstand System Tract, vi) the Pleistocene relict marine units, vii) different volcanic units, Pleistocene in age. The seismo-stratigraphic data, coupled with the sedimentological and environmental data provided by the geological maps, allow to give new insights on the geologic evolution of this area during the Late Quaternary.

New Volcanic Complex Found Below the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea

Researchers have identified a previously unknown volcanic-intrusive complex that originated through the melting of mantle material at the northern edge of the Ionian slab.

New Insights of the Sicily Channel and Southern Tyrrhenian Sea Variability

The dynamics of the Sicily Channel and the southern Tyrrhenian Sea are highly influenced by the seasonal variability of the Mediterranean basin-wide circulation, by the interannual variability of the numerous mesoscale structures present in the Channel, and by the decadal variability of the adjacent Ionian Sea. In the present study, all these aspects are investigated using in-situ (Lagrangian drifter trajectories and Argo float profiles) and satellite data (Absolute Dynamic Topography, Sea Level Anomaly, Sea Surface Temperature, wind products) over the period from 1993 to 2018. The availability of long time series of data and high-resolution multi-sensor surface currents allow us to add new details on the circulation features and on their driving mechanisms and to detect new permanent eddies not yet described in literature. The structures prevailing in winter are mainly driven by wind, whereas those prevailing in summer are regulated by topographical forcing on surface currents. The strength of the surface structures located at the western entrance of the Ionian Sea and of the mesoscale activity along the northern Sicily coast is modulated by the large-scale internal variability. The vertical hydrological characteristics of these mesoscale eddies are delineated using the Argo float profiles inside these structures.

Metal Concentration in Muscle and Digestive Gland of Common Octopus (Octopus vulgaris) from Two Coastal Site in Southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Italy).

Octopus vulgaris constitute an important part of most suitable marine resources for human consumption, however, they can represent a source in chemical contaminants intake such as heavy metals. In this scenario, the aim of the study was the evaluation of the concentration of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) in the muscle and digestive gland of octopus caught from two different locations along Campania coast (Castellammare di Stabia and Napoli) and the estimation of their weekly human intake derived from the ingestion of octopus. Analysing 38 samples showed a higher concentration of Pb in the muscle of octopus in Castellammare di Stabia than in Napoli. No statistical differences were reported for Cd, Pb and Hg concentrations in the digestive gland of octopus between two sampling sites. Differences were observed between the two tissue types, with a higher level of Cd and Pb observed in the digestive gland compared with the muscle. Noteworthy, the consumption of muscle from Castellammare di Stabia could increase Pb intake in heavy consumers of local octopus. In conclusion, the present work determines that it is important to improve strategies to minimize environmental pollution sources in these areas.

Seamount‐Volcanic Island Transition and Evolution From Fissural to Central Activity Inferred by the Magnetic Modeling of Salina Island (Tyrrhenian Sea)

AbstractVolcanic islands represent the later stage of an early submarine volcanic activity and show different morphologies reflecting the geometry of shallow plumbing systems, magma output rate, gravitational instability, and erosive phases. Two end‐member morphologies may be recognized: (a) rift‐like elongated edifices and ‘stellate’ volcanoes and (b) cone‐shaped, central‐type volcanoes. While the evolution from early conical shapes to stellate shapes is relatively well known, the reverse is less constrained, commonly lacking geophysical and geological data to support it. We present magnetic forward and 3‐D inverse models of the volcanic island of Salina (244‐15 ka; Aeolian Arc, Southern Tyrrhenian Sea) to characterize its shallow plumbing system. The detected magnetic sources are interpreted as the crystallized portions of dykes and vertical conduits. The dykes mainly characterize the offshore of Salina Island, whereas subcircular conduits are located onshore. The results show that the early, mainly submarine phases of Salina concentrated along dykes following weakness zones of tectonic significance. As the volcanism proceeded, the subaerial activity focused on two main cone‐shaped stratovolcanoes (Monte Fossa delle Felci and Monte dei Porri). The intersections among dykes and the progressive loading of volcanic products during the early growth of Salina are responsible for the transition from an early fissural basaltic activity to a later, basaltic to a last, more evolved central‐type volcanism. We conclude that intrusions along pre‐existing tectonic structures, dyke intersections, and loading processes related to the formation of a volcanic pile regulate the morphology and structural evolution of volcanic islands from the early, submarine phase to the later subaerial activity.

Techniques and methods of seismic data processing in active volcanic areas: some applications to multichannel seismic profiles (Gulf of Naples, Southern Tyrrhenian sea, Italy)

The techniques of seismic surveying, especially reflection seismic, considerably varied during last year’s. The contribution to this variation mainly came from the oil industry, which has developed the geophysical methods for oil searching. The basic techniques of seismic exploration consist of the generation of seismic waves artificially in the ground (source) and of the measurement of the requested times to cover the source-receiver path. Seismic data processing of three multichannel seismic profiles located in the Gulf of Naples for an overall length of 150 kilometers is herein presented. The techniques of seismic processing used for the elaboration of the seismic data are up-to-date. Some of them are based on complex mathematical models, allowing obtaining good velocity analysis for the production of stacked sections, ready to be interpreted. In this paper the procedures of processing of multichannel seismic data starting from the field data are shown. Sketch diagrams of the elaboration processes applied during several phases of the whole processing have been constructed. The used software are the Promax2D (Landmark Ltd.) and the Seismic Unix (Colorado School of Mines). The steps of the seismic data processes included the pre-processing, the sorting, the velocity analysis, the normal move-out (NMO), the stacking, the band-pass filtering, the multiple removals, the predictive de-convolution and the spiking de-convolution.

Geoarchaeological Evidence of Middle-Age Tsunamis at Stromboli and Consequences for the Tsunami Hazard in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea

Large-scale landslides at volcanic islands are one of the most dangerous geological phenomena, able to generate tsunamis whose effects can propagate far from the source. However, related deposits are scarcely preserved on-land in the geologic records, and are often difficult to be interpreted. Here we show the discovery of three unprecedented well-preserved tsunami deposits related to repeated flank collapses of the volcanic island of Stromboli (Southern Italy) occurred during the Late Middle Ages. Based on carbon datings, on stratigraphic, volcanological and archaeological evidence, we link the oldest, highest-magnitude investigated tsunami to the following rapid abandonment of the island which was inhabited at that time, contrary than previously thought. The destructive power of this event is also possibly related to a huge marine storm that devastated the ports of Naples in 1343 (200 km north of Stromboli) described by the famous writer Petrarch. The portrayed devastation can be potentially attributed to the arrival of multiple tsunami waves generated by a major landslide in Stromboli island, confirming the hypothetical hazard of these phenomena at a regional scale.

A new species of Protodorvillea (Polychaeta: Dorvilleidae) from the Western Mediterranean Sea

A new species of Dorvilleidae, Protodorvillea artemidis sp. nov., is described from the soft bottom of the Gulf of Taranto (northern Ionian Sea) and the Straits of Messina (southern Tyrrhenian Sea), in the western Mediterranean Sea. The specimens were collected in October 2014, near the village of Rossano Calabro (Southern Italy, Ionian Sea), and in July 2016 off the village of Scilla (Southern Italy, Tyrrhenian Sea), from 6 to 38 m depth. Protodorvillea artemidis sp. nov. is characterised by four eyes, two short clavate antennae, dorsal and ventral cirri from the first parapodium, a long subacicular falciger reminiscent of that of Dorvillea, and the simultaneous occurrence of supraacicular and subacicular cultriform chaetae with serrated edges. Protodorvillea artemidis sp. nov. is similar to P. kefersteini (McIntosh, 1869) but differs from this species mainly by morphological characteristics of prostomium, mouth parts, and supraacicular and subacicualar chaetae. Morphological characters important for differentiation of the new species herein described from congeneric species are discussed. The description of P. artemidis sp. nov. helps to improve the knowledge on the diversity of Mediterranean invertebrates, and specifically on the family Dorvilleidae, which is still poorly known and includes many opportunistic species, early indicators of pollution. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:AC147ADF-762A-4797-A9AE-FC0BA1219D1A

On the coral-feeding habit of the sea star Peltaster placenta

The predatory activity of the asteroid Peltaster placenta (Muller and Troschel, 1842) on the black coral Parantipathes larix (Esper, 1790) is here described for the first time based on video footage obtained during a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV) survey conducted in the Pontine Archipelago (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean Sea). Feeding is carried out on the living coenenchyme of the basal axis and pinnules of the antipatharian and is confirmed by the occurrence of its cnidocysts in the sea star gut content. The chitinous skeletal parts of the black coral are left intact as bare tissue, which helps to relate colonies to the predation event. Among all black coral species present in the research area, P. placenta was observed grazing exclusively on P. larix, similarly to other goniasterids known to be deep-sea corallivores with a marked selectivity for their prey. The predatory behaviour of P. placenta was previously unknown. The extent of its feeding traces suggests a significant influence on benthic trophic relationships and, ultimately, on the functioning, structure and health status of deep Mediterranean black coral forests.

Role of magma mixing in the pre-eruptive dynamics of the Aeolian Islands volcanoes (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy)

We combined literature and experimental data to determine the role of magma mixing in the pre-eruptive dynamics of the Aeolian Islands volcanoes. As a first step, we systematically reviewed the evidence supporting the hypothesis of mixing-triggered eruptions in the Aeolian archipelago, providing textural, chemical, and rheological constraints. The existing data highlighted the significant role of magma mixing in many eruptions within the Aeolian archipelago. Examples include the Upper Pollara and Porri volcano eruptions at Salina, Monte Guardia, and the AD 1230 Monte Pilato eruption at Lipari, as well as the present-day activity at Stromboli. Then, we focused on Vulcano Island, chosen as a case study because it represents one of the volcanoes posing the highest risk in the Aeolian archipelago. At Vulcano Island, we highlighted the role of magma mixing in the AD 1739 and 1888–90 eruptions. Finally, we investigated mixing-to-eruption timescales for the AD 1739 eruption, performing mixing experiments, and evaluated the progressive decay of the chemical concentration variance with time. Results pointed to mixing-to-eruption timescales of the order of 29 ± 9 h and magma ascent rates ranging between 3×10−2 and 5×10−2 m s−1. We finally emphasized that the presented results may have significant implications in the context of volcanic hazard mitigation and planning of emergency activities.

Geologic and geomorphologic study of the Terra Murata and Centane-Panoramica sites (Island of Procida, Naples Bay, Southern Tyrrhenian sea) aimed at solving some applied geological and geotechnical problems

A geologic and geomorphologic study aimed at solving some geological and geotechnical problems, regarding the massive seepage of meteoric waters in the coastal cliffs of the Island of Procida (Naples Bay, southern Italy), composed of both tuffs and loose pyroclastic deposits, has been carried out in the geosites of Terra Murata (Middle Ages village and coastal cliff towards the Corricella Bay) and Centane-Panoramica (coastal cliff facing on the Tyrrhenian sea). A detailed geologic and geomorphologic survey has allowed to suggest solutions to the applied geological and geotechnical problems related to the occurrence of massive seepages of waters at the physical interface between pyroclastic rocks and loose pyroclastic deposits, characterized by different density, permeability and porosity and also controlled by a dense network of fractures, involving the pyroclastic deposits cropping out in the selected areas. Field sampling and geotechnical laboratory analyses have been carried out to calculate the values of main geotechnical parameters of the yellow tuffs cropping out at the Terra Murata promontory. At the same time, a detailed monitoring of the seepages of waters has been carried out through a detailed geological survey of the tuff outcrops of the promontory. The obtained results have suggested a strong control from both the geomorphologic instability of the coastal cliff and tectonic setting. At the Centane-Panoramica geosite the geological survey, coupled with geotechnical analyses and standard penetrometric tests, has accordingly evidenced that the geomorphologic instability was mainly concentrated in the sectors of the tuff coastal cliffs facing seawards towards the Tyrrhenian sea.

Food safety assessment of heavy metals in uncommon and abyssal fish and cephalopod from the Tyrrhenian Sea

The spread of non-native species in the Mediterranean Sea, due to Lessepsian migration and tropicalization, as well as the use of “non-selective” fishing practices, causes frequently the capture of uncommon and abyssal species, that can be sold in seafood market. This could represent a risk for food safety, since some of these species are not listed in the European Union (EU) regulations for human consumption. Heavy metal contamination (lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic) was evaluated, for the first time, in 12 uncommon lessepsian and abyssal finfish and cephalopod species, caught in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea. Mercury exceeded the maximum limit set by the EU in some species, while lead and cadmium concentrations were compliant. Total inorganic arsenic was detected in all species, in a wide concentration range. Therefore, inclusion in the EU regulations of all these species is suggested to reduce the risk of consumer exposition to heavy metals.

Coastal Evolution, Hydrothermal Migration Pathways and Soft Deformation along the Campania Continental Shelf (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea): Insights from High-Resolution Seismic Profiles

A closely spaced set of high-resolution Chirp-Sonar and Sparker profiles and swath bathymetric data was acquired in 2013 for the I-AMICA Project off the Volturno River mouth (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea) by the Istituto per l’Ambiente Marino Costiero (IAMC), National Research Council of Italy (CNR). The palaeo-topography of three key surfaces, represented by the bounding surfaces of the post-glacial lithosomes, was mapped by the interpolation of seismically detected reflectors. The morphology of the surface related to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) regression revealed the presence of fault linkages which defined a small-scale accommodation zone with an E–W trending interbasinal relative high. The observed set of oppositely dipping faults, NNW- and ENE-directed, locally controlled the deposition of the paralic/deltaic bodies during the post-glacial rise in sea level, as testified by their wedge-shaped geometries and shifting depocentres. The deformation may be linked to the Campi Flegrei caldera collapse following the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff (NYT) eruption and aged 15 ka BP. The relevant thickness of the Transgressive System Tract (TST) testifies to an increased sediment yield and intense reworking in coastal areas, probably driven by the high volcanoclastic supply during volcanic paroxysm, almost coeval with the post-glacial transgression. Fluid escape features linked to an E–W striking fluid front at the outer shelf suggest the presence of an hydrothermal system controlled by the predominant direction of normal to oblique Quaternary-active faults and by lithologic discontinuities across the sedimentary pile.

Submarine Depositional Terraces at Salina Island (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea) and Implications on the Late-Quaternary Evolution of the Insular Shelf

The integrated analysis of high-resolution multibeam bathymetry and single-channel seismic profiles around Salina Island allowed us to characterize the stratigraphic architecture of the insular shelf. The shelf is formed by a gently-sloping erosive surface carved on the volcanic bedrock, mostly covered by sediments organized in a suite of terraced bodies, i.e. submarine depositional terraces. Based on their position on the shelf, depth range of their edge and inner geometry, different orders of terraces can be distinguished. The shallowest terrace (near-shore terrace) is a sedimentary prograding wedge, whose formation can be associated to the downward transport of sediments from the surf zone and shoreface during stormy conditions. According to the range depth of the terrace edge (i.e., 10–25 m, compatible with the estimated present-day, local storm-wave base level in the central and western Mediterranean), the formation of this wedge can be attributed to the present-day highstand. By assuming a similar genesis for the deeper terraces, mid-shelf terraces having the edge at depths of 40–50 m and 70–80 m can be attributed to the late and early stages of the Post-LGM transgression, respectively. Finally, the deepest terrace (shelf-edge terrace) has the edge at depths of 130–160 m, being thus referable to the lowstand occurred at ca. 20 ka. Based on the variability of edge depth in the different sectors, we also show how lowstand terraces can be used to provide insights on the recent vertical movements that affected Salina edifice in the last 20 ka, highlighting more generally their possible use for neo-tectonic studies elsewhere. Moreover, being these terraces associated to different paleo-sea levels, they can be used to constrain the relative age of the different erosive stages affecting shallow-water sectors.

Magma Plumbing System at a Young Back‐Arc Spreading Center: The Marsili Volcano, Southern Tyrrhenian Sea

AbstractAlthough spreading rate is commonly taken as a proxy for decompression mantle melting at mid‐ocean ridges (MORs), magmatism at back‐arc spreading centers (BASCs) is further influenced by the subduction‐related flux melting of the mantle. These regions consequently show a diversity of crustal structures, lava compositions, and morphologies not typically found in MORs. Here we investigate the crustal plumbing system of the small‐scale, Marsili back‐arc spreading center of the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea using plagioclase data from a wide spectrum of lavas (basalts to andesites) dredged from its summit and flanks. We employ petrological modeling to identify the plagioclase populations carried in the individual lavas, allocate them to plausible magmatic components present within the plumbing system, and trace the processes occurring during magma ascent to the surface. The properties of the system, such as mush porosity and abundance of the melt bodies, vary from one magma extraction zone to another along the BASC, evidencing the local variability of melt supply conditions. The plagioclase crystals document a range of relationships with the host lavas, indicating magma extraction from a composite, vertically extensive mush and melt‐lens system resembling that of MORs. At the same time, however, in small BASCs, such as in the case of the Marsili Basin, crustal accretion and resulting morphology are significantly influenced by the three‐dimensional setting of the basin margins. This is an important deviation from the conventional model based on the linear continuity and essentially two‐dimensional framework of MORs.

Spatial distribution of the black coral Leiopathes glaberrima (Esper, 1788) (Antipatharia: Leiopathidae) in the Mediterranean: a prerequisite for protection of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VMEs)

Leiopathes glaberrima is an important component of the deep coral forests of the Mediterranean Sea enhancing benthic biodiversity and forming an essential habitat for many marine organisms. It is a sessile species with high longevity; it is therefore highly affected by fishing impacts and has been listed as a representative taxon of Vulnerable Marine Ecoystems (VMEs). Since information on spatial distribution of L. glaberrima is still scanty and fragmented, an updated synopsis of its distribution in the Mediterranean is given, including two new records in the Strait of Sicily. On the basis of this updated information, hotspots of black coral off the Carloforte Island in the Sardinian Sea, on the Marco Bank and off the Pontine Islands in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, and on the Malta Graben in the Strait of Sicily are proposed for implementation of Fishery Restricted Areas.

Marsili and Cefalù basins: The evolution of a rift system in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea (Central Mediterranean)

Abstract The Marsili Basin (in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea), whose mode of extension is still a controversial issue, is the youngest bathyal basin of the Central Mediterranean. A thin sedimentary cover in the basin permits to image basement fabric and structure by swath mapping and seismic reflection data. We investigate the crustal structure of the southern Tyrrhenian Sea, extending from the bathyal Marsili Basin to the adjacent Sicily continental margin. Interpretation of seismic reflection profiles (calibrated by well and dredge data) and crustal cross-sections were used to identify the stratigraphic infill, structural pattern and large-scale crustal features of the region. We recognized three basins in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea: (1) the Termini basin that is an overfilled sedimentary basin on the continental shelf area; (2) the Cefalu basin, located on the continental slope area and filled by thick deep water turbidite deposits; (3) the distal Marsili basin, filled by hemipelagic and thin distal turbidite deposits. The sequence stratigraphy interpretation permitted us to recognize fourth-order depositional sequences and the stratigraphic signature of the rift stages. An important increase in the sedimentary supply from the continental shelf to the bathyal basin occurred approximately over the last 0.5 Ma and is related to the uplift of the coastal area. The stratigraphic constrains indicate a Lower Pleistocene age for the opening of the southern Tyrrhenian Sea basin. The structural map reveals a complex fault pattern, in which coeval normal faults disclose a triangular basin from the Marsili bathyal basin to the Sicily continental margin, associated to an Euler pole in the northern Sicily. Tacking in account the faults pattern that developed in the whole Southern Tyrrhenian Sea during the Lower Pleistocene, we reconstructed two opposite triangular basins separated by a perpendicular rift. For analogy with the contiguous Vavilov basin, we propose that the extension in the Marsili basin reached the mantle exhumation stage.

Volcanism in slab tear faults is larger than in island-arcs and back-arcs

Subduction-transform edge propagators are lithospheric tears bounding slabs and back-arc basins. The volcanism at these edges is enigmatic because it is lacking comprehensive geological and geophysical data. Here we present bathymetric, potential-field data, and direct observations of the seafloor on the 90 km long Palinuro volcanic chain overlapping the E-W striking tear of the roll-backing Ionian slab in Southern Tyrrhenian Sea. The volcanic chain includes arc-type central volcanoes and fissural, spreading-type centers emplaced along second-order shears. The volume of the volcanic chain is larger than that of the neighbor island-arc edifices and back-arc spreading center. Such large volume of magma is associated to an upwelling of the isotherms due to mantle melts upraising from the rear of the slab along the tear fault. The subduction-transform edge volcanism focuses localized spreading processes and its magnitude is underestimated. This volcanism characterizes the subduction settings associated to volcanic arcs and back-arc spreading centers.

Large-scale movements in the oceanic environment identify important foraging areas for loggerheads in central Mediterranean Sea

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) are known to display a wide range of movement patterns during the different stages of their life cycle, but empirical information to document this extensive behavioural plasticity is still limited. This is especially true for large, adult-sized individuals, that are thought to mainly forage in neritic areas. In the present paper, eight adult-sized loggerhead turtles were tracked using satellite telemetry to identify the location of their foraging grounds in the seas along the western coast of the Italian peninsula. Tracked turtles mostly stayed in the region between the Italian peninsula and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, that was reached following quick, directed movements by the turtles from a release site to the north. In this area, two turtles took up residence in spatially limited neritic sites along the coast, while the remaining six alternated circumscribed coastal stays with long-distance, circuitous movements in the oceanic environment. An utilization distribution analysis clearly identified an area, mostly comprising oceanic waters, that was continuously used by turtles in different seasons and years. The present results contribute to the still-limited knowledge of the spatial ecology of loggerheads frequenting the Western Mediterranean Sea and highlight the presence of a potentially important oceanic region in the Southern Tyrrhenian Sea where adult-sized turtles forage for extended periods. These findings increase our knowledge of complex life history traits of loggerhead turtles and provide important information to be considered for evidence-based conservation measures.

Present-day kinematics and deformation processes in the southern Tyrrhenian region: new insights on the northern Sicily extensional belt

We performed a new analysis of updated and accurate sets of seismic and GNSS data relative to the southern Tyrrhenian region. Detailed velocity field and crustal strain distribution coming from integration of episodic and continuous measurements at more than 160 geodetic sites (spanning the 1994-2015 period) have been evaluated together with the spatial distribution of recent seismicity and an updated catalogue of waveform inversion fault-plane solutions relative to the period 1976-2014. In agreement with previous investigations, we have found that the kinematics of the study area is quite homogeneous except for the north-eastern corner of Sicily which moves almost coherently with southern Calabria in response to the SE-ward rollback of the Ionian slab. The rest of the study region shows a NNW-trending velocity field in agreement with the direction of the Nubia-Eurasia convergence and it is mainly interested by a major compressive domain. NNW-oriented compression is particularly highlighted by seismic data along the E-W trending seismic belt located in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea. In the framework of such compressive regime, the E-W trending extensional domain of northern Sicily is also clearly depicted both by seismic and geodetic data. The cause of this extensional domain framed inside a mainly compressive one represents an open question in the recent scientific debate. Comparisons between our results and literature information on regional geology and crustal structure led us to investigate whether the extension could occur as local response to the thrusting dynamics of the southern Tyrrhenian belt, favoured by the presence of pre-existing weakness zones. We then propose a first attempt to evaluate such a possible causal relationship by means of Finite Element Method (FEM) and Coulomb Stress Change (CSC) modelling. In particular, we adopted a FEM approach to investigate the deformation pattern produced by thrust faulting of southern Tyrrhenian belt, along a 2D profile crossing both the compressive belt and the extensional one in northern Sicily. We also estimated the CSC due to the thrust faulting on normal receiving faults fairly reproducing pre-existing structures of northern Sicily. Modelling results indicate that the thrust faulting activity along the Southern Tyrrhenian compressive margin could be effective in promoting extensional processes in northern Sicily. We have so shown that the local response to thrust faulting activity may concur, even in combination with other processes, to generate the crustal stretching of northern Sicily.