Sicily (September 2015)

Late Miocene – Pleistocene (past 7 million years)

In 2015 I organised a fieldtrip to the classical sections of the Mediterranean Neogene (past 23 million years) . These marine deposts are currently located on land due to tectonic uplift of Sicily over the past million years or so. Here is an impression.

Punta di Maiata (Scala dei Turci/Turkish steps). Zanclean stage.
Stage boundary.
Sapropels (organic rich layers) make it easy to see the cyclicity.
Capo Bianco (Zanclean stage).
Inside the RealMonte salt mine (Messinian stage)
Halite (rock salt) deposits from the Messinian stage (~5 million years ago).
Gypsum west of Eraclea Minoa. Also of Messinian age
More sapropels at Monte Gibliscemi
Monte San NIcola. Base of the Pleistocene at 2.58 Ma and the Piacenzian-Gelasian Stage boundary.