Quaternary faulting off Ischia island (Italy): preliminary results

Francesco Giordano (a), Gaia Mattei (a), Alfonsa Milia (b) & Maurizio M. Torrente (c)
(a) DiST, Università Parthenope, Naples, Italy. E-mail: francesco.giordano@uniparthenope.it. (b) IAMC , CNR, Calata Porta di Massa, Porto di Napoli, I-80100 Naples, Italy. (c) DST, Università del Sannio, Via dei Mulini 59/A, I-82100 Benevento, Italy.

The Ischia Island is an area of active volcanism, hydrothermalism, active faults and historical strong earthquakes. Nevertheless the structural pattern and timing of faulting of Ischia offshore is unknown. Continuous seismic reflection profiles were acquired off Ischia between 2005 and 2007 in the frame of research programs of marine cartography (CARG Project) financed by the Campania Region. The interpretation of seismic lines permitted us to recognize the architecture of syn-eruptive volcanic units interlayered between the Late Quaternary systems tracts. For the first time a complex pattern of faulting was recognized. These structures trend NE-SW, NW-SE, N-S, E-W and they are in agreement with the tectonic evolution of the Campania margin.

Seismic profile, Fault, Ischia