Objectives
Reconstruct the behavior and evolution of the 1908 turbidity current;
Evaluate the role of this turbidity current in the 1908 Messina tsunami;
Test the effectiveness of using a submarine telecommunication cable to detect modern gravity flows;
Determine present-day probability of new turbidity currents being generated along the eastern Sicilian margin.
Significance projects results
This project will address key questions on submarine gravity flows by:
i) integrating multi-scale and different data sets and techniques; and
ii) focusing on one of the best monitored sections of the Mediterranean seafloor.
The available data from the western Ionian Basin have a better spatial coverage than those used in previous studies. We focus on recent events, the signature of which is easily visible in geophysical and sedimentological data. By attempting to identify the origin of the 1908 tsunami we address a long-standing question in marine geosciences and improve geohazard assessment in the central Mediterranean region. An important novel aspect of MARGRAF is the testing of the use of telecommunication cables to detect gravity flows, which has not been carried out so far. If successful, and in view of the presence of such cables along all continental margins, the application of our results will be widespread.