Geography of Sicily

In order to view this page you need Flash Player 9+ support!

Geography of Sicily

Sicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. To the north, overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea to the east is divided from the Italian peninsula by the Strait of Messina and is washed by the Ionian Sea and south-west is separated from Africa by the Strait of Sicily.

Sicily has a form of "triangle" whose vertices are Peloro (or Punta del Faro) in Messina, at the top north-eastern Cape Boeo (or Lilibeo) in Marsala, which heads north-western Cape Passero Portopalo, to the south summit.

Geology

Geologically, in line Approximate Sicily belongs to the African plate, with the exception of the northeastern part of which belongs to the Eurasian plate, the sliding of the subducting African plate that dives beneath the Eurasian plate led to the creation of mountains of the region and the presence of frequent seismic activity of tectonic origin that is volcanic.

Between 5.96 and 5.3 million years, during the Messinian (latest Miocene phase of the period), the Mediterranean became isolated from the Atlantic Ocean probably due to an increase in tectonic activity. This led to the salinity crisis: the Mediterranean Sea began to evaporate more quickly and the salt concentration increased. Carbonates and sulphates were deposited in large quantities on the seabed and it has been a long trail of rock salt and gypsum mines that can still be found in the provinces of Agrigento, Caltanissetta and Enna.

A geological feature is the volcanic sediment of Macalube in the province of Agrigento. This rare phenomenon has created the so-called Vulcanelli hill, an area barren of color from white to dark gray, populated by a number of mud volcanoes, about a meter high. The phenomenon is related to the presence of very large clay soils, interspersed with layers of salt water, towering over methane gas bubbles subjected to some pressure. The gas breaks through the soil, rises to the surface, carrying with it sediments of clay and water, giving rise to a cone of clay, whose top is similar to a volcanic crater. The phenomenon is sometimes explosive character, with ejection of clayey material mixed with gas and water thrown at a considerable height.

Volcanoes

Because of its location astride two major tectonic plates, the region and its surrounding islands are affected by intense volcanic activity. The most important volcanoes: Etna, Stromboli and Vulcano.

They belong to the singularity of three different types: eruptions of basaltic lavas interspersed with periods of calm on the first, continuous eruptions, lava fountains and, second, whose characteristics have been taken as a typological model by scientists in the field, who coined the term to describe the type Strombolian activity similar terrestrial volcanoes, and finally type of explosive or Pliny the third, which is characterized by long periods of apparent calm and violent eruptions.

Finally, please note that the eruptive activity in the nineteenth century, the area now called the Strait of Sicily bench Graham, has led to the ephemeral Ferdinandea island (the volcano is still active).
Islands [edit]
The small port of Levanzo

The territory of Sicily also includes several smaller islands, such as the islands of the seven Aeolian and Ustica north, and one of the three Egadi and west, south, the islands of Pantelleria, Lampedusa, Linosa, and other children.

The island group which includes the island of Malta is geographically (but not politically) an integral part of Sicily. Malta, however, was politically united with Sicily until 1798, when it was occupied (for about two years) by Napoleon Bonaparte.

Pelagie Islands, however, are geographically linked to Tunisia, but politically part of the province of Agrigento.

Transcriptions

It is a hilly region (for 62% of the territory), while the remaining 24% is mountainous and the remaining 14% is flat (the largest plain is the plain of Catania). The relief is varied, while in eastern Sicily, you can recognize in Peloritani, Nebrodi Madonie an ideal continuation of the Apennines and Calabria, although for many the Apennines to Sicily has its own characteristics, it is rare to find texts or Geology experts to talk about the Sicilian Apennines [citation needed]. It is located in the Madonie the second highest peak of the island: Pizzo Carbonara (1979 m).

At the heart of Sicily there are mountains on Erei is located at 949 meters in height, the city of Enna, while in the range between the south-eastern province of Ragusa and Syracuse are the mountains that Iblei. There are other mountains to the west by the height variable, more than 1,500 meters, like the Sicilian, whose highest peaks are Mount Cammarata of 1,578 meters and 1,613 meters of Busambra Rocca, and the mountains that surround the Conca d'Oro, the Palermo at the foot of the mountains lies the capital city of this region, Palermo precisely, and can be considered a continuation of the Apennines and therefore Madonie Siculus. The mountains of Palermo have also come to the peaks around 1050 meters altitude is the case of Monte Cuccio visible across the metropolitan area of Palermo.

Etna

To the east stands, visible from the Strait of Messina and Calabria from the top of the Aspromonte, the snow-capped Mount Etna, 3,323 meters high. With its frequent eruptions, Mount Etna has covered the surrounding area of its black lava. Contrary to what one might think, however, the nearby plain of Catania, one of the provinces in the region, which lies along the coast, it is of volcanic origin, but of alluvial origin, having been created by debris from the river over the centuries Simeto.

Coste

Triangular, Sicily in ancient times was called Trinacria Triquetra. The northern coast, rocky cliffs, open the Tyrrhenian Sea, with frequent and large bays, such as the Gulfs of Castellammare del Golfo, Palermo, Termini Imerese, Capo d'Orlando to Patti, Milazzo, Campobello di Mazara . East of the Ionian coast is more varied; narrow pebble beaches almost to Taormina and from the mouth of the river Alcantara and Ripon, indented to the south, with inlets and bays such as that of Giardini Naxos, Acireale as lava, and rugged coastline basaltic to Catania. The wide gulf of Catania has a golden sandy beach at its end but the coast to be resumed with a series of rocky fjords, including that of Brucoli. So the wide bay of Augusta, home to the largest commercial port in Sicily, and the Gulf of Syracuse in which the resume and sandy coast almost to Cape Passero. The extensive southern coastline, mainly characterized by a low and sandy coast, has a single recess of interest: the Gulf of Gela overlooked by three provinces: Agrigento, Caltanissetta, Ragusa.

Rivers and lakes

The rivers in Sicily are all limited in scope and extent. Those Nebrodi Madonie Peloritani and north are called rivers, and are as torrential summer are almost perpetually dry. The only rivers of appreciable size are reaching the salsa Imera South, the longest of the island, and Simeto, the one with the wider catchment area. The main rivers are: Alcantara, the Simeto Gornalunga and its tributary, the Anapo (that flow on the Ionian coast), the cake, and the northern Imera Oreto (that flow on the Tyrrhenian); the Dirillo the Gela, salsa or Imera South, Platani and Belice (south coast).

Regarding the lakes, very few are of natural origin. One of the few left is Lake Pergusa. More numerous are the coastal lakes such as Biviere Gela (LIPU nature reserve), the marshes of Pachino, Tindari and Messina. The most important rivers have been barred by creating artificial reservoirs exploited for civilian use and irrigation. Among the most important dams are: Lake and Lake dell'Ancipa Pozzillo (the largest island), Orange Lake, Lake of Piana, Lake Ogliastro, the lake and the lake Dirillo Disueri, all of a minimum flow

Climate

The Sicilian climate is Mediterranean, with hot summers and mild winters. On the coasts, particularly the south-west, the climate of Africa suffers the most current and you are having hot summers. Generally, the Sicilian summer is hot and little rain, dry and windy, especially in inland areas where the indices are very low humidity. More humid, but generally dry summers, the areas along the coast that are also benefited of the system of sea breezes and in general by frequent ventilation. Inland areas, measurements of the Tyrrhenian Sea and Mount Etna are colder and snowy island. On the highest peaks of the island (Etna, Madonie Nebrodi) snow falls abundantly

Considering only the large coastal cities of the island it turns out that Palermo is the one most frequently may be slightly whitened by a short layer of snow, Messina is the city of Catania and more rain can be recorded, thanks to the island's largest flat the lower temperatures and higher.

The capitals of the island mountain, Ragusa, Caltanissetta and Enna, receive contributions of snow every winter or so.

Rainfall is scarce in inland areas and along the southern coast as they are most abundant on the Tyrrhenian coast and especially on the Etna and Messina. The snow on the coast is rare and more frequently on the Tyrrhenian. In exceptional snowfalls have occurred in Lampedusa (slightly in February 1942 and February 1956) and Pantelleria (January 1905, February 1956 and January 1981 and slightly in March 1949 and January 1979 and January 1999). Eastern Sicily, from Messina to Syracuse, is often affected by flooding and violent storms. On 17 October 1951 a meteorological station near Lentini (between Syracuse and Catania) recorded 702mm of rain, a daily accumulation of the highest in Italy. That same day, a station of Catania scored 499mm.

Especially in spring and autumn it is not uncommon spiritual sirocco, the wind from the Sahara, but in summer the wind can be smeared minimum temperatures above 30 degrees and the highs over 45 degrees (the Italian record for highest temperature is from Sicily and is held by the town where Catenanuova 10 August 1999 touched the 48.5 °).

According to a commonplace Sicilian rainfall is low but this is true only in certain restricted areas of the region like the southern coast and some inland areas in rain shadow. The rest of the island has a rainfall more or less on average with other parts of Italy and in many cases above the national average rainfall. Dell'etneo and even some areas of the Messina are among the most rainy of Italy with predictable rainfall averages over 1300mm. The island's real problem is that rainfall in summer rainfall becomes scarce in some years none at all, and at the distribution of rainfall is extremely irregular in time and space. This trend has an impact on water supply and rainfall, which turns out to be deficient in some provinces where there are frequent water shortages. This table summarizes data collected from three weather stations in Sicily.

< Prev		Next >

Città italiane

Città di Palermo
Thursday, 02 September 2010 | redazione

Network JollyPortal: [ powered by Web Agency Pisa ] :: HOTELS ITALIA :: AZIENDE ITALIA :: HOTEL PISA :: powered by TSE Posizionamento motori di ricerca

Guida Sicilia Menu

ITALY HOTELS BOOKING

Directory HOTEL Italia

Città italiane