Clastic vs. primary precipitated evaporites in the Messinian Sicilian basins

The Messinian stratigraphy of Sicily has a particular importance for the comprehension ofthe Messinian salinity crisis as its successions bear the greatest similarity with those of thedeep Mediterranean basins. Despite the large number of studies carried out in the last 30years, we believe that the true time and genetic relationships between the different evaporiticand non evaporitic rock bodies are still not well established. This is probably due to thelimited, partial view offered by the central Sicilian basin, despite its complete Messinianstratigraphic record.Clastic and chaotic evaporitic deposits emplaced by tectonically-driven small to largescaleresedimentation processes form an important part of the MSC record of Sicily in theBelice and Caltanissetta basins. Facies characteristics of clastic evaporites, the stratigraphicrelationships with the other Messinian deposits, their possible significance in the regionalgeological evolution and the implications at a Mediterranean scale will be discussed in thefield. Attention also will be paid to primary precipitated facies of Lower and UpperEvaporites.The main aim of this field trip is to visit and discuss, beside some of the classic localitiesof the Caltanissetta basin, other less known outcrops of western Sicily (Belice basin), inorder to have a more complete regional geological framework of the MSC events in Sicily.This will give the participants the opportunity to discuss many of the still open problemsconcerning the MSC. In this section we suggest some topics for discussion during the fieldtrip.