Caratteri sedimentologici e geochimici dei sedimenti marini in alcuni settori dei mari italiani

A detailed study of surface samples and sediment cores from some marine areas surrounding the Italian peninsula was carried out by means different analyses. In particular, the activity was addressed to study some key sectors in the central-southern Adriatic Sea and the deep basins of the Sicily Channel (Pantelleria, Linosa and Malta basins). Different approaches were used, mainly represented by geochemical analyses, grain size analyses and more complex other ones, such as the statistical Q Mode Factor Analyses developed to integrate the results of GIS elaboration for a better interpretation. Grain size and geochemical composition of sediments of a sedimentary succession may contribute to recognize different signals, which may be important for geological, environmental and paleo-environment reconstruction. When integrated with other information (mineralogy, paleontological content, etc.) these signals can allow reconstructing a general framework of the environmental dynamics of a certain study area. Based on this approach a representative map of the sediment distribution of central-southern Adriatic Sea has been realized to include also sediment texture and geochemical composition. Moreover, sediment source areas were defined for both the studied Adriatic sector and the deep basins of the Sicily Channel. The above mentioned results represent only some of the results obtained and therefore the research can be developed further. The evolution of the studied areas represents a key example for the study of recent sedimentary successions or older basin successions in other areas. The analytical results obtained are particularly significant also for environmental analyses, as demonstrated by the studies concerning the amount and distribution of mercury in the sediments of the central-southern Adriatic area and the ecological quality status of marine benthic system in the Manfredonia Gulf (southern Adriatic Sea)