New insights on the Carburangeli Cave speleogenesis: a flank margin cave in Northern Sicily (Italy)

Abstract

Flank margin caves form in coastal regions by mixing dissolution. Their development is controlled by the position of the freshsalt water mixing boundary, which in turn, is related to sea-level position. They are characterized by a typical cave pattern and cave-wall morphologies and represent good indicators of past sea levels. This contribution shows the results of recent studies conducted in the Carburangeli Cave, a small sub-horizontal cavity developed in Northern Sicily, close to Palermo. This cave was firstly known for paleontological and archaeological findings and for these reasons, along with its speleological and biological interest, a Nature Reserve has been instituted by the Sicilian government, and the cave was put under the management of “Legambiente Sicilia”. Carburangeli Cave opens on a marine palaeocliff at 22 m a.s.l., roughly 500 m far from the coastline, and is partially developed in Mesozoic limestone and in the overlying Pleistocene calcarenites. Its position, pattern, peculiar morphologies, lack of turbulent-flow wall sculptures and alluvial/colluvial sediments suggest an origin controlled by coastal mixing processes giving also important information on the Upper Pleistocene sea level and coastline position in this Northern sector of Sicily.