Cave and Karst Systems of the World Sicily

This book describes Sicily’s unique and varied karst features, discussing the notable geographical areas, their lithology and genesis and, in a number of cases, their value as geosites to be preserved for scientific or tourism purposes. The rich variety of Meso-Cenozoic outcropping rocks in Sicily make the island highly significant in terms of the geological history of the Mediterranean area. The soluble rocks (limestones and gypsum), widely present on the island, play an important role in shaping and continuously altering the landscape, both in the reliefs with spectacular fluviokarst cayons and suggestive gorges, and below ground where there is a wide range of speleogenically and speleologically important caves. This book describes Sicily’s unique and varied karst features, discussing the notable geographical areas, their lithology and genesis and, in a number of cases, their value as geosites to be preserved for scientific or tourism purposes. The rich variety of Meso-Cenozoic outcropping rocks in Sicily make the island highly significant in terms of the geological history of the Mediterranean area. The soluble rocks (limestones and gypsum), widely present on the island, play an important role in shaping and continuously altering the landscape, both in the reliefs with spectacular fluviokarst cayons and suggestive gorges, and below ground where there is a wide range of speleogenically and speleologically important caves.