Messina Fault

The Messina warp , the longitudinally through the road from Messina runs, is a NO-SW trending , regional tectonic fault zone.

The Messina Fault is an active fault that fits into the tectonic system of the north migration of the African continental plate against the Eurasian plate . In addition to this fault system, there are three further, overlapping fracture directions, which run NNW-SSE, ONO-WSW and OSO-WNW. These fault systems are among other things the cause of the volcanism in southern Italy.

On December 28, 1908, the Messina Fault in southern Italy triggered an earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale ( Messina earthquake 1908 ). This was one of the most devastating earthquake disasters in Europe that destroyed Messina and the surrounding towns. The quake and the subsequent tsunamis killed 100,000 people and a much larger number lost their belongings.

The intended bridge construction over the Strait of Messina between Messina in Sicily and Reggio Calabria on the Italian mainland has brought this active movement zone of the earth's crust back into focus.