Long‐term uplift rate of the Etna volcano basement (southern Italy) based on biochronological data from Pleistocene sediments

The eastern flank of Mt. Etna volcano rests on Pleistocene marine sediments, which unconformably cover the Apenninic–Maghrebian Chain units. A quantitative biostratigraphic analysis was carried out based on the calcareous nannofossil content of the Pleistocene deposits outcropping along the S and NE periphery of the volcano. Sediments were constrained to the MNN19e and MNN19f biozones, deposited from 1.2 to 0.589 Ma. According to the depth of deposition and the present altitude of the Pleistocene succession, uplift rates are estimated between 1.1 and 1.7 mm yr−1 for the northeastern sector of the Etna edifice, and between 0.36 and 0.61 mm yr−1 for the southern one. This inhomogeneous long‐term uplift rate affecting the Etna region, probably results from a buried thrust below the northern flank of Etna, which is related to the post‐Tortonian geodynamic evolution of NE Sicily.