The anomalous anticyclone that has persisted for days on most of Europe together with the spring tides is responsible for the unusual lowering of the sea level that in Sicily, in Sciacca, has brought to the surface an ancient islet whose existence was documented in some maps of the eighteenth century.
The experts of the Environment Department of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (Ingv) explain this on social media.
Last Wednesday "a large stretch of cliff emerged for about 50 centimeters, bringing dry rocks covered by algae and rocks covered with Posidonia oceanica", say the experts.
"A few hundred meters from the coast, the islet of San Giorgio was also seen emerging, whose existence is documented only in some maps of the '600 and' 700 and never emerged during the '900. Some shots taken by drone carried out by the WWF of the Sicily Mediterranean Area showed rocks emerging for tens of centimeters in different points of the coast.
On Wednesday 23 March 2022 an unusual low tide phenomenon occurred on the south-west coast of Sicily.
A large stretch of cliff emerged for about 50 centimeters bringing dry rocks covered by algae and rocks covered with Posidonia oceanica.
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- INGVambiente (@INGVambiente) March 28, 2022
The phenomenon was also observed in Mazara del Vallo, in the port of Licata and in Pantelleria.
The lowering of the sea level has even brought to the surface some structures of the ancient submerged city of Eraclea ". The cause of this unusual phenomenon is actually a mix of different factors." The presence of spring tides and that of an anomalous anticyclone which has been insisting for days on most of Europe are responsible ", add the Engv experts." The high pressure has in fact caused a temporary decrease in the sea level at the low average tide observable for this season, causing a decrease of the sea level of about 14 centimeters.