Punta Bianca
October 12, 2020
Photographer: Dario Giannobile
Summary Author: Dario Giannobile
Punta Bianca, in Sicily, Italy, is formed by a white stepped cliff that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea, which can be accessed after a short walk along the sandy coast. The cliff is made up of white marble from the Trubi Formation of the Lower Pliocene. These rocks represent the return to normal marine conditions of the Mediterranean Sea after the Messinian salinity crisis some 6 million years ago, whereby the waters of the Atlantic Ocean entered the Mediterranean basin.
Trubi rocks are variable in color, from white to yellowish to brown, and are rich in planktonic foraminifers (Globigerina). They’re characterized by a rhythmic alternation of marl and limestone. The stepped shape of the cliff shown above results from differential erosion processes – the softer marl is more easily weathered, leaving the more tenacious, resistant limestone. Photo taken on June 24, 2020
Photo Details: Camera Canon EOS 6D; Software Adobe Photoshop 21.1 (Windows); Exposure Time 0.010s (1/100); Aperture ƒ/11.0; ISO equivalent 640; Focal Length 20.0mm.