Poggio Balate, Termini Imerese, Metropolitan City of Palermo, Sicily, Italyi

Regional Level Types
Poggio Balate	Hill
Termini Imerese	Commune
Metropolitan City of Palermo	Metropolitan City
Sicily	Autonomous Region
Italy	- not defined -

Baryte-fluorite hydrothermal mineralisation in Mesozoic limestone layers of the Crisanti Formation. These minerals mainly occur in brecciated limestones with ellipsactinia of Tithonian age, which appear sandwiched between bedded cherts with rhythmic shale interbeds of the Upper Lias and thin layers of silicified limestones of the Lower Cretaceous. The geological structures of the mineralised areas consist of monoclinals which separated from the main structure as a result of disjunctive processes of post-Pliocene tectonics and emerge from the plastic terrains of the Tertiary. These monoclinals themselves are in various parts raised up with respect to each other by a series of faults (also due to distensive tectonics). The baryte-fluorite mineralisation appears mainly as cavity filling and in the form of veins or encrustations on parts of faulted walls.

This locality is famous for the very beautiful fluorite specimens (cubic crystals up to 12 cm across), which contain fluid inclusions. It is located on the top of a hill, named Poggio Balate, at the NW foot of Monte San Calogero.

Fluorite from this locality contains abundant two-phase liquid-rich aqueous inclusions. Less common types are: monophase (liquid or gas); two-phase, mostly gas-rich, hydrocarbon inclusions; three-phase (liquid + gas + an accidentally trapped solid); and three-phase (gas + two liquids: an aqueous brine and a hydrocarbonic fluid).


The San Calogero mountain system represents a place of unparalleled geological and naturalistic beauties. In fact, since 1998 the "Monte San Calogero" oriented nature reserve has been set up in the territories of the municipalities of Caccamo, Sciara and Termini Imerese; part of the Poggio Balate relief, which forms an offshoot on the north western side of Monte San Calogero, falls outside the reserve area. With its 1,326 meters high and a complex and diverse morphology, Monte San Calogero constitutes one of the highest peaks in western Sicily.

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

References