RESUMO
The Mediterranean is one of the most studied regions of the world. In spite of this, a considerable spread of opinions exists about the geodynamic evolution and the present tectonic setting of this zone. The difficulty in recognizing the driving mechanisms of deformation is due to a large extent to the complex distribution in space and time of tectonic events, to the high number of parameters involved in this problem and to the scarce possibility of carrying out quantitative estimates of the deformation implied by the various geodynamic hypotheses. However, this great deal of the present ambiguity could be removed if there were more frequent and open discussions among the scientists who are working on this problem. The meeting of Erice was organized to provide an opportunity in this sense and the participants was made so as to set up a multidisciplinary group of experts in many fields of earth sciences, able to discuss in details all types of possible implications of the proposed geodynamic hypotheses. Presentations and discussions were mainly focused on some crucial problems, with particular reference to the Africa-Eurasia relative motion in the Mediterranean and to geodynamic processes and structural-seismotectonic features in the peri-Adriatic and eastern Mediterranean regions. As concerns the first problem, the main object of debate was the direction of the Africa-Eurasia convergence. So far, this information has been determined through the analysis of kinematic indicators in the North Atlantic. This meeting was also an ocassion to discuss results and potentiality of the seismograph network MEDNET installed as a joint project between the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica and World Laboratory in countries of the Mediterranean. A fundamental design goal followed to plan MEDNET was the study of Mediterranean upper mantle structure. Attractive tomographic images of the upper mantle were shown, deriving from the analysis of travel time data. Important features like the descending slab under the Aegean, and the remnant subduction system under the Apennines, could be recognized. However, the limitations of these images were also discussed
