Brief communication: The crucial assessment of possible significant vertical movements preceding the 28 December 1908, Mw=7.1, Messina Straits earthquake

The 28 December 1908 Messina Straits earthquake represents one of the worst seismic catastrophes in world history. In spite of the relatively large and various amount of data available and the geophysical investigations accomplished in the straits, the seismogenic structure is still elusive and intensely debated. Some models proposed for the causative fault rely considerably on the hypothesis of significant subsidence preceding the event. By driving results that differ critically from previously debated models, this assumption would have crucial repercussions on the seismic hazard assessment in the area. However, the critical analysis of this assumption in the light of the available data allows the rejection of this possibility.