Active faults in the epicentral and mesoseismal Ml 6.0 24, 2016 Amatrice earthquake region, central Italy. Methodological and seismotectonic issues

Abstract

The August 24, 2016 Amatrice earthquake (Ml 6.0) struck a region of the central Apennines (Italy) where several active faults were known since decades, most of which are considered the surface expression of seismogenic sources potentially able to rupture during earthquakes with M of up to 6.5-7. The current de-bate on which structure/s activated during the mainshock and the possibility that conterminous faults may activate in a near future urged us gathering all the data on surface geological evidence of fault activi-ty we collected over the past 15-20 years in the area. We then map the main tectonic structures of the 2016 earthquake epicentral and mesoseismal region. Our aim is to provide hints on their seismogenic potential, as possible contribution to the national Database of Individual Seismogenic Source (DISS) and to the Da-tabase of the active and capable fault ITaly HAzard from CApable faults (ITHACA).