Cara, Fabrizio

This study presents data and preliminary analysis from a temporary seismic network (SPQR), which was deployed in the urban area of Rome (Italy) for three months in early 2021. The network was designed to investigate the city’s subsurface while evaluating the feasibility of a permanent urban seismic network, and consisted of 24 seismic stations. Despite significant anthropogenic noise, the SPQR network well recorded earthquake signals, revealing clear spatial variability referable to site effects. In addition, the network’s continuous recordings allowed the use of seismic noise and earthquake signals to derive spectral ratios at sites located in different geological and lithological settings. During the experiment, there were periods of activity restrictions imposed on citizens to limit the spread of COVID‐19. Although the observed power spectral density levels at stations may not show visible noise reductions, they do cause variations in calculated spectral ratios across measurement sites. Finally, a statistical noise analysis was conducted on continuous seismic station data to evaluate their performance in terms of detection threshold for earthquakes. The results indicate that all network stations can effectively record earthquakes with a good signal‐to‐noise ratio (≥5 for P and S phases) in the magnitude range of 1.9–3.3 at distances of 10 km and 80 km, respectively. In addition, the network has the potential to record earthquakes of magnitude 4 up to 200 km, covering areas in Central Italy that are far from the city. This analysis shows that it is possible to establish urban observatories in noisy cities such as Rome, where hazard studies are of particular importance due to the high vulnerability (inherent fragility of its monumental heritage) and exposure.

In this paper we present the ground response analyses (GRA) of a site where an industrial facility is planned. Because of its location on an active normal fault system known as a relevant seismic gap, the Mt. Morrone Fault system (MMF), and at the edge of a basin filled with slow velocity continental deposits, a inter-disciplinary and non-standard approach has been applied to assess the seismic input of the dynamic numerical analyses. It includes geological, seismological, geotechnical and engineering contributions. Two fault scenarios, MMF1 and MMF2, were considered and scenario-based (SSHA) and probabilistic (time-dependent, TD, and time-independent, TI) seismic hazard (PSHA) analyses were implemented. Comparison among the spectra corresponding to the 90th percentile of the SSHA statistical distribution and the PSHA average ones, shows that the MMF2 has values similar to the TD model. The SSHA 90th percentile distribution was selected as target spectra to retrieve the seismic input for GRA. Nonlinear numerical simulations of seismic wave propagation were implemented to derive surface ground motion parameters. GRA acceleration response spectra and their PGA are notably higher, and thus on the safety site, than those obtained following the Italian code approach for seismic resistant buildings. These results confirm that a scenario-based methodology can better capture the shaking effect in near-field conditions, avoiding possibly unconservative underestimations of the seismic actions and in view of a more robust performance-based approach used by engineers for either new design and/or assessment/retrofit purposes of the built environment.

In this paper we describe an advanced database for the site characterization of seismic stations, named “CRISP—Caratterizzazione della RIsposta sismica dei Siti Permanenti della rete sismica” (http:// crisp. ingv. it, quoted with https:// doi. org/ 10. 13127/ crisp), designed for the Italian National Seismic Network (Rete Sismica Nazionale, RSN, operated by Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia). For each site, CRISP collects easily accessible station information, such as position, type(s) of instrumentation, instrument housing, thematic map(s) and descriptive attributes (e.g., geological characteristics, etc.), seismic analysis of recordings, and available geophysical investigations (shear-wave velocity [VS] profile, non-linear decay curve). The archive also provides key proxy indicators derived from the available data, such as the time-averaged shear-wave velocity of the upper 30 m from the surface ( VS30) and site and topographic classes according to the different seismic codes. Standardized procedures have been applied as motivated by the need for a homogenous set of information for all the stations. According to European Plate Observing System infrastructural objectives for the standardization of seismological data, CRISP is integrated into pre-existing INGV instrument infrastructures, shares content with the Italian Accelerometric Archive, and complies map information about the stations, as well as local geology, through web services managed by Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale. The design of the CRISP archive allows the database to be continually updated and expanded whenever new data are available from the scientific community, such as the ones related to new seismic stations, map information, geophysical surveys, and seismological analyses.

Il giorno 9 novembre 2022, alle 06:07:24 UTC (07:07:24 ora locale) un terremoto di magnitudo momento (MW) pari a 5.5 ha interessato la Costa Marchigiana Pesarese (Pesaro Urbino). A causa della magnitudo del mainshock e del livello di danneggiamento riscontrato, l’INGV ha attivato il gruppo operativo EMERSITO (http://emersitoweb.rm.ingv.it/index.php/it/), il cui obiettivo è di svolgere e coordinare le campagne di monitoraggio per studi di effetti di sito e di microzonazione sismica. Il gruppo operativo ha provveduto all’installazione di una rete sismica temporanea nel territorio del comune di Ancona; molte delle stazioni sismiche sono state installate in corrispondenza di edifici pubblici (scuole, Tribunale, Marina Militare, strutture religiose), grazie alla collaborazione con la sede INGV di Ancona, con la Protezione Civile Regione Marche, la Marina militare e la Capitaneria di Porto. Nel presente Report vengono brevemente riassunte le attività già svolte (si vedano i Report precedenti), discusse le analisi dei dati raccolti e mostrati alcuni risultati preliminari riguardanti la rete sismica temporanea. Sono state effettuate le seguente analisi preliminari: qualità delle registrazioni; rapporti spettrali su rumore sismico ambientale e su una selezione di terremoti registrati; analisi della dipendenza dei risultati dei rapporti spettrali dalla direzione del moto sismico (polarizzazione del segnale); calcolo dei meccanismi focali su alcuni eventi selezionati. Infine è stato prodotto un modello geologico semplificato, inclusivo delle informazioni derivanti dalle indagini geologiche e geofisiche preesistenti, che fornisce una chiave interpretativa dei risultati ottenuti.

The ability to image the underground structures of volcanoes is limited by the precision, resolution and pene tration depth of each single geophysical method. In order to improve the knowledge of specific volcanic edifices and to better understand the general behavior of structures, the use of a combination of methods is strongly recommended to exploit and maximize their complementary capabilities of resolution and penetration depths. In this work a large dataset of seismic and electromagnetic measurements has been used to provide a more detailed and improved geophysical image of the shallower portion of the northern sector of Ischia Island(Campania region, Italy), severely hit by the August 21, 2017 earthquake (Mw 3.9). We analysed data by using different methodologies: Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR), seismic array technique (f k),polarization analysis and Time Domain ElectroMagnetic (TDEM) survey. These methods are sensitive in a different way to tectonic features, lithologies, layer geometry and fluid distribution. Thus, their combination is useful for studying sites with complex crustal structures such as Ischia island, which is characterized by a well-developed geothermal system linked to the presence of a shallow magmatic body. Results of our study provides detailed information of the physical properties of the subsoil through: 1) the spatial distribution of the amplification parameters of ground motion, showing frequency peaks below 1 Hz and/or between 1 Hz and 5 Hz; 2) the definition of the velocity models up to 600 m depth, with shear wave velocities ranging from 150 m/s for the shallower layers to 2500 m/s for the half space; 3) the recognition of the correlation between the principal fault structures and polarization directions of the noise wavefield, mostly oriented along EW and NE-SW directions; 4) the resistivity models of the first 80 m depth with high resistivity values of the shallow layers in the range 50–100 Ω.m and low resistivity values of the bottom layers in the range 1–10 Ω.m.

The occurrence of coseismic surface ruptures along fault traces in urbanised areas creates a serious hazard to the vulnerability of man-made manufactures. In order to mitigate such hazard, it is necessary to investigate the geometry, the activity and the capability of faults located close to urbanised areas. This paper presents a case study of the investigation of capable faults within a sensitive area in Italy that is characterized by a high density of population and industrial activities, high levels of seismicity and the presence of faults proven to be capable of rupturing the surface during medium-to-large earthquakes. We focused on the Luco fault (Fucino basin, Central Italy), which previous studies have suggested to cross the industrial district of the town of Avezzano. We present a multidisciplinary approach, consisting of Electrical Resistivity Tomography surveys, continuous-coring boreholes and paleoseismological trenches, aimed at accurately constraining the trace of the Luco fault and documenting the associated fault displacement. This allowed us to constrain the geometry of the Luco fault and to assess the associated fault displacement hazard. We suggest that the proposed methodology represents a pilot study for further investigations of capable faults in the Italian and other similar seismotectonic contexts.

Il giorno 9 Novembre 2022, alle 06:07:24 UTC (07:07:24 ora locale) un terremoto di magnitudo momento (MW) pari a 5.5 ha interessato la Costa Marchigiana Pesarese (Pesaro Urbino). A causa della magnitudo del mainshock e del livello di danneggiamento riscontrato, l’INGV ha attivato il gruppo operativo EMERSITO (http://emersitoweb.rm.ingv.it/index.php/it/), il cui obiettivo è di svolgere e coordinare le campagne di monitoraggio per studi di effetti di sito e di microzonazione sismica. Nel presente Report sono descritte le attività portate avanti nei giorni successivi al Report n.1 (Gruppo Operativo EMERSITO (2022) - Rapporto n.1 preliminare sulle attività svolte dal gruppo operativo Emersito a seguito dell’evento sismico Costa Marchigiana Pesarese Mw 5.5 del 9/11/2022. Pubblicato il 9/11/2022, URL: http://hdl.handle.net/2122/15783): reperimento di informazioni geologiche e geofisiche, di studi su effetti di sito già osservati nella zona colpita e della microzonazione sismica disponibile. In base ai dati recuperati, è stata pianificata l’installazione di una rete sismica temporanea di circa 10 stazioni nell’area urbana di Ancona, capoluogo di provincia e importante zona portuale, caratterizzata da livelli alti di PGA e che ha subito danni diffusi e evacuazioni, caratterizzata da elevate eterogeneità litologiche e morfologiche. Sono stati inoltre analizzati i dati registrati durante l’attuale sequenza sismica ed acquisiti dalle stazioni sismiche permanenti (IV e IT) e temporanee (GO SISMIKO) presenti nell’area, per verificare la presenza di effetti di sito nelle registrazioni.

Il giorno 9 Novembre 2022, alle 06:07:24 UTC (07:07:24 ora locale) un terremoto di magnitudo momento (MW) pari a 5.5 ha interessato la Costa Marchigiana Pesarese (Pesaro Urbino). A causa della magnitudo del mainshock e del livello di danneggiamento riscontrato, l’INGV ha attivato il gruppo operativo EMERSITO (http://emersitoweb.rm.ingv.it/index.php/it/), il cui obiettivo è di svolgere e coordinare le campagne di monitoraggio per studi di effetti di sito e di microzonazione sismica. Durante le prime fasi di un’emergenza sismica, l’attività principale del gruppo operativo EMERSITO consiste, attraverso la costituzione di gruppi di lavoro, nel reperimento delle informazioni geologiche e geofisiche, nell’analisi dei dati sismici esistenti, nella pianificazione di misure sismologiche e geofisiche ed in attività propedeutiche alla microzonazione sismica. Nel caso specifico della sequenza sismica della Costa Marchigiana Pesarese: - sono state reperite informazioni di letteratura sugli effetti di sito già osservati nella zona colpita, sulla cartografia geologica e sulla microzonazione sismica disponibile; - sono state reperite le informazioni di caratterizzazione dei siti delle stazioni sismiche permanenti presenti nell’area (http://itaca.mi.ingv.it/ItacaNet_31 e http://crisp.ingv.it) e sono stati rianalizzati alcuni dati disponibili (http://eida.ingv.it/). - è stata pianificata l’installazione di una rete sismica temporanea nella zona colpita dal terremoto, nei comuni di Ancona e Senigallia. La scelta delle aree è stata guidata principalmente dalla prossimità con l’area epicentrale, dalla disponibilità di studi di microzonazione sismica e di carte geologiche a differenti scale di rappresentazione, dalla distribuzione dei parametri di scuotimento del suolo e della sismicità in tempo reale.

The presence of normal fault systems in central Italy, outcropping or hidden below Quaternary covers in intra-mountain basins, is the expression of the Neogene–Quaternary evolution of the area, characterized by an extensional tectonic regime following the fold and thrust structuring of the Apennine orogen. Italian urban settlements of central Italy are developed on hills or mountains but also in lowland areas, which are often set up in sedimentary basins. In this framework, urban centers found close to fault lines are common, with strong implications on the seismic risk of the area. In this work, we performed a dense seismological passive survey (88 single-station ambient noise measurements) and used the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVNSR) technique to investigate hidden faults in the Trasacco municipality located in the southern part of the Fucino Basin (central Italy), where microzonation studies pointed out hypothetical fault lines crossing the urban area with the Apennine orientation. These hidden structures were only suggested by previous studies based on commercial seismic lines and aerial photogrammetry; their presence in the basin area is confirmed by our measurements. This case study shows the potentiality of using the HVNSR technique in fault areas to have a preliminary indication of anomalous behaviors, to be investigated later with specific geophysical techniques. Our approach can support microzonation studies whenever fault zones are involved, especially in urban areas or in places designated for future developments.