Massa, Marco

Risk communication is a crucial element in the management of risks: it has a great potential to raise awareness, increase preparedness, and promote legislative interventions. Uncertainty, lack of scientific knowledge, misunderstanding, misinformation, cognitive bias, distrust in authorities are among the major threats of effective risk communication. Nonetheless recent studies have highlighted that seismic risk communication practices have been increasing during the last decades although still more work needs to be done. There are different models of risk communication: the majority refer to the public understanding paradigm, in which information are given in a “one-way” direction to the public, and to the public engagement paradigm, in which stakeholders are meant to participate in the building process of knowledge. In preparing a risk communication campaign, the school target has revealed as one of the most important to address, given its high potential to influence a risk-resilient society. In this paper, activities to communicate seismic risk communication specifically designed to engage middle school students are presented. Science communication with teen audiences has a unique challenge: there is a fundamental need to design a communication that can help them feel involved. The work presents the framework within which the activity is done. It describes the communication goals, learning methodology and present some of the activities that have been included in a format suitable for open-door outreach events. The activities discussed in this work were tested within two open-doors that were held at the Milano division of the National Institute for Geophysics and Volcanology in the year 2023.

In this paper, the new dynamic geophysical and geochemical MUltiparametric DAtabase (MUDA) is presented. MUDA is a new infrastructure of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), published online in December 2023, with the aim of archiving and disseminating multiparametric data collected by multidisciplinary monitoring networks. MUDA is a MySQL relational database with a web interface developed in PHP, aimed at investigating possible correlations between seismic phenomena and variations in endogenous and environmental parameters in quasi real time. At present, MUDA collects data from different types of sensors such as hydrogeochemical probes for physical–chemical parameters in waters, meteorological stations, detectors of air radon concentration, diffusive flux of carbon dioxide (CO2) and seismometers belonging both to the National Seismic Network of INGV and to temporary networks installed in the framework of multidisciplinary research projects. MUDA publishes data daily, updated to the previous day, and offers the chance to view and download multiparametric time series selected for different time periods. The resultant dataset provides broad perspectives in the framework of future high-frequency and continuous multiparametric monitoring as a starting point to identify possible seismic precursors for short-term earthquake forecasting. MUDA can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.13127/muda (Massa et al., 2023).

The present work would like to illustrate a new concept of multiparametric stations to characterize the crustal fluids-tectonic interaction in specific geological contexts. The dynamics of crustal fluids in relation to tectonics is a complex and sometimes intricate issue. Several factors act and mutually influence themselves, so that in each tectonic and geological context they follow a specific behavior, and a comprehensive cause-effect rule is hard to find. Changes in water chemistry and levels and in soil flux regimes (e.g., CO2, CH4, radon) are just a few examples well documented in the literature as being pre-, co- and post-seismic modifications as well as being markers of the local tectonic stress acting in the crust. A regional study combined with a long-lasting multiparametric monitoring is needed to prepare to a seismic sequence in a given place. The field infrastructure was set up starting from the end of 2021, and multiparametric stations have been installed in correspondence of active seismogenic sources initially located in Northern Italy. Data are transmitted in real-time and archived in an ad hoc developed relational database. Monitoring is mainly focused on groundwater parameters (water level, temperature, and electrical conductivity) of aquifers showing distinct degrees of confinement and lithologies. Sites are also equipped of meteorological sensors (pressure, temperature, rain, humidity, wind speed and direction), radon sensors and surface and borehole seismic stations providing accelerometric and velocimetric data. A mud volcano field is also monitored and holds the installation of a permanent CO2 soil flux station. A statistical analysis working flow is also proposed for a preliminary evaluation of the acquired time-series. In particular, a couple of tools to detect, and thus filter, anthropogenic and meteorological effects on a groundwater level series is described. We wish to provide a model of approach to analogous study cases in other potentially seismic areas.

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.

Following the Mw 6.0 Amatrice earthquake on 24 August 2016 in central Italy, the Emersito task force of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia installed a temporary seismic network focusing on the investigation of amplification effects at municipalities located on topographic reliefs. Fourteen stations were installed at three sites: Amandola, Civitella del Tronto, and Montereale. During the operational period, stations recorded about 150 earthquakes with Mw up to 4.7. Recorded signals were analyzed calculating the horizon- tal-to-vertical spectral ratios at single station, using both ambient noise and earthquake waveforms, as well as standard spectral ratios (SSRs) to a reference site. To robustly estimate site amplification at each station of the site amplification effect at each station, the influence of backazimuth and epicentral distance is investigated. With the aim of reproducing the observed amplification pattern, 2D numerical simulations were performed on a section orthogonal to the topography major axis, constrained through in situ geological investiga- tions and geophysical surveys. Although at Montereale site no clear amplification effects were observed, at Amandola site, all stations on the relief consistently detected significant peaks at about 4 Hz and along N120–150 azimuth. At Civitella del Tronto, a proper reference station is missing, implying a misleading of site response evaluation in terms of SSRs. Moreover, even if all stations show amplification in the frequency band 1–3 Hz, the direction of the maximum amplification varies from northeast to northwest. At the three sites, obser- vations were successfully reproduced by 2D numerical models, the latter suggesting that topography alone cannot reproduce data, and the interplay with subsoil velocity structure is needed to produce a clear amplification effect. We conclude that according to the previous articles, rather than the sole topography convex shape, the geophysical structure has often a predominant role in controlling the observed amplification pattern on topography.

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 present work is part of the 2015 ART-IT project (Early Earthquake Alert in Italy). Its main purpose is the estimation of the PRESTo system [PRobabilistic and Evolutionary early warning SysTem, Iannaccone et al., 2010; Satriano et al., 2011] performance through an ad hoc calibration of the software configuration parameters using only the accelerometric networks installed in an area of Central Italy, selected as test site. The correct operation of an early warning system could be used for a more correct and effective management of a seismic emergency from the first seconds after the occurrence of a strong earthquake, allowing to adopt sudden actions to reduce the exposure and, consequently, the seismic risk. To evaluate the performance of the software, it is necessary to carry out an a priori calibration phase of the configuration parameters in order to guarantee the best performance in terms of seismic event detection and reliability in the estimation of hypocentral parameters. The tests were carried out by means of a series of recorded waveforms simulations considering a selected catalogue of earthquakes with a magnitude range between 3.9 and 5.4, occurred in the Amatrice-Norcia area, with a magnitude range between 3.9 and 5.4, occurred in the Amatrice-Norcia area, with particular focus on the seismic sequence of January 2017.

In this paper, we present the work carried out to characterize the spatial variability of seismic site response related to local soil conditions in the city of Milan and its surroundings, an area with ~3 million inhabitants and a high density of industrial facilities. The area is located at the northwestern end of the Po Plain, a large and deep sedimentary basin in northern Italy. An urban-scale seismo-stratigraphic model is developed based on new passive and active seismic data, supported by the available geological data and stratigraphic information from shallow and deep vertical wells. In particular, 33 single-station and 4 ambient-vibration array measurements are acquired, together with 4 active multichannel analyses of surface waves (MAWS). To estimate the resonant frequencies of the sediments, the horizontal to vertical spectral ratio technique (HVSR) is applied to the ambient-vibration recordings, whereas to determine the Rayleighwave dispersion curves from the passive array, the data are analysed using the conventional frequency-wavenumber, the modified spatial autocorrelation and the extended spatial autocorrelation (ESAC) techniques. The array data are used to determine the local shear wave velocity profiles, VS, via joint inversion of the Rayleighwave dispersion and ellipticity curves deduced from the HVSR. The results from HVSR show three main bands of amplified frequencies, the first in the range 0.17–0.23 Hz, the second from 0.45 to 0.65 Hz and the third from 3 to 8 Hz. A decreasing trend of the main peaks is observed from the northern to the southern part of the city, allowing us to hypothesize a progressive deepening of the relative regional chrono-stratigraphic unconformities. The passive ambient noise array and MASW highlight the dispersion of the fundamental mode of the Rayleigh-wave in the range 0.4–30 Hz, enabling to obtain detailed Vs. profiles with depth down to about 1.8 km. The seismo-stratigraphic model is used as input for 1D numerical modelling assuming linear soil conditions. The theoretical 1D transfer functions are compared to the HVSR curves evaluated from both ambient noise signals and earthquake waveforms recorded by the IV. MILN station in the last 10 years.