Rapolla, Antonio

Indagini geofisiche per la microzonazione sismica della Macroarea 2 L'Aquila ovest

Microzonazione della macroarea 1 (L’Aquila Centro)

Vengono presentati i primi risultati e indicate alcune tematiche da approfondire che le attività e le indagini multidisciplinari hanno evidenziato per le macroaree 1 (centro dell’Aquila) e 2 (L’Aquila Ovest: Cansatessa-Pettino-Coppito) nell’ambito del progetto “Microzonazione Sismica dell’Aquila – MS_AQ”. Il progetto, coordinato dal DPC, è finalizzato alla realizzazione di carte di primo e secondo livello per la pianificazione urbanistica futura del comprensorio aquilano che ha subito il sisma del 6 aprile 2009 (Mw= 6.3).

The Vallo di Diano is the largest intermountain basin in the Southern Apennines (Italy). The basin evolution was controlled by the Quaternary activity of a range-bounding, SW-dipping normal fault system located to the east (Vallo di Diano Fault System, VDFS). Geological and oil industry data define the sin-sedimentary activity of the VDFS up to the Middle Pleistocene. However, commercial profiles do not resolve the shallower, eastern portion of the basin, due to strong lateral heterogeneities and unfavourable surface conditions. Therefore, Late Pleistocene-Holocene activity of the VDFS and its seismogenic potential are still uncertain. To better constrain the shallow structure of the basin, we performed four high-resolution seismic surveys, along its eastern side, where slope breccias and fans cover the Mesozoic carbonate bedrock and bury the VDFS. We also investigated some NW-trending flexures affecting Late Pleistocene fans, that we had previously detected and dubitatively ascribed to recent faulting. Seismic data were acquired with a dense wide-aperture geometry. Two high-resolution (HR) NE-trending profiles, about 1.5 km long, were collected using respectively 5 m and 10 m spaced receivers and sources. Two very high-resolution (VHR) NE-trending profiles, 400 and 350 m long, with densely spaced sources (4 m) and receivers (2 m) were also collected. HR profiling was aimed at imaging alluvial fan thickness and morphology of the underlying carbonate bedrock. VHR surveys targeted the flexures and their possible origin. All lines were acquired with a HR vibroseis source, except for the shortest profile, where we used a buffalo-gun, better suited for very near-surface imaging (z < 50 m depth). Seismic imaging consists of reflectivity images obtained by CDP-processing of reflection data complemented by Vp images obtained by multi-scale seismic tomography. The stack sections illuminated the basin down to 0.4-0.5 s TWT and reveal an array of high-angle, generally SW-dipping faults dissecting the bedrock and the alluvial fans. Faulting created accommodation space in the hanging-wall and displaced the different fan generations. Clear reflection truncations in the stack-sections correspond to significant Vp lateral changes in the tomographic images. VHR tomography is well defined along the shortest line down to 40 m depth, where two steps within slope breccias are visible. Moreover, two low-velocity wedges (colluvial packages) are imaged in the near surface (5-20 m depth). These data support recent faulting consistently with surface geomorphic features. We interpret these fault structures as splays of the range bounding master fault. Comparison with commercial reflection profiles nearby reveals a great improvement in seismic imaging achieved by HR surveys, which allow a detailed seismostratigraphic analysis of the basin.

This paper presents a study of the Phlegrean Fields-Ischia submarine ridge by the analysis and interpretation of high-resolution aeromagnetic data recently acquired in the Western Procida offshore. The investigated area is located along the ridge connecting Ischia to the Phlegrean Fields and is characterized by the existence of several monogenetic volcanoes aligned on a NE-SW system of faults. The high-resolution magnetic data yielded new information on the area, highlighting particularly the signature of a volcanic body located between Pt. Serra and the Ruommoli shoal. This structure has not been clearly described before and we named it as the Pt. Serra submarine volcano. The computation of the analytic signal and horizontal gradient of the data distinctly located this structure and definined the position of its rims. A 2D modeling and 3D inversion of data provided information on the volcano’s thickness, width and magnetization, disclosing a meaningful igneous body extending down to several hundred meters b.s.l.

Since the Sixties, the turning point marked by the Plate Tectonics global theory has provided new ideas for the interpretation of the complex geodynamic evolution of the Mediterranean area. The renewed interest that followed gave a strong impulse to the geological and geophysical investigations of the Mediterranean area and, more specifically, of the Tyrrhenian Basin. Therefore, large scale geophysical surveys and oceanographic cruises were carried out until the end of the Eighties to fill the gap of geophysical information existing in the area until then. Afterwards, short scale surveys were prevalent to improve the detail of the information in areas of geodynamic interest. The gathered data sets allowed new models to be formulated, improving the knowledge of the crustal and lithospheric structure of the Tyrrhenian Basin (and surrounding areas) and the reconstruction of its complex geodynamic evolution. In this frame, the contribution of gravity and magnetic investigations has been unquestionable and deserves a wide-ranging review both on large and small scale. The main features of the potential fields resulting from these surveys will be described and the interpretative models suggested by several authors will be summarized.

In this paper we present and discuss the results of a geophysical airborne survey carried out in the Somma-Vesuvius volcanic area, Southern Italy, in 1999. The helicopter-borne survey was aimed at giving new detailed insights into the distribution of the magnetization of the area and, therefore, into the volcanological characteristics of the region, enhancing the knowledge given by a previous low resolution survey carried out at a regional scale by Agip. The new survey was carried out by flying on a surface parallel to the topography of the area, along flight lines spaced 600 m apart. The obtained total field map is dominated by a large anomaly related to the Mt. Somma-Vesuvius complex itself and characterized by a roughly elliptical shape. High-frequency anomalies occur in the edifice and in the area east of it, partly produced by cultural noise due to the densely inhabited area. The compilation of the maps of the analytic signal and of the horizontal derivative of the field allowed the location of the lateral boundaries of the magnetic sources of the area and represents a first step toward the interpretation of the maps in terms of geological structures.

In this paper we present and analyze the new detailed aeromagnetic data set resulting from a recent survey carried out in the Phlegrean Fields volcanic area. The survey was aimed at gaining new insight into the volcanological characteristics of the region north of Phlegrean Fields (Parete-Villa Literno area) where remarkable thickness of volcanic/sub- volcanic rocks were found in wells. Measurement of total magnetic field was performed on two different flight levels, 70 m and 400 m above the ground surface, along flight lines spaced 400 m apart. Both aeromagnetic maps show the noisy effect of linear anomalies evidently due to the presence of railway lines. To filter out these local anomalies a method based on discrete wavelet transform was used, allowing an accurate local filtering and leaving the rest of the field practically unchanged. The filtered data set was integrated with the existing Agip aeromagnetic map of the Phlegrean Fields, leading to a new aeromagnetic map of the whole Phlegrean volcanic area. The compilation of the pole reduced map and of the maps of the Analytic Signal and of the Horizontal Derivative of the integrated data set represents a first step for the interpretation of the maps in terms of geological structures of the whole Phlegrean volcanic district.

Geopotential data may be interpreted by many different techniques, depending on the nature of the mathematical equations correlating specific unknown ground parameters to the measured data set. The investigation based on the study of the gravity and magnetic anomaly fields represents one of the most important geophysical approaches in the earth sciences. It has now evolved aimed both at improving of known methods and testing other new and reliable techniques. This paper outlines a general framework for several applications of recent techniques in the study of the potential methods for the earth sciences. Most of them are here described and significant case histories are shown to illustrate their reliability on active seismic and volcanic areas.

Volcanic areas often show complex behaviour as far as seismic waves propagation and seismic motion at surface are concerned. In fact, the finite lateral extent of surface layers such as lava flows, blocks, differential welding and/or zeolitization within pyroclastic deposits, introduces in the propagation of seismic waves effects such as the generation of surface waves at the edge, resonance in lateral direction, diffractions and scattering of energy, which tend to modify the amplitude as well as the duration of the ground motion. The irregular topographic surface, typical of volcanic areas, also strongly influences the seismic site response. Despite this heterogeneity, it is unfortunately a common geophysical and engineering practice to evaluate even in volcanic environments the subsurface velocity field with monodimensional investigation method (i.e. geognostic soundings, refraction survey, down-hole, etc.) prior to the seismic site response computation which in a such cases is obviously also made with 1D algorithms. This approach often leads to highly inaccurate results. In this paper we use a different approach, i.e. a fully 2D P-wave Çturning rayÈ tomographic survey followed by 2D seismic site response modeling. We report here the results of this approach in three sites located at short distance from Mt. Vesuvius and Campi Flegrei and characterized by overburdens constituted by volcanoclastic deposits with large lateral and vertical variations of their elastic properties. Comparison between 1D and 2D Dynamic Amplification Factor shows in all reported cases entirely different results, both in terms of peak period and spectral contents, as expected from the clear bidimensionality of the geological section. Therefore, these studies suggest evaluating carefully the subsoil geological structures in areas characterized by possible large lateral and vertical variations of the elastic properties in order to reach correct seismic site response curves to be used for engineering projects.