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Fault rupture and aseismic creep accompanying the December 26, 2018, Mw 4.9 Fleri earthquake (Mt. Etna, Italy): Factors affecting the surface faulting in a volcano-tectonic environment
Author(s)
Language
English
Status
Published
JCR Journal
JCR Journal
Peer review journal
Yes
Title of the book
Issue/vol(year)
/651(2023)
ISSN
1040-6182
Publisher
Elsevier
Pages (printed)
25-41
Issued date
2023
Abstract
On December 26, 2018 (2:19 UTC), during a volcanic eruption on the Mt. Etna eastern flank (Sicily, southern
Italy), the largest instrumental earthquake ever recorded in the volcano ruptured the Fiandaca Fault, with
epicenter between Fleri and Pennisi villages (hypocenter at ca. 300 m a. s. l., Mw 4.9). This was the mainshock of
an earthquake swarm and it was accompanied by widespread surface faulting and extensive damage along a
narrow belt near the fault trace. Few hours after the mainshock, an episodic aseismic creep event occurred along
the Aci Platani Fault, a SE extension of the Fiandaca Fault, which caused several damages in the Aci Platani
village. We surveyed and mapped the coseismic and aseismic ground ruptures, and collected structural data on
their geometry, displacement, and fault zone fabric. We compared the mapped surface ruptures with topography,
lithology, and morphology of the buried top of the sedimentary basement. We conclude that the geometry of the
volcanic pile influenced the surface expression of faulting during the December 26, 2018 event. The top surface
of the marly clay basement should be considered as a detachment surface for shallow sliding blocks. The
earthquake occurred on top of a depression of the sedimentary basement forcing the sliding eastward, causing at
surface the re-arrangement of the fault strand pattern and deformation style, switching from shear faulting to a
tensile failure. The Fleri earthquake therefore provides an unprecedented dataset for 1) understanding active
faulting in the European largest onshore volcano, 2) modeling its complex dynamics, and 3) contributing to a
more refined surface faulting hazard assessment at Mt. Etna. Results from this investigation might be useful for
characterizing capable faulting in similar volcano-tectonic settings worldwide.
Italy), the largest instrumental earthquake ever recorded in the volcano ruptured the Fiandaca Fault, with
epicenter between Fleri and Pennisi villages (hypocenter at ca. 300 m a. s. l., Mw 4.9). This was the mainshock of
an earthquake swarm and it was accompanied by widespread surface faulting and extensive damage along a
narrow belt near the fault trace. Few hours after the mainshock, an episodic aseismic creep event occurred along
the Aci Platani Fault, a SE extension of the Fiandaca Fault, which caused several damages in the Aci Platani
village. We surveyed and mapped the coseismic and aseismic ground ruptures, and collected structural data on
their geometry, displacement, and fault zone fabric. We compared the mapped surface ruptures with topography,
lithology, and morphology of the buried top of the sedimentary basement. We conclude that the geometry of the
volcanic pile influenced the surface expression of faulting during the December 26, 2018 event. The top surface
of the marly clay basement should be considered as a detachment surface for shallow sliding blocks. The
earthquake occurred on top of a depression of the sedimentary basement forcing the sliding eastward, causing at
surface the re-arrangement of the fault strand pattern and deformation style, switching from shear faulting to a
tensile failure. The Fleri earthquake therefore provides an unprecedented dataset for 1) understanding active
faulting in the European largest onshore volcano, 2) modeling its complex dynamics, and 3) contributing to a
more refined surface faulting hazard assessment at Mt. Etna. Results from this investigation might be useful for
characterizing capable faulting in similar volcano-tectonic settings worldwide.
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Volcanol. Geoth. Res. 251, 50–64.
Azzaro, R., Barbano, M.S., 2000. Analysis of the seismicity of Southeastern Sicily: a
proposed tectonic interpretation. Ann. Geofisc. 43 (1), 171–188. https://doi.org/
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implications for active tectonics. J. Geodyn. 28, 193–213.
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147–162.
Azzaro, R., et al., 2000. First study of fault trench stratigraphy at Mt. Etna volcano,
Southern Italy: understanding Holocene surface faulting along the Moscarello fault.
J. Geodyn. 29, 187–210.
Azzaro, R., Mattia, M., Puglisi, G., 2001. Fault creep and kinematics of the eastern
segment of the Pernicana Fault (Mt. Etna, Italy) derived from geodetic observations
and their tectonic significance. Tectonophysics 333, 401–415.
Azzaro, R., D’Amico, S., Mostaccio, A., Scarfì, L., Tuv`e, T., 2006. Terremoti con effetti
macrosismici in Sicilia orientale nel periodo Gennaio 2002 - dicembre 2005.
Quaderni di geofisica n 41, 41–42.
Azzaro, R., Bonforte, A., Branca, S., Guglielmino, F., 2013. Geometry and kinematics of
the fault systems controlling the unstable flank of Etna volcano (Sicily). J. Volcanol.
Geoth. Res. 251, 5–15.
Azzaro, R., et al., 2017. When Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Climbs Volcanoes: The Mt.
Etna Case, Italy – Part 1: Model Components for Sources Parameterization, 2017.
https://doi:10.5194/nhess-17-1981-2017.
Azzaro, R., et al., 2020. Terremoti con effetti macrosismici in Sicilia nel periodo gennaio
2014 dicembre 2018. Quaderni Geofisc. 160, 1–62. https://doi.org/10.13127/qdg/
160.
Barreca, G., Branca, S., Corsaro, R.A., Scarfì, L., Cannavo, ` F., Aloisi, M., Monaco, C.,
Faccenna, C., 2020. Slab detachment, mantle flow, and crustal collision in eastern
Sicily (southern Italy): implications on mount Etna volcanism. Tectonics 39.
Barreca, G., Scarfì, L., Gross, F., Monaco, C., De Guidi, G., 2019. Fault pattern and
seismotectonic potential at the south-western edge of the Ionian Subduction system
(southern Italy): new field and geophysical constraints. Tectonophysics 761, 31–45.
Benina, A., Imposa, S., Gresta, S., Patan`e, G., 1984. Studio macrosismico e strumentale di
due terremoti tettonici avvenuti sul versante meridionale dell’Etna. In: Proc. 3th
Conv. GNGTS, CNR, Rome (1984), 3, pp. 934–940.
Blumetti, A.M., Di Manna, P., Ferreli, L., Fiorenza, D., Vittori, E., 2007. Reduction of
environmental risk from capable faults: the case of the Eastern Etna region (eastern
Sicily, Italy). Quat. Int. 173, 45–56.
Bonaccorso, A., Calvari, S., Coltelli, M., Del Negro, C., Falsaperla, S., 2004. Mt. Etna:
Volcano Laboratory. Washington DC American Geophysical Union Geophysical.
Monograph Series 143.
Bonforte, A., Guglielmino, F., Puglisi, G., 2019. Large dyke intrusion and small eruption:
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