Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/2122/12146
Authors: Silverii, Francesca* 
D'Agostino, Nicola* 
Borsa, Adrian A.* 
Calcaterra, Stefano* 
Gambino, Piera* 
Giuliani, Roberta* 
Mattone, Maurizio* 
Title: Transient crustal deformation from karst aquifers hydrology in the Apennines (Italy)
Journal: Earth and Planetary Science Letters 
Series/Report no.: /506 (2019)
Issue Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1016/j.epsl.2018.10.019
URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X18306150
Abstract: The increasing accuracy and spatiotemporal resolution of space geodetic techniques have positively impacted the study of shallow crustal deformation in response to the redistribution of water masses. Measurable deformations have been documented in areas where snow and water variability is large and persists over sufficiently long periods. Here we analyze GPS time series and hydrological data from the Central-Southern Apennines, a tectonically-active region hosting large karst aquifers. We document the occurrence of regional-scale horizontal and vertical transient deformation that is clearly correlated to seasonal and multiyear hydrological variability. These transient signals, which are most strongly observed at GPS sites surrounding the main karst aquifers, modulate long term tectonic deformation. Our results suggest that the karst aquifers in this region experience alternating periods of expansion and contraction in response to increasing/decreasing precipitation and, consequently, higher/lower hydraulic head in the aquifers. Thanks to the availability of a dense continuous GPS network and complementary hydrological datasets, we are able to verify the processes causing the observed deformation. We model the shallow crust in the region as a continuous anelastic solid and use Green's functions for finite strain cuboid sources to estimate the strain rate distribution associated with the GPS observations. We use the Mw 6.1 L'Aquila earthquake, which struck the Central Apennines in 2009 and whose effects are evident in geodetic data, to document the potential effects of moderate earthquakes on karst aquifers and to demonstrate the importance of correctly discerning tectonic from nontectonic signals in geodetic time series. Enhanced understanding of the karst aquifers behavior is of primary interest for improved management of this vital water resource and for a better understanding of the possible interactions between groundwater content and pore pressure variations in the crust and seismicity.
Appears in Collections:Article published / in press

Files in This Item:
File Description SizeFormat
silverii_etal_EPSL2019.pdf8.99 MBAdobe PDFView/Open
Show full item record

WEB OF SCIENCETM
Citations 50

10
checked on Feb 10, 2021

Page view(s)

173
checked on Mar 27, 2024

Download(s)

143
checked on Mar 27, 2024

Google ScholarTM

Check

Altmetric