Velocity and attenuation tomography of the Umbria Marche 1997 fault system: Evidence of a fluid-governed seismic sequence

Abstract

The 1997 Umbria Marche is probably the best ever monitored normal faulting seismic sequence. Seismicity migration and multiple main shocks characterize the activation of a 40-km-long system of contiguous fault segments, as documented by seismological data. Many authors as indicative of fault weakening by fluids migration have interpreted this behaviour. In this study, we create a new catalogue of high quality P- and S-wave arrival times merging data recorded by permanent and temporary stations to improve the resolution of velocity and attenuation models and earthquake locations. We show that the relocated earthquakes and the joint interpretation of P- and S-wave velocity and attenuation models help in understanding the faulting processes, revealing new details of the geometry of the main faults and physical state of fluids within the crustal volume. We observe that large aftershocks occur on the top and within the Triassic evaporitic layer, a rock volume locally characterised by fluid over-pressured, as evidenced by high VP/VS and low QP/QS anomalies. Velocity and attenuation heterogeneities are evidence that the migration of fluid pressure along the fault system is the driving mechanism of the prolonged earthquake sequence.