Quaternary geology of the Middle Aterno Valley, 2009 L’Aquila earthquake area (Abruzzi Apennines, Italy)

Abstract

We present a new 1:25,000-scale geological map of the Middle Aterno Valley basin, the epicenter of the 2009 L’Aquila MW 6.1 earthquake. This earthquake highlighted the incomplete understanding of the geology of the area, in particular the Quaternary continental deposits and active tectonics, which caused the Paganica fault system to be ignored by researchers. The map, utilizing airborne LiDAR analysis and traditional field survey approaches, is the first example in Italy (and one of the few in Europe) that integrates high-resolution topography in active tectonic studies. With unprecedented detail and precision on the spatial distribution of deposits, the map of the geomorphic and tectonic features provides new insight for the reconstruction of the Quaternary basin evolution and estimation of long-term deformation rates for the the Paganica fault system. Detailed fault mapping of Quaternary deposits represents an essential input for seismic hazard assessment and surface faulting hazard evaluation.