Publication Date:
2017-04-04
Description:
The INGV started its interest to extend the seismic monitoring network to the sea in 1995 with
GEOSTAR (Geophysical and Oceanographic Station for Abyssal Research) project, coming out with the
realization of the first multidisclipinary observatory for deep-sea monitoring [Favali et al. 2002].
At the end of 2004, the National Earthquake Center (CNT) of INGV decided to provide a pool of
Ocean Bottom Seismometers to be employed as a submarine mobile network and to study submarine faults
and volcanoes. This was possible thanks to an agreement between the INGV and the Italian National Civil
Protection Department (DPC). On July 2006, the Gibilmanna OBS Lab, tested the first OBS prototype for
nine days on the flat top of the Marsili submarine volcano [D’Anna et al. 2007] and in early 2007 other seven
OBS’s were ready to be deployed on the seafloor.
In May 2007, within the European project NERIES (activity NA6), the Gibilmanna OBS Lab of the
INGV has deployed three Broad Band Ocean Bottom Seismometers (BBOBS) in the southern Ionian Sea at
3500-4000 meters of depth.
This area has been chosen during the NERIES – “NA6-BBOBS net” meeting in Rome, on the 11th of
September 2006 because at first, there are at the moment few seismological data [Scrocca et al., 2003] to
construct a reliable model for the Ionian lithosphere and also the rate and features of the seismicity in the
area between the Hyblean-Malta fault system and the accretionary prism of the Calabrian Arc are largely
unknown [Catalano et al. 2002].
The Ionian Sea is indeed one of the most seismically active area in the Mediterranean region with
several destructive earthquakes sometimes followed by tsunamis [Tinti et al. 2004]. The seismicity occurring
in the Ionian basin is characterized by large location uncertainties due to the lack of seafloor seismic stations.
In 2002, the quality of the seismic sensing and the location of earthquakes have been improved by the
deployment of the real-time submarine observatory SN-1, about 25 km offshore Eastern Sicily [Sgroi et al,
2007]. However, the SN-1 location only allows to characterize the seismicity in the area offshore the eastern
Sicily.
Two of the three OBS’s were successfully recovered on the 2nd of February 2008; the last one was
recovered on the 15th of March 2008 and another OBS was deployed on the same location to accomplish the
continuous long-term seismic monitoring task (until May 2010) as planned in NERIES project.
Description:
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia - Centro Nazionale Terremoti
Description:
Published
Description:
2.5. Laboratorio per lo sviluppo di sistemi di rilevamento sottomarini
Description:
open
Keywords:
OBS
;
Ionian Sea
;
NERIES
;
BBOBS
;
04. Solid Earth::04.06. Seismology::04.06.10. Instruments and techniques
Repository Name:
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV)
Type:
report
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