ALBERT

Description: Public concern about anthropogenic seismic- ity in Italy first arose in the aftermath of the deadly M ≈ 6 earthquakes that hit the Emilia-Romagna region (northern Italy) in May 2012. As these events occurred in a (tectonically active) region of oil and gas production and storage, the question was raised, whether stress perturbations due to underground industrial activities could have induced or triggered the shocks. Following expert recommendations, in 2014, the Italian Oil & Gas Safety Authority (DGS-UNMIG, Ministry of Economic Development) published guidelines (ILG - Indirizzi e linee guida per il monitoraggio della sismicità, delle deformazioni del suolo e delle pressioni di poro nell’ambito delle attività antropiche), describing regula- tions regarding hydrocarbon extraction, waste-water in- jection and gas storage that could also be adapted to other technologies, such as dams, geothermal systems, CO2 storage, and mining. The ILG describe the frame- work for the different actors involved in monitoring activities, their relationship and responsibilities, the procedure to be followed in case of variations of mon- itored parameters, the need for in-depth scientific anal- yses, the definition of different alert levels, their mean- ing and the parameters to be used to activate such alerts. Four alert levels are defined, the transition among which follows a decision to be taken jointly by relevant au- thorities and industrial operator on the basis of evalua- tion of several monitored parameters (micro-seismicity, ground deformation, pore pressure) carried on by a scientific-technical agency. Only in the case of liquid reinjection, the alert levels are automatically activated on the basis of exceedance of thresholds for earthquake magnitude and ground shaking – in what is generally known as a Traffic Light System (TLS). Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia has been charged by the Italian oil and gas safety authority (DGS- UNMIG) to apply the ILG in three test cases (two oil extraction and one gas storage plants). The ILG indeed represent a very important and positive innovation, as they constitute official guidelines to coherently regulate monitoring activity on a national scale. While pilot studies are still mostly under way, we may point out merits of the whole framework, and a few possible critical issues, requiring special care in the implementa- tion. Attention areas of adjacent reservoirs, possibly licenced to different operators, may overlap, hence mak- ing the point for joint monitoring, also in view of the possible interaction between stress changes related to the different reservoirs. The prescribed initial blank- level monitoring stage, aimed at assessing background seismicity, may lose significance in case of nearby ac- tive production. Magnitude – a critical parameter used to define a possible step-up in activation levels – has inherent uncertainty and can be evaluated using differ- ent scales. A final comment considers the fact that relevance of TLS, most frequently used in hydraulic fracturing operations, may not be high in case of trig- gered tectonic events.

Description: Published

Description: 1015–1028

Description: 1IT. Reti di monitoraggio e sorveglianza

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Earthquake hypocentral location is perhaps the most classical problem in seismology, the solution of which is often affected by significant uncertainty. In monitoring the effects of underground anthropogenic activities, the earthquake hypocentral location, magnitude, and ground motions are important parameters for managing induced seismicity (as e.g., for operating traffic‐light systems). Such decisional systems define the operative reactions to be enacted once an earthquake, exceeding some magnitude or ground‐motion threshold, occurs within a monitoring volume defined in the neighborhood of a certain anthropogenic underground activity. In this case, a reliable evaluation of the hypocentral location, along with its uncertainty, becomes crucial for rational decision making. In this article, we analyze different sources of uncertainty that can be relevant for the determination of earthquake source locations, and introduce a logic‐tree‐based ensemble modeling approach for framing the problem in a decision‐making context. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed approach, we analyze uncertainties in the location of a seismic event that occurred on 22 July 2019 within the perimeter of the monitoring domain defined in the Val d’Agri oil field (southern Italy). We cast the result as a model ensemble that allows us to obtain samples from a parent distribution that better represents both aleatory and epistemic uncertainties of the earthquake location problem. We find that often‐neglected epistemic uncertainties (i.e., those that arise when considering alternative plausible modeling approaches or data) can be considerably larger and more representative of the state of knowledge about the source location, than the standard errors usually reported by the most common algorithms. Given the consequential repercussions of decision making under uncertainty, we stress that an objective evaluation of epistemic uncertainties associated with any parameter used to support decisional processes must be a priority for the scientific community.

Description: Centro per il Monitoraggio delle attività di Sottosuolo (CMS).

Description: Published

Description: 2423–2440

Description: 3SR TERREMOTI - Attività dei Centri

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Spectral analysis has been applied to almost thou-sand seismic events recorded at Vesuvius volcano (Naples,southern Italy) in 2018 with the aim to test a new tool fora fast event classification. We computed two spectral pa-rameters, central frequency and shape factor, from the spec-tral moments of order 0, 1, and 2, for each event at sevenseismic stations taking the mean among the three compo-nents of ground motion. The analyzed events consist ofvolcano-tectonic earthquakes, low frequency events and un-classified events (landslides, rockfall, thunders, quarry blasts,etc.). Most of them are of low magnitude, and/or low maxi-mum signal amplitude, therefore the signal to noise ratio isvery different between the low noise summit stations andthe higher noise stations installed at low elevation aroundthe volcano. The results of our analysis show that volcano-tectonic earthquakes and low frequency events are easily dis-tinguishable through the spectral moments values, particu-larly at seismic stations closer to the epicenter. On the con-trary, unclassified events show the spectral parameters valuesdistributed in a broad range which overlap both the volcano-tectonic earthquakes and the low frequency events. Since thecomputation of spectral parameters is extremely easy and fastfor a detected event, it may become an effective tool for eventclassification in observatory practice.

Description: Published

Description: 67–74

Description: 1SR TERREMOTI - Sorveglianza Sismica e Allerta Tsunami

Description: N/A or not JCR

Description: Several months of ambient seismic noise recordings are used for investigating the distribution of elastic properties in the Fucino Plain, one of the largest intermontane tectonic depressions of the Italian Apennine chain (Central Italy). The Plain is characterized by a low level of seismicity but the presence of several active faults makes it an Italian area of high seismic hazard. The most recent and strongest seismic event in Fucino Plain occurred in the 1915 (Avezzano earthquake) and it represents one of the most energetic events (Ms = 7.0) happened in central Apennines. Inter-stations Green’s functions are reconstructed by the cross-correlation of continuous ambient noise data recorded from twelve seismic velocimeters deployed around the Avezzano city, and organized in two different temporally sub-networks. The aim of cross-correlation analysis is to extract surface waves from Green’s functions for investigating the dispersive response of the structure. We analyzed the temporal stability of the cross-correlated signals that is used as an indicator of reliability of measurements and as criteria to select the Green’s functions to analyze

Description: Published

Description: 1173-1176

Description: 5T. Sismologia, geofisica e geologia per l'ingegneria sismica

Description: The seven islands of Corfu, Paxoi, Kephalonia, Ithaca, Lefkada, Zakynthos, and Cythera (Ionian Sea, offshore western Greece) were a British protectorate with the name of “United States of the Ionian Islands” between 1815 and 1864. Although many earthquake studies have already examined the past seismicity of this area, they contain only a few data for a handful of earthquakes, for an area known to be characterized by a high level of seismicity. Against this fragmentary seismological knowledge stands a 50 yr abundant production of local documentary sources of different types and in diverse languages. For this reason and because most of the available sources had not been yet nor systematically looked into in the search for testimonies of earthquake effects, an ad hoc and comprehensive investigation was carried out. The number of records on earthquake effects is huge as well as unexpected, and the quality of the collected records is high. The 147 new macroseismic European Macroseismic Scale 1998 intensity values, accurately assigned on the basis of independent contemporary records only, are presented in the form of timelines of earthquake effects for the main towns of the four islands of Corfu, Kephalonia, Lefkada, and Zakynthos. Besides partially amending the gaps of the knowledge of these 50 yr of seismicity in the Ionian Islands, the great amount of freshly collected data suggests that historical seismological research may effectively contribute to improving the seismic scenarios of past earthquakes in many areas of the world.

Description: Published

Description: 2554-2562

Description: 6T. Studi di pericolosità sismica e da maremoto

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Buildings close to each other can perform different behaviour despite its similar seismic vulnerability. This effect is mainly due to the local seismic response connected to the characteristics of the shallow soil layers, especially when we move away from the epicentral area and the near field motion reduces its importance among the total amount of shaking. In this paper we show some results of the microzonation project of the Avezzano municipality, a town located in the southwestern portion of the Abruzzi region, which experienced the severe effects of the January 13th, 1915 M 7.0 earthquake. Starting from a particularly detailed knowledge of the geological characteristics of outcropping lithologies and inferring the trend of subsoil geometries, we explored the role played by the near-surface geology in causing variability of the ground motion by analysing a large database of earthquakes and microtremor recordings acquired by temporary seismological networks using classical site-reference and non-reference spectral techniques. Based on the obtained results we can seismically characterize all the municipal territory not only in terms of fundamental resonance frequency, useful in drawing maps of seismic microzonation and design geological sections, but also of amplification factors helpful in verifying numerical modelling of seismic response as required by national microzonation guidelines. We have also found many criticisms that need a more detailed analysis in order to establish the cause of these anomalies.

Description: Published

Description: 1153-1157

Description: 5T. Sismologia, geofisica e geologia per l'ingegneria sismica

Description: Nine major earthquakes that affected the islands of Corfu, Paxoi, Lefkada, Kephalonia, Ithaca, and Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea offshore western Greece at the time of British Protectorate of the United States of the Ionian Islands (1815–1864) have been reappraised by means of a systematic investigation of contemporary, locally produced documents of diverse typologies. With an in-depth study of the earthquakes attested by multiple observations, this article complements and concludes the research focused on 50 yr of seismic records that was introduced by my recent companion article on the solitary records of earthquake effects throughout the Ionian Islands. Although some earthquakes discussed in this article had already been studied and interpreted in modern times, the exclusive use of carefully contextualized and independent records of earthquake effects allowed the author to overcome the imprecisions of preceding interpretations. Because of the exhaustive documentation, this study proposes a different vision of the characteristics of these nine major earthquakes from their dates of occurrence to newly assigned sets of intensity data.

Description: Published

Description: 3595–3611

Description: 6T. Studi di pericolosità sismica e da maremoto

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Ambient vibrations are nowadays considerably used worldwide for numerous types of engineering applications and scientific research. Geopsy and its companion tools are part of that landscape. Since the first release of the program package in 2005, as outcome of the European Union project Site Effects aSsessment from AMbient noisE, Geopsy has become a mature multiplatform open-source package (released under GNU Public License version 3) that has already been recognized as a reference tool for analyzing ambient vibration data in the context of site characterization studies. The community of users has grown from a core group of researchers up to thousands of seismologists and engineers on every career level and on all continents. The versatility of geopsy allows for the processing of all kinds of data needed in site characterization studies, that is, from single station single trace to three-component array recordings. In all of the aforementioned cases, the steps from field acquisition to the production of publication-ready figures are covered and supported by user-friendly graphical user interfaces or corresponding command-line tools for the automation of the complete processing chain. To avoid black-box usage, a number of lower-level tools guarantee maximum flexibility in accessing and controlling processing results at any stage of the analysis

Description: Published

Description: 1878–1889

Description: 5T. Sismologia, geofisica e geologia per l'ingegneria sismica

Description: JCR Journal

Description: We use seismic data together with a subglacial bedrock relief from the BEDMAP2 database to obtain a new three- layer model of the consolidated (crystalline) crust of Antarctica that locally improves the global seismic crustal model CRUST1.0. We collect suitable data for constructing crustal layers, analyse them and build maps of the crustal layer thickness and seismic velocities. We use the subglacial relief according to a tectonic configuration and then interpolate data using a statistical kriging method. The P-wave velocity information from old seismic profiles have been supplemented with the new shear-wave velocity models. We adjust the thickness of crustal layers by multiplying a total crustal thickness by a percentage ratio of each individual layer at each point. Our re- sults reveal large variations in seismic velocities between different crustal blocks forming Antarctica. The most pronounced differences exist between East and West Antarctica. In East Antarctica, a high P-wave velocity (vP 〉 7 km/s) layer in the lower crust is absent. The P-wave velocity in the lower crust changes from 6.1 km/s beneath the Lambert Rift to 6.9 km/s beneath the Wilkes Basin. In West Antarctica, a thick mafic lower crust is characterized by large P-wave velocities, ranging from 7.0 km/s under the Ross Sea to 7.3 km/s under the Byrd Basin. In contrast, velocities in the lower crust beneath the Transantarctic and Ellsworth-Whitmore Mountains are ~6.8 km/s. The P-wave velocities in the upper crust in East Antarctica are within the range 5.5–6.4 km/s. The upper crust of West Antarctica is characterized by the P-wave velocities of 5.6–6.3 km/s. The P-wave veloc- ities in the middle crust vary within 5.9–6.6 km/s in East Antarctica and within 6.3–6.5 km/s in West Antarctica. A low-velocity layer (5.8–5.9 km/s) is detected at depth of ~20–25 km beneath the Princes Elizabeth Land.

Description: Published

Description: 1-18

Description: 1T. Struttura della Terra

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Tectonic styles and distributions of nodal planes are an essential input for probabilistic seismic hazard assessment. As a part of a recent elaboration of a new seismic hazard model for Italy, we adopted a cascade criteria approach to parametrize the tectonic style of expected earthquake ruptures and their uncertainty in an area-based seismicity model. Using available or recomputed seismic moment tensors for relevant seismic events (Mw starting from 4.5), first arrival focal mechanisms for less recent earthquakes, and also geological data on past activated faults, we collected a database for the last ~ 100 yrs gathering a thousand of data all over the Italian peninsula and regions around it. The adopted procedure consists, in each seismic zone, of separating the available seismic moment tensors in the three main tectonic styles, making summation within each group, identifying possible nodal plane(s) taking into account the different percentages of tectonic styles and including, where necessary, total or partial random source contributions. Referring to the used area source model, for several seismic zones we obtained robust results, e.g. along the southern Apennines we expect future earthquakes to be mostly extensional, although in the outer part of the chain strike-slip events are possible. In the Northern part of the Apennines we also expect different tectonic styles for different hypocentral depths. In zones characterized by a low seismic moment release, the possible tectonic style of future earthquakes is less clear and it has been represented using different combination (total or partial) of random sources.

Description: Published

Description: 3577–3592

Description: 6T. Studi di pericolosità sismica e da maremoto

Description: JCR Journal