ABSTRACT Italy is rich with historical scenarios of disruption and death that arrived up to us th... more ABSTRACT Italy is rich with historical scenarios of disruption and death that arrived up to us through the insight descriptions of hundreds of manuscripts, reports, treatises, letters and epigraphs. All these historical data constitute today one of the most powerful data-base of earthquake-induced effects. Moreover, it is now possible to relate many of these earthquakes to geological structures, the seismogenetic behavior of which has been investigated by means of paleoseismological studies. On the basis of these information and of those gathered through the national census (performed on popu- lation and dwellings by ISTAT, Italian Institute of Statistics in 1991) we developed a methodology (FaCES, Fault-Controlled Earthquake Scenario) which reproduce the damage scenario caused by the rupture of a defined fault, providing an estimate of the losses in terms of damages to building and consequences to population. The reliabil- ity of scenarios has been tested by comparing the historical damage distribution of an earthquake with that obtained applying FaCES to the responsible fault. Finally, we hypothesize the scenario related to three historically-silent faults of central Apennines (Mt. Vettore, Mt. Gorzano and Gran Sasso faults), the Holocene activity of which has been recently ascertained though paleoseimological analyses.
Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 2000
The Chesapeake Bay on the US. mid-Atlantic coast has changed somewhat since Captain John Smith ex... more The Chesapeake Bay on the US. mid-Atlantic coast has changed somewhat since Captain John Smith explored the region in the early 1600s, and the Powhatan Native Americans referred to the waters as Chesepiooc, the Great Shellfish Bay For one thing, about 15 million people now live near this estuary, the largest in the United States, which measures about 320 kilometers in length and 50 kilometers across at its widest point. In addition, while the estuary is not considered to be as dirty now as it was several decades ago, a number of probl ems including nonpoint source pollution still affect the waters and stress some populations of native species, such as blue crabs.
ABSTRACT The re-analyses of primary sources of the catastrophic March-June 1638 Calabrian earthqu... more ABSTRACT The re-analyses of primary sources of the catastrophic March-June 1638 Calabrian earthquakes permitted to split up the seismic sequence in different areas, and to direct our geological surveys of the June shock inside the Sila massif (northern Calabria). We carried out paleoseismological analyses along the Lakes fault, a previously unknown fault, which cuts the eastern sector of the Sila massif. Four trenches, opened close or inside some of the marshes and ponds dammed by the footwall uplift, showed evi- dences of several displacement events, the last one being the June 1638 earthquake (M=6.74). The fault location fits with the historical description of a long fracture opened during the event. The young geomorphic expression of Lakes fault, similarly to the 1980 Irpinia fault, would suggest its relatively recent activation within the ex- tensional regime characterizing the Calabrian arc. This study permits to relocate the June 1638 earthquake inside the Sila massif, the epicenter being shifted with respect to the macroseismically derived one. The revision of the 1638 sequence, the discovery of the Lakes fault, the evaluation of its slip rates and return interval, and its relationship with the neighboring faults cast light to the seismotectonics of the region, providing a farther tool to seismic hazard analysis.
ABSTRACT The Lower Tagus Valley (LTV) has been the locus of M6 to M7 onshore historical earthquak... more ABSTRACT The Lower Tagus Valley (LTV) has been the locus of M6 to M7 onshore historical earthquakes in the vicinity of Lisbon, the best studied being those of 1531 and 1909 (Moreira, 1984). The distribution of damage in these events shows an elongated shape along the river valley, leading several authors to infer the existence of an active fault following the valley (Choffat and Bensaude, 1912; Fonseca, 1989; Cabral, 1995). However, no direct evidence of such structure - other than the occurrence of large earthquakes - was put forward until now. To address this problem we developed a series of geomorphic, geophysical and paleoseismological investigations along the LTV which indicated displacement of drainage system, uplifted alluvial terrace, and the presence of a scarp for a minimum length of 20 km. Upon trenching, we identified NNE-SSW trending thrust planes affecting Pliocene and Holocene formations, and measured a minimum displacement of 3m over the last 4000 years. The age of thrusting was constrained by radiocarbon dating and corroborated by archaeological findings. The most recent faulting event can likely be correlated with the M7 1531 earthquake. The thrust geometry shows a significant left-lateral component, as it is pointed out by the imbricate pattern of fault planes and kinematic indicators (striations), which suggest a N-S direction of maximum compression. A gravitational origin for the deformation exposed in the trenches is discussed and discarded. On a larger scale, fault segments inland may be a continuation of the offshore source of the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake (Vilanova et al., this conference). We present new calculations of seismic hazard for Western Iberia, and discuss the impact of the new seismotectonic data for the Lower Tagus Valley.
Ground deformation Chemical monitoring Acoustic monitoring Ground Based Cameras 20. Satellite-bas... more Ground deformation Chemical monitoring Acoustic monitoring Ground Based Cameras 20. Satellite-based remote sensing monitoring Optical sensors and their applications Synthetic Aperture Radar sensors and their applications 21. Data transmission 22. Scientific-operational interface References and suggested readings Communications References and suggested readings 30. Scientific support and advice Role of scientific community Communication 31. Civil protection activities during emergencies Civil protection actions before the eruption Civil protection actions during the eruption Civil protection activities after the eruption Recovery examples References and suggested readings Box 1-The WebGIS of Mount Cameroon Box-The Geophysical Instrument for Low power Data Acquisition (GILDA) Box 3-Gas emission during the 2010 Merapi eruption Box 4-Examples of acoustic monitoring systems Box 5-Eyjafjallajökull eruption from optical satellite images Box 6-A SAR application during the 2010 eruption of Merapi Box 7-Communications for real time monitoring: the Fogo volcano example Box 8-Scientific-operational interface: the Italian example Box 9-The importance of geological field studies for hazard assessment Box 10-The civil protection system of Cameroon and the role of National Risk Observatory Box 11-Damage to monitoring networks Box 12-Raising of alert levels during the 2010 eruption of Merapi Box 13-Socialization phase in Indonesia Box 14-Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction activities at Kanlaon Box 15-Assessing risk perception at Merapi before and during the 2010 eruption Box 16-Socioeconomic influence on people's awareness: a view from Fogo volcano Box 17-Assessing people vulnerability and cope capacity at Mount Cameroon Box 18-Urban planning for risk reduction in France Box 19-Roof design loading 10 preface This handbook aims at synthesizing the acquired knowledge in a practical and useful way to cover the main aspects of volcanic risk management, such as prevention, preparedness, mitigation, intervention, crisis management and resilience. It promotes the creation of an ideal bridge between different stakeholders involved in risk management, improving and facilitating interactions among authorities and scientists. This work is based on current scientific research and the shared experience of the different partners as well as on international good practices previously recommended. To manage volcanic risk, each country has set up its specific administrative and organisational frame. Therefore, names and roles of organizations in charge of volcanic risk management vary greatly from one country to another. Nevertheless, three major categories can be identified: political authorities and public services, civil defence agencies and specialists in crisis management and scientific institutions, possibly including universities. This handbook addresses mainly the last two categories, especially in developing countries. IntroductIon to volcanIc rIsk IntroductIon to volcanIc rIsk Historical volcanic contest Appropriate communications and messages-Local communication strategies Social and economic factors analysis Pyroclastic Density Currents burns and burial buildings and infrastructure destruction Lava flows burns destruction of buildings by fire, lateral stress or burial otheR Geo-haZaRds Lahars drowning buildings and infrastructure destruction and burial impacts on crops Gas emissions toxicity for humans and livestock, acidity and corrosion impacts on plant growth (especially roots) Sector collapses, landslides and rock falls impacts, scouring and burial Volcanic earthquakes burial under collapsed buildings building and infrastructure destruction Volcano triggered tsunamis drowning trauma by collision buildings and infrastructure destruction phenoMenon Main associated thReats IntroductIon to volcanIc rIsk 1 References and suggested readings
The Umbria-Marche region in central Italy experienced a sequence of shallow earthquakes in late 1... more The Umbria-Marche region in central Italy experienced a sequence of shallow earthquakes in late 1997, including three mainshocks on September 26 th (Ms 5.5 and 5.9) and October 14 th (Ms 5.5). This seismic sequence illustrates the relationships between small-scale active faults and moderate-magnitude earthquakes. We suggest that a small-scale active fault corresponds to a "fault fragment" and that it refers to the fault area required for producing a coseismic deformation at the ground surface. The seismic activity and related three mainshocks occurred along three fault fragments which total-25 km in length and show a listric geometry at depth. Fault fragments are laterally controlled by pre-existing transverse fold-and-thrust structures and may constitute a major component of the seismic strain release in active continental regions. 1002, (1994).
ABSTRACT Italy is rich with historical scenarios of disruption and death that arrived up to us th... more ABSTRACT Italy is rich with historical scenarios of disruption and death that arrived up to us through the insight descriptions of hundreds of manuscripts, reports, treatises, letters and epigraphs. All these historical data constitute today one of the most powerful data-base of earthquake-induced effects. Moreover, it is now possible to relate many of these earthquakes to geological structures, the seismogenetic behavior of which has been investigated by means of paleoseismological studies. On the basis of these information and of those gathered through the national census (performed on popu- lation and dwellings by ISTAT, Italian Institute of Statistics in 1991) we developed a methodology (FaCES, Fault-Controlled Earthquake Scenario) which reproduce the damage scenario caused by the rupture of a defined fault, providing an estimate of the losses in terms of damages to building and consequences to population. The reliabil- ity of scenarios has been tested by comparing the historical damage distribution of an earthquake with that obtained applying FaCES to the responsible fault. Finally, we hypothesize the scenario related to three historically-silent faults of central Apennines (Mt. Vettore, Mt. Gorzano and Gran Sasso faults), the Holocene activity of which has been recently ascertained though paleoseimological analyses.
Eos, Transactions American Geophysical Union, 2000
The Chesapeake Bay on the US. mid-Atlantic coast has changed somewhat since Captain John Smith ex... more The Chesapeake Bay on the US. mid-Atlantic coast has changed somewhat since Captain John Smith explored the region in the early 1600s, and the Powhatan Native Americans referred to the waters as Chesepiooc, the Great Shellfish Bay For one thing, about 15 million people now live near this estuary, the largest in the United States, which measures about 320 kilometers in length and 50 kilometers across at its widest point. In addition, while the estuary is not considered to be as dirty now as it was several decades ago, a number of probl ems including nonpoint source pollution still affect the waters and stress some populations of native species, such as blue crabs.
ABSTRACT The re-analyses of primary sources of the catastrophic March-June 1638 Calabrian earthqu... more ABSTRACT The re-analyses of primary sources of the catastrophic March-June 1638 Calabrian earthquakes permitted to split up the seismic sequence in different areas, and to direct our geological surveys of the June shock inside the Sila massif (northern Calabria). We carried out paleoseismological analyses along the Lakes fault, a previously unknown fault, which cuts the eastern sector of the Sila massif. Four trenches, opened close or inside some of the marshes and ponds dammed by the footwall uplift, showed evi- dences of several displacement events, the last one being the June 1638 earthquake (M=6.74). The fault location fits with the historical description of a long fracture opened during the event. The young geomorphic expression of Lakes fault, similarly to the 1980 Irpinia fault, would suggest its relatively recent activation within the ex- tensional regime characterizing the Calabrian arc. This study permits to relocate the June 1638 earthquake inside the Sila massif, the epicenter being shifted with respect to the macroseismically derived one. The revision of the 1638 sequence, the discovery of the Lakes fault, the evaluation of its slip rates and return interval, and its relationship with the neighboring faults cast light to the seismotectonics of the region, providing a farther tool to seismic hazard analysis.
ABSTRACT The Lower Tagus Valley (LTV) has been the locus of M6 to M7 onshore historical earthquak... more ABSTRACT The Lower Tagus Valley (LTV) has been the locus of M6 to M7 onshore historical earthquakes in the vicinity of Lisbon, the best studied being those of 1531 and 1909 (Moreira, 1984). The distribution of damage in these events shows an elongated shape along the river valley, leading several authors to infer the existence of an active fault following the valley (Choffat and Bensaude, 1912; Fonseca, 1989; Cabral, 1995). However, no direct evidence of such structure - other than the occurrence of large earthquakes - was put forward until now. To address this problem we developed a series of geomorphic, geophysical and paleoseismological investigations along the LTV which indicated displacement of drainage system, uplifted alluvial terrace, and the presence of a scarp for a minimum length of 20 km. Upon trenching, we identified NNE-SSW trending thrust planes affecting Pliocene and Holocene formations, and measured a minimum displacement of 3m over the last 4000 years. The age of thrusting was constrained by radiocarbon dating and corroborated by archaeological findings. The most recent faulting event can likely be correlated with the M7 1531 earthquake. The thrust geometry shows a significant left-lateral component, as it is pointed out by the imbricate pattern of fault planes and kinematic indicators (striations), which suggest a N-S direction of maximum compression. A gravitational origin for the deformation exposed in the trenches is discussed and discarded. On a larger scale, fault segments inland may be a continuation of the offshore source of the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake (Vilanova et al., this conference). We present new calculations of seismic hazard for Western Iberia, and discuss the impact of the new seismotectonic data for the Lower Tagus Valley.
Ground deformation Chemical monitoring Acoustic monitoring Ground Based Cameras 20. Satellite-bas... more Ground deformation Chemical monitoring Acoustic monitoring Ground Based Cameras 20. Satellite-based remote sensing monitoring Optical sensors and their applications Synthetic Aperture Radar sensors and their applications 21. Data transmission 22. Scientific-operational interface References and suggested readings Communications References and suggested readings 30. Scientific support and advice Role of scientific community Communication 31. Civil protection activities during emergencies Civil protection actions before the eruption Civil protection actions during the eruption Civil protection activities after the eruption Recovery examples References and suggested readings Box 1-The WebGIS of Mount Cameroon Box-The Geophysical Instrument for Low power Data Acquisition (GILDA) Box 3-Gas emission during the 2010 Merapi eruption Box 4-Examples of acoustic monitoring systems Box 5-Eyjafjallajökull eruption from optical satellite images Box 6-A SAR application during the 2010 eruption of Merapi Box 7-Communications for real time monitoring: the Fogo volcano example Box 8-Scientific-operational interface: the Italian example Box 9-The importance of geological field studies for hazard assessment Box 10-The civil protection system of Cameroon and the role of National Risk Observatory Box 11-Damage to monitoring networks Box 12-Raising of alert levels during the 2010 eruption of Merapi Box 13-Socialization phase in Indonesia Box 14-Community-Based Disaster Risk Reduction activities at Kanlaon Box 15-Assessing risk perception at Merapi before and during the 2010 eruption Box 16-Socioeconomic influence on people's awareness: a view from Fogo volcano Box 17-Assessing people vulnerability and cope capacity at Mount Cameroon Box 18-Urban planning for risk reduction in France Box 19-Roof design loading 10 preface This handbook aims at synthesizing the acquired knowledge in a practical and useful way to cover the main aspects of volcanic risk management, such as prevention, preparedness, mitigation, intervention, crisis management and resilience. It promotes the creation of an ideal bridge between different stakeholders involved in risk management, improving and facilitating interactions among authorities and scientists. This work is based on current scientific research and the shared experience of the different partners as well as on international good practices previously recommended. To manage volcanic risk, each country has set up its specific administrative and organisational frame. Therefore, names and roles of organizations in charge of volcanic risk management vary greatly from one country to another. Nevertheless, three major categories can be identified: political authorities and public services, civil defence agencies and specialists in crisis management and scientific institutions, possibly including universities. This handbook addresses mainly the last two categories, especially in developing countries. IntroductIon to volcanIc rIsk IntroductIon to volcanIc rIsk Historical volcanic contest Appropriate communications and messages-Local communication strategies Social and economic factors analysis Pyroclastic Density Currents burns and burial buildings and infrastructure destruction Lava flows burns destruction of buildings by fire, lateral stress or burial otheR Geo-haZaRds Lahars drowning buildings and infrastructure destruction and burial impacts on crops Gas emissions toxicity for humans and livestock, acidity and corrosion impacts on plant growth (especially roots) Sector collapses, landslides and rock falls impacts, scouring and burial Volcanic earthquakes burial under collapsed buildings building and infrastructure destruction Volcano triggered tsunamis drowning trauma by collision buildings and infrastructure destruction phenoMenon Main associated thReats IntroductIon to volcanIc rIsk 1 References and suggested readings
The Umbria-Marche region in central Italy experienced a sequence of shallow earthquakes in late 1... more The Umbria-Marche region in central Italy experienced a sequence of shallow earthquakes in late 1997, including three mainshocks on September 26 th (Ms 5.5 and 5.9) and October 14 th (Ms 5.5). This seismic sequence illustrates the relationships between small-scale active faults and moderate-magnitude earthquakes. We suggest that a small-scale active fault corresponds to a "fault fragment" and that it refers to the fault area required for producing a coseismic deformation at the ground surface. The seismic activity and related three mainshocks occurred along three fault fragments which total-25 km in length and show a listric geometry at depth. Fault fragments are laterally controlled by pre-existing transverse fold-and-thrust structures and may constitute a major component of the seismic strain release in active continental regions. 1002, (1994).
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