Coseismic Damage at an Archaeological Site in Sicily,Italy: Evidence of Roman Age Earthquake Surface Faulting

Archaeoseismology can provide a useful chronological tool for constraining earthquakes and documenting significant evidence that would otherwise be lost. In this paper, we report a case of surface faulting on ancient man-made structures belonging to the archaeological site of Santa Venera al Pozzo situated along the eastern flank of Mt. Etna volcano in eastern Sicily (southern Italy), which is affected by well-developed tectonic faults. Geological surveys highlight a set of fractures affecting the archaeological ruins, suggesting the occurrence of a capable fault zone across the area. An integrated geophysical survey was carried out in order to identify the main subsurface tectonic discontinuity ascribable to the fault zone. The information derived from different geophysical techniques, such as electrical resistivity tomography, seismic refraction tomography, ground-penetrating radar, and magnetic surveys allowed us to infer that the fractures observed at the surface could have been produced by coseismic rupture. They are conceivably linked to a strong earthquake that probably occurred in the Roman period, around mid-end of the third-century AD; time constraints are inferred through the dating of buildings of the archaeological site.     

Evidence of multiple strain fields beneath the eastern flank of Mt. Etna volcano (Sicily,Italy) deduced from seismic and geodetic data during 2003–2004

We carried out a study of the seismicity and ground deformation occurring on Mt. Etna volcano after the end of the 2002–2003 eruption and before the onset of the 2004–2005 eruption. Data were recorded by the permanent local seismic network run by Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia – Sezione di Catania and by geodetic surveys carried out in July 2003 and July 2004 on the GPS network. Most earthquakes were grouped in two main clusters located in the northeastern and southeastern sectors of the volcano. The areal distribution of seismic energy associated with the recorded earthquakes allowed us to highlight the main seismogenic areas of Mt. Etna. In order to better understand the kinematic processes of the volcano, 3D seismic locations were used to compute fault plane solutions, and a selected dataset was inverted to determine stress and strain tensors. The focal mechanisms in the northeastern sector show clear left-lateral kinematics along an E-W fault plane, consistent with events occurring along the Pernicana Fault system. The fault plane solutions in the southeastern sector show mainly right-lateral kinematics along a NNE and ENE fault plane and left lateral-kinematics along NW fault planes that together suggest roughly E-W oriented compression. Surface ground deformation affecting Mt. Etna measured by GPS surveys highlighted a marked inflation during the same period and exceptionally strong seawards motion of its eastern flank. The 2D geodetic strain tensor distribution was calculated and the results show mainly ENE-WSW extension coupled with WNW-ESE contraction, indicating right-lateral shear along a NW-SE oriented fault plane. The different deformation of the eastern sector of the volcano, as measured by seismicity and ground deformation, must be interpreted by considering the different depths of the two signals. Seismic activity in the southeastern sector of volcano is located between 3 and 8 km b.s.l. and can be associated with a very strong additional E-W compression induced by a pressurizing source just westwards and at the same depth, located by inverting GPS data. Ground deformation, in contrast, is mainly affected by the shallower dynamics of the fast moving eastern flank which produces a shallower opposing E-W extension. The entire dataset shows that two different processes affect the eastern flank at the same time but at different depths; the boundary is clearly located at a depth of 3 km b.s.l. and could represent the décollement surface for the mobile flank.     

Lava-flow hazard on the SE flank of Mt. Etna (Southern Italy)

A method for mapping lava-flow hazard on the SE flank of Mt. Etna (Sicily, Southern Italy) by applying the Cellular Automata model SCIARA_-fv is described, together with employed techniques of calibration and validation through a parallel Genetic Algorithm. The study area is partly urbanised; it has repeatedly been affected by lava flows from flank eruptions in historical time, and shows evidence of a dominant SSE-trending fracture system. Moreover, a dormant deep-seated gravitational deformation, associated with a larger volcano-tectonic phenomenon, affects the whole south-eastern flank of the volcano.     

New Insights on Mt. Etna’s Crust and Relationship with the Regional Tectonic Framework from Joint Active and Passive P-Wave Seismic Tomography

In the Central Mediterranean region, the production of chemically diverse volcanic products (e.g., those from Mt. Etna and the Aeolian Islands archipelago) testifies to the complexity of the tectonic and geodynamic setting. Despite the large number of studies that have focused on this area, the relationships among volcanism, tectonics, magma ascent, and geodynamic processes remain poorly understood. We present a tomographic inversion of P-wave velocity using active and passive sources. Seismic signals were recorded using both temporary on-land and ocean bottom seismometers and data from a permanent local seismic network consisting of 267 seismic stations. Active seismic signals were generated using air gun shots mounted on the Spanish Oceanographic Vessel ‘Sarmiento de Gamboa’. Passive seismic sources were obtained from 452 local earthquakes recorded over a 4-month period. In total, 184,797 active P-phase and 11,802 passive P-phase first arrivals were inverted to provide three different velocity models. Our results include the first crustal seismic active tomography for the northern Sicily area, including the Peloritan–southern Calabria region and both the Mt. Etna and Aeolian volcanic environments. The tomographic images provide a detailed and complete regional seismotectonic framework and highlight a spatially heterogeneous tectonic regime, which is consistent with and extends the findings of previous models. One of our most significant results was a tomographic map extending to 14 km depth showing a discontinuity striking roughly NW–SE, extending from the Gulf of Patti to the Ionian Sea, south-east of Capo Taormina, corresponding to the Aeolian–Tindari–Letojanni fault system, a regional deformation belt. Moreover, for the first time, we observed a high-velocity anomaly located in the south-eastern sector of the Mt. Etna region, offshore of the Timpe area, which is compatible with the plumbing system of an ancient shield volcano located offshore of Mt. Etna.     

Seismic hazard assessment in the volcanic region of Mt. Etna (Italy): a probabilistic approach based on macroseismic data applied to volcano-tectonic seismicity

In the framework of the UPStrat-MAFA project, a seismic hazard assessment has been undertaken in the volcanic region of Mt. Etna as a first step in studies aimed at evaluating the risk on an urban scale. The analysis has been carried out with the SASHA code which uses macroseismic data in order to calculate, starting from the site seismic history, the maximum intensity value expected in a given site with a probability of exceedance of 10 % (I_ref), for a fixed exposure time. Depending on the aims of the project, hazard is estimated for local volcano-tectonic seismicity and short exposure times (10 and 30 years), without taking into account the contribution of “regional” events characterized by much longer recurrence times. Results from tasks A, B and D of the project have produced an updated macroseismic dataset, better performing attenuation models and new tools for SASHA, respectively. The maps obtained indicate that the eastern flank of Etna, the most urbanized sector of the volcano, is characterized by a high level of hazard with I_ref values up to degree VIII EMS, and even IX EMS locally. The disaggregated data analysis allows recognizing the “design earthquake” and the seismogenic fault which most contribute to the hazard at a site-scale. The latter analysis is the starting point to select the scenario earthquake to be used in the analyses of tasks C and F of the project dealing with, respectively, synthetic ground motion simulations and the evaluation of the Disruption Index.     

The role of the urban system dysfunction in the assessment of seismic risk in the Mt. Etna area (Italy)

A procedure for seismic risk assessment is applied to the Mt. Etna area (eastern Sicily, Italy) through assessment of urban system dysfunction following the occurrence of an earthquake. The tool used is based on the Disruption Index as a concept implemented in Simulator QuakeIST, which defines urban disruption following a natural disaster. The first element of the procedure is the definition of the seismic input, which is based on information about historical seismicity and seismogenic faults. The second element is computation of seismic impact on the building stock and infrastructure in the area considered. Information on urban-scale vulnerability was collected and a geographic information system was used to organise the data relating to buildings and network systems (e.g., building stock, schools, strategic structures, lifelines). The central idea underlying the definition of the Disruption Index is identification and evaluation of the impact on a target community through the physical elements that most contribute to severe disruption. The procedure applied in this study (i.e., software and data) constitutes a very useful operational tool to drive the development of strategies to minimise risks from earthquakes.     

Holocene vertical deformation along the coastal sector of Mt. Etna volcano (eastern Sicily,Italy): Implications on the time–space constrains of the volcano lateral sliding

A detailed survey of morphological and biological markers of paleo-shorelines has been carried out along the coastal sector of Mt. Etna volcano (eastern Sicily, Italy), in order to better define causes and timing of vertical deformation. We have mapped markers of raised Holocene shorelines, which are represented by beach rocks, wave-cut platforms, balanid, vermetid and algal rims. The timing of coastal uplift has been determined by radiocarbon dating of shells collected from the raised paleo-shorelines and, to correctly assess the total amount of tectonic uplift of the coast during the Late Holocene, we have compared the elevation-age data of sampled shells to the local curve of Holocene sea-level rise. Taking into account the nominal elevation of the associated paleo-shorelines, an uplift rate of 2.5–3.0 mm/year has been estimated for the last 6–7 ka. This general process of uplifting is only locally interrupted by subsidence related to flank sliding of the volcanic edifice, measured at docks and other manmade structures, and by acceleration along the hinge of an active anticline and at the footwall of an active fault. Based on this new data we suggest more precise time–space constraints for the dynamics of the lower eastern flank of Mt. Etna volcano.     

High precision locations of multiplets on south-eastern flank of Mt. Etna (Italy): reconstruction of fault plane geometry

On 9 January 2001, a seismic swarm, located on the south-eastern flank of Mt. Etna and with nearly identical waveforms, caused some damage to Zafferana Etnea village, 3 km from the epicentral area.An analysis of the seismicity occurring in the last 8 years in this area has revealed other earthquakes with the same characteristics; some pre-empted and followed (up to a few months) the 2001 January swarm, others were recorded more than five years beforehand.Using similarity of waveforms, these earthquakes were classified into three families.The use of a multiplet-technique has allowed to obtain the spatial distribution of the events with higher precision (mean error of 10-20 m) with respect to traditional localization techniques.Mt. Etna earthquakes relocation clearly describes the geometry of the seismogenic tectonic structure; the hypocenters lie on a NE-SW oriented plane that is coincident with one of the focal planes obtained by first-arrival polarities. This alignment is also coherent with one of the main regional tectonic trends cutting the Mt. Etna area, and can be interpreted as a right-lateral strike seismic source on the south-eastern flank of Mt. Etna, distant from eruptive centres, which repeats from time to time and is able to produce strong energy releases.     

Variation ofb values before the Etnean eruption of March 1981

A fissural eruption occurred from the northern flank of Mt. Etna on March 17, 1981, and the associated earthquake activity, recorded by the seismic network operating on the volcano, was carefully examined to detect possible variations ofb values, according to the frequency-magnitude relationship, before the start of the eruption. The analysis of 4000B-type earthquakes was carried out according to the maximum likelihood method. A significant increase in theb value was noticed since the beginning of February 1981, followed by a sharp decrease in the days before the eruption started. The observed variation pattern was related to possible changes on the stress field acting on the volcano.     

The occurrence of Mt Barca flank eruption in the evolution of the NW periphery of Etna volcano (Italy)

Geological surveys, tephrostratigraphic study, and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age determinations have allowed us to chronologically constrain the geological evolution of the lower NW flank of Etna volcano and to reconstruct the eruptive style of the Mt Barca flank eruption. This peripheral sector of the Mt Etna edifice, corresponding to the upper Simeto valley, was invaded by the Ellittico volcano lava flows between 41 and 29 ka ago when the Mt Barca eruption occurred. The vent of this flank eruption is located at about 15 km away from the summit craters, close to the town of Bronte. The Mt Barca eruption was characterized by a vigorous explosive activity that produced pyroclastic deposits dispersed eastward and minor effusive activity with the emission of a 1.1-km-long lava flow. Explosive activity was characterized by a phreatomagmatic phase followed by a magmatic one. The geological setting of this peripheral sector of the volcano favors the interaction between the rising magma and the shallow groundwater hosted in the volcanic pile resting on the impermeable sedimentary basement. This process produced phreatomagmatic activity in the first phase of the eruption, forming a pyroclastic fall deposit made of high-density, poorly vesicular scoria lapilli and lithic clasts. Conversely, during the second phase, a typical strombolian fall deposit formed. In terms of hazard assessment, the possible occurrence of this type of highly explosive flank eruption, at lower elevation in the densely inhabited areas, increases the volcanic risk in the Etnean region and widens the already known hazard scenario.     

A model for eruptive mechanisms of Mt. Etna from the study of seismicity from 1978 to 1983

The papers deals with the seismic activity occurred on Mt. Etna from 1978 to 1983, and special emphasis is given to the seismicity linked to eruptive phenomena that took place during that period.Location of epicentres and hypocentres of all earthquakes occurred during the considered years and in association with each eruption has shown to be a useful tool to investigate relationships between seismicity and characteristics of various eruptions.A preliminary model is proposed to explain seismo-eruptive mechanisms controlling the uprise of magma and subsequent eruptions of Mt. Etna. The complexity of phenomena observed in the Etnean area could be interpreted as the result of the combined effect of regional stress field and local changes of it due to the volcano structural inhomogeneities. Thus, the earthquakes occurring in the studied area may cause either partial intrusion of magma at various depth, or final opening of surface fractures and subsequent output of lava.     

Entablature: fracture types and mechanisms

Stratigraphic and morphostructural analyses have been carried out in the Mt. Etna volcanic region (eastern Sicily) to investigate in detail the deformation events that have affected the sedimentary successions forming the substratum of the volcano. In the foredeep, Quaternary submarine sedimentation ended 600 ka ago when the whole area emerged in response to homogeneous regional uplift. The irregular distribution of a stratigraphic marker, recognized through the analysis of more than 250 borehole logs, suggests that local dynamics also affected the area. We identify both compressional tectonic dynamics and volcano-related tectonic activity, and discriminate among their associated deformations. In particular, we quantify the vertical deformation component of the compressional structures (thrusts and related folds) and recognize for the first time a vertical component of deformation whose pattern clearly indicates a doming process acting at Mt. Etna. The comparison between long-term and short-term rates suggests that the doming has acted consistently over space and time through the last 600 ka and provides clues to the source of uplift. This component, defined by a specific Quaternary sedimentary horizon, has been compared with vertical deformation obtained by analytical inversion of morphological substratum data, and localizes the source at a depth of ～16 km, at the mantle-crust transition. This uplift may be the consequence of hydration occurring in the altered ocean-like crust.     

Damage to residential buildings in Hveragerði during the 2008 Ölfus Earthquake: simulated and surveyed results

This study analyses the performance of residential buildings in the town of Hveragerði in South Iceland during the 29 May 2008 Mw 6.3 Ölfus Earthquake. The earthquake occurred very close to the town, approximately 3–4 km from it. Ground shaking caused by the earthquake was recorded by a dense strong-motion array in the town. The array provided high-quality three-component ground acceleration data which is used to quantify a hazard scenario. In addition, surveys conducted in the town in the aftermath of the earthquake have provided information on macroseismic intensity at various locations in the town. Detailed information regarding the building stock in the town is collected, and their seismic vulnerability models are created by using building damage data obtained from the June 2000 South Iceland earthquakes. Damage to buildings are then simulated by using the scenario hazard and vulnerability models. Damage estimates were also obtained by conducting a survey. Simulated damage based on the scenario macroseismic intensity is found to be similar to damage estimated from survey data. The buildings performed very well during the earthquake—damage suffered was only 5 % of the insured value on the average. Correlation between actual damage and recorded ground-motion parameters is found to be statistically insignificant. No significant correlation of damage was observed, even with macroseismic intensity. Whereas significant correlation was observed between peak ground velocity and macroseismic intensity, neither of them appear to be good indicators of damage to buildings in the study area. This lack of correlation is partly due to good seismic capacity of buildings and partly due to the ordinal nature of macroseismic intensity scale. Consistent with experience from many past earthquakes, the survey results indicate that seismic risk in South Iceland is not so much due to collapse of buildings but rather due to damage to non-structural components and building contents.     

Inferences on the main volcano-tectonic structures at Mt. Etna (Sicily) from a probabilistic seismological approach

We analysed earthquakes at Mt. Etna for the period 1983–1991 using a method that weights uncertainties in hypocentral location. Three-dimensional distributions of hypocentral probability and energy density were studied, and two first-order volcano-tectonic structures identified. The first, on the northern and western sides, is roughly NE–SW oriented, and strongly marks the northernmost limit of earthquake occurrences in the volcano region; the second, NNW–SSE trending, affects the south-eastern flank of the volcano, and is evidence for an almost aseismic uprise of magma along it. Both structures fit well with the geodynamic framework of eastern Sicily. On the contrary, there is no evidence for a main magma chamber, as postulated in the literature.     

Volcanic Tremor at Mt. Etna,Italy, Preceding and Accompanying the Eruption of July – August, 2001

The July 17 – August 9, 2001 flank eruption of Mt. Etna was preceded and accompanied by remarkable changes in volcanic tremor. Based on the records of stations belonging to the permanent seismic network deployed on the volcano, we analyze amplitude and frequency content of the seismic signal. We find considerable changes in the volcanic tremor which mark the transition to different styles of eruptive activity, e.g., lava fountains, phreatomagmatic activity, Strombolian explosions. In particular, the frequency content of the signal decreases from 5 Hz to 3 Hz at our reference station ETF during episodes of lava fountains, and further decreases at about 2 Hz throughout phases of intense lava emission. The frequency content and the ratios of the signal amplitude allow us to distinguish three seismic sources, i.e., the peripheral dike which fed the eruption, the reservoir which fed the lava fountains, and the central conduit. Based on the analysis of the amplitude decay of the signal, we highlight the migration of the dike from a depth of ca. 5 km to about 1 km between July 10 and 12. After the onset of the effusive phase, the distribution of the amplitude decay at our stations can be interpreted as the overall result of sources located within the first half kilometer from the surface. Although on a qualitative basis, our findings shed some light on the complex feeding system of Mt. Etna, and integrate other volcanological and geophysical studies which tackle the problem of magma replenishment for the July–August, 2001 flank eruption. We conclude that volcanic tremor is fundamental in monitoring Mt. Etna, not only as a marker of the different sources which act within the volcano edifice, but also of the diverse styles of eruptive activity. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Cross-correlation analysis of seismic and volcanic data at Mt Etna volcano,Italy

Seismic data from the MVT-SLN sesmic station located 7 km from the summit area of Mt Etna volcano, which has been operating steadily for the last two decades, have been analysed together with the volcanic activity during the same period. Cross-correlation techniques are used to investigate possible relationships between seismic and volcanic data and to evaluate the statistical significance of the results. A number of significant correlations have been identified, showing that there is an evident relation between seismic events and flank eruptions, and a less clear relation with summit activity, which appears more linked to tremor rather than to the low-frequency events. Particularly interesting are the low-frequency events whose rate of occurrence increases, starting from 17 to 108 days, prior to the onset of the flank activity and are candidates for a useful precursor. On the other hand, a tendency towards the increase in both the duration and the occurrence rate of transients in the volcanic tremor was observed before the onset of summit eruptions. As a result of this study different stages in the volcanic activity of Mt Etna, represented by changes in the characteristics of the recorded seismic phenomena, are identified.     

Ground deformation modeling of flank dynamics prior to the 2002 eruption of Mt. Etna

On 22 September 2002, 1 month before the beginning of the flank eruption on the NE Rift, an M-3.7 earthquake struck the northeastern part of Mt. Etna, on the westernmost part of the Pernicana fault. In order to investigate the ground deformation pattern associated with this event, a multi-disciplinary approach is presented here. Just after the earthquake, specific GPS surveys were carried out on two small sub-networks, aimed at monitoring the eastern part of the Pernicana fault, and some baselines belonging to the northeastern EDM monitoring network of Mt. Etna were measured. The leveling route on the northeastern flank of the volcano was also surveyed. Furthermore, an investigation using SAR interferometry was performed and also the continuous tilt data recorded at a high precision sensor close to the epicenter were analyzed to constrain the coseismic deformation. The results of the geodetic surveys show a ground deformation pattern that affects the entire northeastern flank of the volcano, clearly shaped by the Pernicana fault, but too strong and wide to be related only to an M-3.7 earthquake. Leveling and DInSAR data highlight a local strong subsidence, up to 7 cm, close to the Pernicana fault. Significant displacements, up to 2 cm, were also detected on the upper part of the NE Rift and in the summit craters area, while the displacements decrease at lower altitude, suggesting that the dislocation did not continue further eastward. Three-dimensional GPS data inversions have been attempted in order to model the ground deformation source and its relationship with the volcano plumbing system. The model has also been constrained by vertical displacements measured by the leveling survey and by the deformation map obtained by SAR interferometry.     

Observational fragility functions for residential stone masonry buildings in Nepal

This paper outlines the seismic vulnerability of rural stone masonry buildings affected by the 2015 Gorkha earthquake sequence. Summary of field observation is presented first and empirical fragility curves are developed from the detailed damage assessment data from 603 villages in central, eastern and western Nepal. Fragility curves are developed on the basis of 665,515 building damage cases collected during the post-earthquake detailed damage assessment campaign conducted by Government of Nepal. Two sets of fragility functions are derived using peak ground acceleration and spectral acceleration at 0.3 s as the intensity measures. The sum of the results highlights that stone masonry buildings in Nepal are highly vulnerable even in the case of low to moderate ground shaking. The results further indicate that in the case of strong to major earthquakes, most of the stone masonry buildings in Nepal would sustain severe damage or collapse.     

Ground-motion scenarios on Mt. Etna inferred from empirical relations and synthetic simulations

Ground motion scenarios for Mt. Etna are created using synthetic simulations with the program EXSIM. A large data set of weak motion records is exploited to identify important input parameters which govern the modeling of wave propagation effects, such as Q-values, high frequency cut-off and geometrical spreading. These parameters are used in the simulation of ground motion for earthquakes causing severe damage in the area. Two seismotectonic regimes are distinguished. Volcano-tectonic events, though being of limited magnitude (M_max ca. 5), cause strong ground shaking for their shallow foci. Being rather frequent, these events represent a considerable threat to cities and villages on the flanks of the volcano. A second regime is related to earthquakes with foci in the crust, at depths of 10–30 km, and magnitudes ranging from 6 to 7. In our synthetic scenarios, we chose two examples of volcano-tectonic events, i.e. the October 29, 2002, Bongiardo event (I = VIII) and the May 8, 1914, Linera earthquake (I = IX–X). A further scenario regards the February 20, 1818 event, considered representative for stronger earthquakes with foci in the crust. We were able to reproduce the essential features of the macroseismic field, in particular accounting for the possibility of strong site effects. We learned that stress drop estimated for weak motion events is probably too low to explain the intensity of ground motion during stronger earthquakes. This corresponds to findings reported in the literature claiming an increase of stress drop with earthquake size.     

2017年全球地震灾害概要

根据2017年全球地震灾害资料,总结了2017年全球地震灾害数据,对当年主要地震灾害进行了描述,并对当年重大灾害地震事件的灾害损失特征进行了分析。通过比较当年震级相当的几次地震,可以发现设防建筑在地震中受损较小,能够有效地减少财产损失以及人员伤亡;而非设防建筑则会在地震中造成不可估量的损失。