Coastal processes and cliff recession between Gabicce and Pesaro (northern Adriatic Sea): a case history

Cliff recession on the high rocky coast between Gabicce and Pesaro Adriatic sea causes a wide range of mass movement processes on the whole slope, affecting both the bedrock and the overburden. The outcropping late Miocene rock formations are represented by marls, marly limestones, dark laminated mudstones and bedded sandstones and marls. Mass movements are common because of stratification and discontinuities in the rocks that, together with the presence of groundwater and weathering processes, reduce the overall strength of the slopes. A model for the evolution of this coastal area is proposed, which involves cyclic basal erosion, followed by mass movement that favours debris accumulation at the base of the cliff. The longshore currents have to then remove the material before a new cycle can begin.     

Crustal seismic velocity in the Marche region (Central Italy): computation of a minimum 1-D model with seismic station corrections

A 1-D velocity model for the Marche region (Central Italy) was computed by inverting P- and S-wave arrival times of local earthquakes. A total of 160 seismic events with a minimum of ten observations, a travel time residual ≤0.8 s and an azimuthal gap lower than 180° have been selected. This “minimum 1-D velocity model” is complemented by station corrections, which can be used to take into account possible near-surface velocity heterogeneities beneath each station. Using this new P-wave velocity model and the program HYPOELLIPSE (Lahr 1999), the selected local events were relocated. Earthquake locations in this study are of higher quality with respect to the original ones. The obtained minimum 1-D velocity model can be used to improve the routine earthquake locations and represents a further step towards more detailed seismotectonic studies of the area.     

Seismological, geological and geophysical constraints for the Gualdo Tadino fault, Umbria–Marche Apennines (central Italy)

The April 3, 1998 Mw = 5.1 Gualdo Tadino earthquake (central Italy) was the last significant event in the 6-month-long Umbria–Marche seismic crisis. This event and its aftershocks occurred in an area where active faulting produces no striking geological and geomorphological effects. In this study, we investigated the ruptured fault using detailed seismological data and a re-processed and re-interpreted seismic reflection profile. Aftershock location and focal mechanisms were used to constrain the geometry and kinematics of the ruptured fault and a comparison was made with the subsurface image provided by the seismic profile. We found that the 1998 Gualdo Tadino earthquake occurred on a WSW-dipping, normal fault, with a length of about 8 km and a relatively gentle dip (30°–40°), confined between 3.5 and 7 km in depth. Kinematics of the mainshock and aftershocks revealed a NE-trending extension, in agreement with the regional stress field active in the Northern Apennines belt. The Mw = 5.1 earthquake originated above the top of the basement and ruptured within the sedimentary cover, which consists of an evaporites–carbonates multilayer. We hypothesised that the active fault does not reach the surface (blind normal fault).     

Geological and archaeological evidence of active faulting on the Martana Fault (Umbria–Marche Apennines,Italy) and its geodynamic implications

This paper examines the morphotectonic and structural–geological characteristics of the Quaternary Martana Fault in the Umbria–Marche Apennines fold‐and‐thrust belt. This structure is more than 30 km long and comprises two segments: a N–NNW‐trending longer segment and a 100°N‐trending segment. After developing as a normal fault in Early Pleistocene times, the N–NNW Martana Fault segment experienced a phase of dextral faulting extending from the Early to Middle Pleistocene boundary until around 0.39 Ma, the absolute age of volcanics erupted in correspondence to releasing bends. The establishment of a stress field with a NE–ENE‐trending σ₃ axis and NW–NNW σ₁ axis in Late Pleistocene to Holocene times resulted in a strong component of sinistral faulting along N–NNW‐trending fault segments and almost pure normal faulting on newly formed NW–SE faults. Fresh fault scarps, the interaction of faulting with drainage systems and displacement of alluvial fan apexes provide evidence of the ongoing activity of this fault. The active left‐lateral kinematic along N–NNW‐trending fault segments is also revealed by the 1.8 m horizontal offset of the E–W‐trending Decumanus road, at the Roman town of Carsulae. We interpret the present‐day kinematics of the Martana Fault as consistent with a model connecting surface structures to the inferred north‐northwest trending lithospheric shear zone marking the western boundary of the Adria Plate. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Detection of local site effects through the estimation of building damages

After the Umbria Marche seismic sequence of September–October 1997, an extensive microzoning study was conducted, from October 1997 to May 1998, to detect the zones where the ground motion was amplified because of local geological and geomorphological settings. The goal of the investigation was to return amplification coefficients to local authorities for the post-seismic reconstruction and repairing of pre-existing buildings, by examining the seismic behaviour of the most damaged 60 villages. The analysis consisted in the application of well known computer codes and the results were arranged as reference table, used to assign the amplification coefficients to the rest of damaged localities.The present study has the aim of evaluating the accuracy of that methodology, following a completely different approach. The actual damages, detected by an aerial photo interpretation, are compared to the theoretical damages estimated through empirical curves, obtained from the analysis of recent Italian earthquakes. This approach was reliable enough to calibrate the results of the microzoning study and appropriate when an immediate assessment of the damage is required, to assign funds and estimate the amplification zones, that need to be investigated in finer detail.     

Seismic microzoning of the area struck by Umbria–Marche (Central Italy) Ms 5.9 earthquake of 26 September 1997

The earthquake of 26 September 1997 in Central Italy is one of the largest seismic events of the last 20 years in Italy. Two main events that caused significant damage in a large area of Umbria and Marche regions and site amplification phenomena were recorded even at large distances from the epicenter. After the emergency period, a detailed study of the surface effects was necessary for the post-earthquake reconstruction, but in a way it should be carried out rapidly enough to allow urban planners to give instructions and codes to public administrators. A team of surveyors were trained to collect field information such as geologic and geomorphologic features and, where possible, pre-existing geotechnic or geophysic information. Information was collected and analyzed with the aid of dynamic codes to calculate the possible local site effects. A one-dimensional code, analyzing single soil columns, [Schabel PB, Lysmer J, Seed HB. , a computer program for earthquake response analysis of horizontally layered sites. College of Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Report PB-220. 1972, p. 207], as well as the two-dimensional codes working with finite or boundary elements, [Idriss IM, Lysmer J, Hwang R, Seed HB. , a computer program for evaluating the seismic response of the soil structure by variable damping finite element procedures. UCB EERC Report No. 73-16. 1973.] and [Sanò T. , un programma per il calcolo della propagazione delle onde sismiche. Technical Report SSN/RT/96/9. 1996, pp. 51.], were used and the results are presented as response spectra or amplification coefficients.     

Landslides and other surface effects induced by the 1997 Umbria–Marche seismic sequence

This paper both describes and discusses landslides and other ground effects induced by the September–October 1997 seismic sequence, which struck the Umbria and Marche regions (Central Italy). Three main events occurred on 26 September at 00:33 and 09:40 GMT, and 14 October with magnitude M_w equal to 5.8, 6.0 and 5.4, respectively; furthermore hundreds of minor but significant events were also recorded. The authors examined an area of some 700 km² around the epicentre (Colfiorito). Primary and secondary effects were observed, including surface faulting phenomena, landslides, ground fractures, compaction and various hydrological phenomena. Surface evidence of faulting reactivation was found along the well-known capable faults, to a total length of ca. 30 km. Landslides, which were the most recurrent among the phenomena induced, consisted mainly of rock falls and subordinately of rotational and translational slides, which were generally mobilised by the inertia forces during the seismic motion. The percentage of reactivated old landslides decreased as the distance from the epicentral zone increased; a similar decrease had been observed for the 1980 Irpinia earthquake (Southern Italy). The ground fracture distribution was consistent with the regional structural setting and the general pattern of macroseismic field. Numerous episodes of hydrological changes were observed within the most severely damaged area. All this evidence confirms the relevance of the study of ground surface effects for achieving a more complete evaluation of seismic hazard.     

The relationship between seismic deformation and deep-seated gravitational movements during the 1997 Umbria–Marche (Central Italy) earthquakes

This paper re-evaluates the origin of some peculiar patterns of ground deformation in the Central Apennines, observed by space geodetic techniques during the two earthquakes of the Colfiorito seismic sequence on September 26th, 1997. The surface displacement field due to the fault dislocation, as modelled with the classic Okada elastic formulations, shows some areas with high residuals which cannot be attributed to non-simulated model complexities. The residuals were investigated using geomorphological analysis, recognising the geologic evidence of deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DSGSD) of the block-slide type. The shape and direction of the co-seismic ground displacement observed in these areas are correlated with the expected pattern of movement produced by the reactivation of the identified DSGSD. At least a few centimetres of negative “Line of Sight” ground displacement was determined for the Costa Picchio, Mt. Pennino, and Mt. Prefoglio areas. A considerable horizontal component of movement in the Costa Picchio DSGSD is evident from a qualitative analysis of ascending and descending interferograms. The timing of the geodetic data indicates that the ground movement occurred during the seismic shaking, and that it did not progress appreciably during the following months. This work has verified the seismic triggering of DSGSD previously hypothesized by many researchers. A further implication is that in the assessment of DSGSD hazard seismic input needs to be considered as an important cause of accelerated deformation.     

Rock falls induced by earthquakes: a statistical approach

During September and October 1997 a seismic sequence of moderate magnitude struck the Umbria and Marche regions, central Italy. As a consequence of the main shocks several rock falls were triggered along the flanks of the Valnerina valley, an important canyon formed by the erosion of the Nera river on limestone formations. This landslide data set was used to explore the correlation existing among rock falls and several causal factors, like slope angle, geology and strong ground motion parameters. All the data have been digitised and georeferenced with the aid of a Geographic Information System in the form of digital thematic layers. The landslide inventory has been overlaid to the maps of causal factors, and the result arranged in order to create a data structure suitable to perform a multivariate statistics. A multiple regression allowed to formulate a predictive rule that can be used to produce a rock fall susceptibility map in case of an earthquake, in regions with similar geologic and geomorphologic characteristics.     

Hydrogeological Changes Related to the Umbria–Marche Earthquake of 26 September 1997 (Central Italy)

Evidences of variations of the hydrologic regime have been observed after the Umbria–Marche seismic sequence, started on September 26th 1997, at the boundary between Umbria and Marche regions, central Italy. In order to quantify the hydrological variations, several data regarding groundwater level, spring discharge and river flow rates, have been collected from local authorities and mineral water companies. They allowed to confine the area affected by anomalies and to quantify the hydrological variations by a comparison with the average yearly regime, estimated from the data referring to previous years. An attempt to identify precursor phenomena has also been carried out. The results of the analysis sustain the close connection of two water reservoirs, the Umbria–Marche ridge and the Valnerina unit, that have both been affected by changes of the hydrologic regime. Two of the river gauge stations registered anomalies several months before the crisis started, acting as earthquake precursors.