Clues of Post-seismic Relaxation for the 1915 Fucino Earthquake (Central Italy) from Modeling of Leveling Data

The 1915 Fucino earthquake (Ms=6.9) was one of the largest and most destructive events in Italy during the last century. The epicentral area is centered in the Abruzzi region (Central Italy), where a long historical record of large earthquakes is available. Seismotectonic studies on this region, based on instrumental seismicity (focal mechanism solutions of major events and stress analysis of background seismicity), borehole break-out studies and several geological and paleoseismological investigations, suggest NE-SW oriented active extension. The 1915 earthquake fault produced detectable surface ruptures for about 20 km along NW-SE striking SW-dipping structures. Coseismic geodetic data recorded in the epicentral area have been inverted in the past (Amoruso et al. 1998 and references therein), indicating a source fault dipping at moderate angle toward SW and a normal focal mechanism, with a non-negligible left-lateral component. Three high precision leveling lines located in a wide sector north and east of the Fucino plain were measured in 1950 and 1997-2000 by the IGM (Istituto Geografico Militare). Two consecutive lines run in a NW-SE direction along the chain, and form a "T-shape" net together with a third line SW-NE striking, towards the Adriatic sea. The total length is about 360 km with a mean benchmark density higher than 0.5 bm/km. The relative elevation changes recorded during this time interval show maximum values between 7 and 12 cm with a signal wavelength of 40-70 km. The observed elevation changes stand significantly above the calculated total error of 1.13 mm sqrt(L) km. A sharp gradient has been observed east of the earthquake epicenter, where we observe peculiar elevation changes along a 40 km long section of the leveling line. The observed elevation changes in Fucino earthquake area seem to comprise both regional tectonic deformation and post-seismic relaxation. The former and the latter effects are expected to dominate along sections of the leveling lines which are respectively about perpendicular and parallel to the Apennines. Since we compare measurements performed in 1950 and 1997-2000, relaxation effects refer to a late stage of the process. We have used Pollitz (1997) code for computing gravitational-viscoelastic postseismic relaxation on a layered spherical Earth. Different Earth models, characterized by different thicknesses and viscosities of crustal layers and of the upper mantle, have been considered. Even if S/N ratio of expected post-seismic effects is not high, comparison between predictions and observations allows to constrain regional crustal structure. Best-fit seismic moment is in good agreement with Amoruso et al. (1998) and residuals are fully consistent with expected regional tectonic deformation in central Apennines

The 2009 L'Aquila Earthquake: Postseismic Deformation with High Temporal Resolution Using the new GPS "Carrier Range" Data Type

The availability of continuous GPS measurements during or soon after significant (Mw > 6) seismic events is important to record the coseismic displacements, the initial postseismic evolution and to evaluate their relative contribution to the overall crustal deformation and total moment release (both seismic and aseismic). Here we present the result of the analysis of continuously operating GPS permanent stations already active or rapidly deployed after the Mw 6.3 2009 April 6th L'Aquila earthquake. In contrast to the observations made for previous earthquakes in Italy, our observations capture the 2009 mainshock allowing an improved temporal resolution on the early postseismic deformation. In order to better define initial postseismic displacements and investigate sub-daily station motions we calculate epoch-by-epoch (0.1 - 30 sec) position time series with the new "carrier range" data type based on the JPL GIPSY-OASIS package. This new approach is based on the calibration of carrier phase data of each station using estimates of one-way carrier phase biases from an ambiguity-fixed network of ~3,500 stations worldwide [see Blewitt, Bertiger and Weiss, 2009 Fall AGU Meeting]. Carrier range data (a precise pseudorange data type) were constructed for GPS stations in the epicentral area, and were processed without carrier phase bias estimation. Time-dependent postseismic displacements were then modeled with a logarithmic time-dependent function. Since postseismic deformation begins immediately after the mainshock and is large within the first day following the mainshock, the actual estimate of amount of coseismic deformation depends upon the temporal character of the deformation and the availability of high-rate GPS time series immediately after the mainshock. The results of our analysis are then used to characterize the characteristics of the initial postseismic evolution after the 2009 mainshock and to investigate the time-dependent distribution of afterslip on the fault

Active crustal extension and strain accumulation from GPS data in the Molise region (central-southern Apennines, Italy)

In this paper, we report new GPS measurements which indicate active NE-SW extension and strain accumulation in the Molise region (Apennines, Italy). The GPS observations were collected during campaigns on benchmarks of the dense IGM95 network (average distance 20 km), spanning a maximum observation interval of 13 years, and have been integrated with measurements from the available permanent GPS sites. Considering the differential motion of the GPS sites, located on the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts, we can evaluate a 4-5 mm/yr extension accommodated across this part of the Apennines. The velocity field exhibits clusters of sites with homogeneous velocity vectors, outlining two main divergence areas, both characterized by the largest velocity gradients: one near Venafro and the other near Isernia where two primary active faults and several historical earthquakes have been documented. These results suggest that an active extension in this part of the Apennines can be currently distributed between the two faults systems associated with the largest earthquakes of this region

Short-term vertical velocity field in the Appennines (Italy) revealed by geodetic levelling data

We estimate current vertical movements along the Apennines (Italy) through repeatedly measured high precision levelling routes. In order to highlight regional crustal deformation the analysis of a geodetic database, with a minimum benchmark density of 0.7 bm/km (1943–2003 time period), is carried out. We evaluate systematic and random error and their propagation along the levelling routes. Tests on original raw height data have been carried out to define error propagation. The computed relative vertical rates stand significantly above error propagation. A series of traverses along and across the Apennines and a map of relative vertical velocities reveal a geodetic signal characterised by values up to 2.5–3.0 mm/a and by wavelengths up to 100 km. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Il Sistema Informativo Territoriale della Rete Integrata Nazionale GPS (RING)

Since 2004, an important technological infrastructure has been created in Italy by INGV in order to investigate active tectonics targets. A Continuous GPS network constituted by about 130 stations has been deployed all over Italy. The development and the realization of a stable GPS monumentation, the integration with other classical seismological instruments and the choice of both satellite and internet data transmission make this network one of the most innovative and reliable CGPS networks in the world. The development of the CGPS network has been accompanied by a technologically advanced development of all the aspects related to the data acquisition and the data information mining: a database and a SIT. Based on the recent techniques of Knowledge Management, the database has been developed to manage the data and the data information of all the sites of the RING network, thus allowing us to centralize information in a single common data bank and to create an unique service of access point to the data from different remote sites by internet connections. The SIT has been developed to be fully integrated with the Knowledge Management technology and it is aimed to synthesize and to display in a geographic interface the information of the RING sites. This work has been integrated with all other spatial data, such as topographic and geo-thematic maps, geological, seismological and seismo-tectonic databases. In this work, the technological aspects of the SIT of the RING network will be detailed and some examples of thematic maps will be shown

GPS observations of coseismic deformation following the May 20 and 29, 2012, Emilia seismic events (northern Italy): data, analysis and preliminary models

In May-July 2012, a seismic sequence struck a broad area of the Po Plain Region in northern Italy. The sequence in- cluded two ML >5.5 mainshocks. The first one (ML 5.9) oc- curred near the city of Finale Emilia (ca. 30 km west of Ferrara) on May 20 at 02:03:53 (UTC), and the second (ML 5.8) occurred on May 29 at 7:00:03 (UTC), about 12 km south- west of the May 20 mainshock (Figure 1), near the city of Mirandola. The seismic sequence involved an area that ex- tended in an E-W direction for more than 50 km, and in- cluded seven ML ≥5.0 events and more than 2,300 ML >1.5 events (http://iside.rm.ingv.it). The focal mechanisms of the main events [Pondrelli et al. 2012, Scognamiglio et al. 2012, this volume] consistently showed compressional kinematics with E-W oriented reverse nodal planes. This sector of the Po Plain is known as a region charac- terized by slow deformation rates due to the northwards mo- tion of the northern Apennines fold-and-thrust belt, which is buried beneath the sedimentary cover of the Po Plain [Pi- cotti and Pazzaglia 2008, Toscani et al. 2009]. Early global po- sitioning system (GPS) measurements [Serpelloni et al. 2006] and the most recent updates [Devoti et al. 2011, Bennett et al. 2012] recognized that less than 2 mm/yr of SW-NE short- ening are accommodated across this sector of the Po Plain, in agreement with other present-day stress indicators [Mon- tone et al. 2012] and known active faults [Basili et al. 2008]. In the present study, we describe the GPS data used to study the coseismic deformation related to the May 20 and 29 mainshocks, and provide preliminary models of the two seismic sources, as inverted from consensus GPS coseismic deformation fields

The RING network: improvements to a GPS velocity field in the central Mediterranean

Since 2004, a continuous Global Positioning System (GPS) network has been operated by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) to investigate active tectonic processes in Italy and the surrounding regions, which are still largely debated. This important infrastructure is known as Rete Integrata Nazionale GPS (RING) network, and it consists of about 130 stations that are deployed all over Italy. The development and realization of a stable GPS monumentation, its integration with seismological instruments, and the choice of both satellite and internet data transmission, make this network one of the most innovative and reliable CGPS networks in the world. The technologically advanced development of the RING network has been accompanied by the development of different data processing strategies, which are mainly dependent on the use of different GPS analysis software. The different software-related solutions are here compared at different scales for this large network, and the consistency is evaluated and quantified within an RMS value of 0.3 mm/yr

The RING GPS network: a research geodetic infrastructure to study plate boundary deformation in the Central Mediterranean

We present the INGV (Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology) geodetic research infrastructure and related facilities, dedicated to the observation and monitoring of current deformation of the plate boundary between Africa and Eurasia. The recent increase of continuous GPS (CGPS) stations in the Central Mediterranean plate boundary zone offers the opportunity to study in detail the present-day kinematics of this actively deforming region. For answering all the open questions related to this complex area, INGV deployed a permanent, integrated and real-time monitoring CGPS network (RING) all over Italy. The RING network (http:/ring.gm.ingv.it) is now constituted by more than 150 stations. All stations have high quality GPS monuments and most of them are co-located with broadband or very broadband seismometers and strong motion sensors. The RING CGPS sites acquire at 1Hz and 30s sampling rates (some of them acquire at 10 Hz) and are connected in real-time to the INGV acquisition centers located in Roma and Grottaminarda. Real-time GPS data are transmitted using different systems, such as satellite systems, Internet, GPRS/UMTS and wireless networks. The differentiation of data transmission type and the integration with seismic instruments makes this network one of the most innovative CGPS networks in Europe. Furthermore, the INGV data acquisition centers acquire, archive and analyze most of the Italian CGPS stations managed by regional or national data providers (such as local Authorities and nation-wide industries), integrating more than 350 stations of the CGPS scientific and commercial networks existing in the Italian region. To manage data acquisition, storage, distribution and access we developed dedicated facilities including new softwares for data acquisition and a web-based collaborative environment for management of data and metadata. The GPS analysis is carried out with the three main geodetic-quality softwares used in the GPS scientific community: Bernese GAMIT an GIPSY-OASIS. The resulting daily solutions are aligned to the ITRF2005 reference frame. Stable plate reference frames are realized by minimizing the horizontal velocities at sites on the Eurasia and Nubia plates, respectively. The different software-related solutions consistency RMS is within 0.3 mm/yr (Avallone et al., 2010). The solutions are then evaluated with regard to the numerous scientific motivations behind this presentation, ranging from the definition of strain distribution and microplate kinematics within the plate boundary, to the evaluation of tectonic strain accumulation on active faults. The RING network is strongly contributing to the definition of GPS velocity field in the Italian region, and now is able to furnish a newly and up to date view of this actively deforming part of the Nubia-Eurasia plate boundary. INGV is now aiming to make the RING (and integrated CGPS networks) data and related products publicly available for the scientific community. We believe that our network represents an important reality in the framework of the EPOS infrastructure and we strongly support the idea of an European research approach to data sharing among the scientific community. We will present (a) the current CGPS site distribution, (b) the technological description of the data acquisition, storage and distribution at INGV centers, (c) the results of CGPS data analysis, and (d) the planned data access for the scientific community