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Developing effective subsoil reference model for seismic microzonation studies: Central Italy case studies

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Abstract

A general methodological approach is here discussed to integrate geological and geophysical information in seismic microzonation studies. In particular, the methodology aims at maximizing the exploitation of low-cost data for an extensive preliminary assessment of ground motion amplification phenomena induced by the local seismo-stratigraphical configuration. Three main steps are delineated: (a) the combination of geological/geomorphological analyses to develop an Engineering-Geological Model of the study area; (b) targeted geophysical prospecting to provide an Engineering-Geological/Geophysical Model; (c) evaluating effectiveness of Engineering-Geological/Geophysical Model by estimating expected ground motion amplification phenomena by the use of suitable computational tools. The workflow is illustrated by a case-study based on a set of villages in the Umbro-Marchean Apennine (Central Italy) damaged during the Seismic sequence that occurred in Central Italy during 2016–2017.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Silvia Marchese, Valerio Ferrazza and Michele Amaddii for their help in performing geophysical and geological/geomorphological surveys in the investigated areas. Vincenzo.Amato and the other anonymous referee also provided encouraging comments and suggestions to improve the paper. The work has been developed in the frame of scientific activity of the Center for Seismic Microzonation and Applications (https://www.centromicrozonazionesismica.it/en/)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, Via Valperga Caluso 35, 10125, Turin, Italy

    Pierluigi Pieruccini

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, Della Terra e dell’Ambiente, Università degli Studi di Siena, Via Laterina 8, 53100, Siena, Italy

    Enrico Paolucci, Pier Lorenzo Fantozzi, Duccio Naldini & Dario Albarello

  3. Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria (IGAG), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Area della Ricerca di Roma 1, Montelibretti, Italy

    Dario Albarello

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  1. Pierluigi Pieruccini
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  2. Enrico Paolucci
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  4. Duccio Naldini
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Correspondence to Dario Albarello.

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Pieruccini, P., Paolucci, E., Fantozzi, P.L. et al. Developing effective subsoil reference model for seismic microzonation studies: Central Italy case studies. Nat Hazards 112, 451–474 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-021-05188-5

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