Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Earthquake early warning feasibility in the Campania region (southern Italy) and demonstration system for public school buildings

  • Original Research Paper
  • Published:
Bulletin of Earthquake Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We present the results of a feasibility study of an earthquake early warning system (EEWS) for the Campania region (southern Italy) using schools as specific targets. The study considered the seismogenic zones as sources of potential earthquakes for the area, the Italian accelerometric network as the recording network for seismic event occurrence, and the performances of the software platform PRESToPlus for data analysis and processing. We analyze the distribution of lead-times for all possible threatening seismic sources for each municipality in the region under study by extracting the lead-time value corresponding to the 5th, 10th and 25th percentiles of the distributions. We discuss the results for the 5th percentile in order to analyze the worst-case scenario: in the case of a single site, the lead-time is expected to be larger than this value in the 95 % of the cases. Since the population distribution in Campania is uneven and most of the people live nearby the coast, whilst the most destructive earthquakes occur along the Apennine chain, we can conclude that an efficient EEWS can allow most of the schools in the area to undertake some mitigating actions. The testing of the EEWS was carried out in the high school ITIS ‘E. Majorana’, located at Somma Vesuviana, about 80 km from the seismogenic Irpinia region. For this purpose, the Sentinel, an actuator made up of low-cost hardware (i.e., Arduino®), was developed in close cooperation with students and teachers of the school to receive alert messages from the PRESToPlus platform and warn the school users in case of a seismic event. The EEWS and the Sentinel were successfully tested during some blind drills performed during normal school activities.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Allen RM, Kanamori H (2003) The potential for earthquake early warning in Southern California. Science 3:685–848

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen RM, Brown H, Hellweg M, Khainovski O, Lombard P, Neuhauser D (2009) Real-time earthquake detection and hazard assessment by ElarmS across California. Geophys Res Lett 36:L00B08. doi:10.1029/2008GL036766

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ameri G, Emolo A, Pacor F, Gallovič F (2011) Ground-motion simulations for the M 6.9 Irpinia 1980 earthquake (southern Italy) and scenario events. Bull Seismol Soc Am 101:1136–1151. doi:10.1785/0120100231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barani S, Spallarossa D, Bazzurro P (2009) Disaggregation of probabilistic ground motion hazard in Italy. Bull Seismol Soc Am 99:2638–2661

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chiauzzi L, Masi A, Mucciarelli M, Vona M, Pacor F, Cultrera G, Gallovič F, Emolo A (2012) Building damage scenarios based on the exploitation of Housner intensity derived from finite faults ground motion simulations. Bull Earthq Eng 10:517–545

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Clinton J, Zollo A, Marmureanu A, Parolai S, Zulfikar C (2016) State-of-the art and future of earthquake early earning applications in Europe. Bull Earthquake Eng (Submitted)

  • Colombelli S, Amoroso O, Zollo A, Kanamori H (2012a) Test of a threshold-based earthquake early warning using Japanese data. Bull Seismol Soc Am 102:1266–1275. doi:10.1785/0120110149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colombelli S, Zollo A, Festa G, Kanamori H (2012b) Early magnitude and potential damage zone estimates for the great Mw 9 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. Geophys Res Lett 39:L22306. doi:10.1029/2012GL053923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colombelli S, Emolo A, Zollo A (2014a) A duration magnitude scale for the Irpinia Seismic Network, Southern Italy. Seismol Res Lett 85:98–107. doi:10.1785/0220130055

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colombelli S, Zollo A, Festa G, Picozzi M (2014b) Evidence for a difference in rupture initiation between small and large earthquakes. Nat Commun 5:3958. doi:10.1038/ncomms4958

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doi K (2011) The operation and performance of Earthquake Early Warnings by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Soil Dyn Earthq Eng 31:119–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Faccioli E, Cauzzi C (2006) Macroseismic intensities for seismic scenarios estimated from instrumentally based correlations. In: Proceedings of first European conference on earthquake engineering and seismology, paper number 569. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.3984.2641

  • Faenza L, Michelini A (2010) Regression analysis of MCS intensity and ground motion parameters in Italy and its application in ShakeMap. Geophys J Int 180:1138–1152. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.2009.04467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fleming K, Picozzi M, Milkereit C, Kuhnlenz F, Lichtblau B, Fischer J, Zulfikar C, Ozel O (2009) The self-organizing seismic early warning information network (SOSEWIN). Seismol Res Lett 80:755–771. doi:10.1785/gssrl.80.5.755

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goltz JD (2002) Introducing earthquake early warning in California: a summary of social science and public policy issues, technical report. Governor’s Off. of Emergency Serv, Pasadena

    Google Scholar 

  • Gorini A, Nicoletti M, Marsan P, Bianconi R, De Nardis R, Filippi L, Marcucci S, Palma F, Zambonelli E (2010) The Italian strong motion network. Bull Earth Eng 8:1075–1090. doi:10.1007/s10518-009-9141-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gruppo di lavoro MPS (2004) Redazione della mappa di pericolosità sismica prevista dall’Ordinanza PCM 3274 del 20 marzo 2003. Rapporto conclusivo per il dipartimento di Protezione Civile. INGV Milano–Roma, pp. 65 pp. + 5 appendici. http://zonesismiche.mi.ingv.it/elaborazioni/

  • Iannaccone G, Zollo A, Elia L, Convertito V, Satriano C, Martino C, Festa G, Lancieri M, Bobbio A, Stabile TA, Vassallo M, Emolo A (2010) A prototype system for earthquake early-warning and alert management in southern Italy. Bull Earth Eng 8:1105–1129. doi:10.1007/s10518-009-9131-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanamori H (2005) Real-time seismology and earthquake damage mitigation. Annu RevEarth Planet Sci 33:195–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lancieri M, Zollo A (2008) A Bayesian approach to the real time estimation of magnitude from the early P- and S-wave displacement peaks. J Geophys Res 113:B12302. doi:10.1029/2007JB005386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li H, Michelini A, Zhu L, Bernardi F, Spada M (2007) Crustal velocity structure in Italy from analysis of regional seismic waveforms. Bull Seismol Soc Am 97:2024–2039. doi:10.1785/0120070071

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lomax A, Satriano C, Vassallo M (2012) Automatic picker developments and optimization: filterPicker—a robust, broadband picker for real-time seismic monitoring and earthquake early-warning. Seismol Res Lett 83:531–540. doi:10.1785/gssrl.83.3.531

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mai PM, Beroza GC (2003) A hybrid method for calculating near-source, broadband seismograms: application to strong motion prediction. Phys Earth Planet Inter 137:183–199. doi:10.1016/S0031-9201(03)00014-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meletti C, Galadini F, Valensise G, Stucchi M, Basili R, Barba S (2008) A seismic source zone model for the seismic hazard assessment of the Italian territory. Tectonophysics 450:85–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Picozzi M, Milkereit C, Parolai S, Jaeckel K-H, Veit I, Fischer J, Zschau J (2010) GFZ wireless seismic array (GFZ-WISE), a wireless mesh network of seismic sensors: new perspectives for seismic noise array investigations and site monitoring. Sensors 10:3280–3304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Picozzi M, Emolo A, Martino C, Zollo A, Miranda A, Verderame G, Boxberger T, REAKT Working Group (2015a) Earthquake early warning system for schools: a feasibility study in Southern Italy. Seismol Res Lett 86:398–412. doi:10.1785/0220140194

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Picozzi M, Zollo A, Brondi P, Colombelli S, Elia L, Martino C (2015b) Exploring the feasibility of a nationwide earthquake early warning system in Italy. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 120:2446–2465. doi:10.1002/2014JB011669

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinsky V (2014) Modeling warning times for the Israel’s earthquake early warning system. J Seismol 19:121–139. doi:10.1007/s10950-014-9454-z

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Satriano C, Lomax A, Zollo A (2008) Real-time evolutionary earthquake location for seismic early warning. Bull Seimol Soc Am 98:1482–1494. doi:10.1785/0120050159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Satriano C, Elia L, Martino C, Lancieri M, Zollo A, Iannaccone G (2011) PRESTo, the earthquake early warning system for southern Italy: concepts, capabilities and future perspectives. Soil Dyn Earthq Eng 31:137–153. doi:10.1016/j.soildyn.2010.06.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zollo A, Amoroso O, Lancieri M, Wu YM, Kanamori H (2010) A threshold-based earthquake early warning using dense accelerometer networks. Geophys J Int 183:963–974

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Chief Editor A. Ansal, the Guest Editor C. Cauzzi, K. Fleming and an anonymous reviewer for their comments and suggestions that allowed us to significantly improve the manuscript content and form. The work was supported by the project REAKT, Strategies and Tools for Real Time Earthquake Risk Reduction, funded by the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme for Research (FP7) under the Grant Agreement 282862. The authors wish to thank the staff and students of the ITIS ‘E. Majorana’ for their effective collaboration during all phases of the project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Fisica E. Pancini, Università degli Studi Federico II di Napoli, Complesso Universitario di Monte S. Angelo, Edificio 6, Via Cintia, 80126, Naples, Italy

    Antonio Emolo, Matteo Picozzi, Gaetano Festa, Simona Colombelli, Alessandro Caruso, Aldo Zollo & Piero Brondi

  2. AMRA Scarl, Via Nuova Agnano 11, 80125, Naples, Italy

    Claudio Martino & Luca Elia

  3. ITIS E. Majorana, Via San Sossio 7, 80049, Somma Vesuviana, NA, Italy

    Nicola Miranda

Authors
  1. Antonio Emolo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Matteo Picozzi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gaetano Festa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Claudio Martino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Simona Colombelli
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Alessandro Caruso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Luca Elia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Aldo Zollo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  9. Piero Brondi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  10. Nicola Miranda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antonio Emolo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Emolo, A., Picozzi, M., Festa, G. et al. Earthquake early warning feasibility in the Campania region (southern Italy) and demonstration system for public school buildings. Bull Earthquake Eng 14, 2513–2529 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-016-9865-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10518-016-9865-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation