Near-Real-Time Strong Motion Acquisition at National Scale and Automatic Analysis

A strong motion monitoring network records data that provide an excellent way to study how source, path, and site effects influence the ground motion, specifically in the near-source area. Such data are essential for updating seismic hazard maps and consequently building codes and earthquake-resistant design. This paper aims to present the Italian Strong Motion Network (RAN), describing its current status, employment, and further developments. It has 648 stations and is the result of a fruitful co-operation between the Italian government, regions, and local authorities. In fact, the network can be divided into three sub-networks: the Friuli Venezia Giulia Accelerometric Network, the Irpinia Seismic Network, and all the other stations. The Antelope software automatically collects, processes, and archives data in the data acquisition centre in Rome (Italy). The efficiency of the network on a daily basis is today more than 97%. The automatic and fast procedures that run in Antelope for the real-time strong motion data analysis are continuously improved at the University of Trieste: a large set of strong motion parameters and correspondent Ground Motion Prediction Equations allow ground shaking intensity maps to be provided for moderate to strong earthquakes occurring within the Italian territory. These maps and strong motion parameters are included in automatic reports generated for civil protection purposes

Appraisal of the self-organization and evolutionary dynamics of seismicity based on (non-extensive) statistical physics and complexity science methods

Θεμελιώδης πρόκληση σε πολλά επιστημονικά πεδία αποτελεί ο καθορισμός κανονικοτήτων και νόμων ανωτέρας κλίμακας σε σχέση με την υπάρχουσα γνώση για φαινόμενα κατωτέρας κλίμακας. Είναι πλέον αποδεκτό ότι o ενεργός τεκτονικός ιστός αποτελεί ένα κρίσιμο πολύπλοκο σύστημα, αν και δεν έχει ακόμη οριστικοποιηθεί αν είναι στατικό, δυναμικό/εξελικτικό, ή ένας χρονικά εξαρτημένος συνδυασμός αμφοτέρων. Σε κάθε περίπτωση, τα κρίσιμα συστήματα χαρακτηρίζονται από μορφοκλασματική ή πολυ-μορφοκλασματική κατανομή των στοιχείων τους, ισχυρές αλληλεπιδράσεις μεταξύ των κοντινών και μακρινών γειτόνων και διακοπτόμενη (ασυνεχή) έκφρασή τους. Οι ιδιότητες αυτές μπορούν να μελετηθούν με όρους Μη Εκτατικής Στατιστικής Φυσικής (ΜΕΣΦ). Πέραν του ρυθμού έκλυσης ενέργειας που εκφράζεται μέσω του μεγέθους (Μ), μέτρο των πιθανών συσχετίσεων αποτελεί ο παρέλθων χρόνος (Δt) και η υποκεντρική απόσταση (Δd) μεταξύ αλλεπάλληλων σεισμών πάνω από ένα κατώφλι μεγέθους σε μια περιοχή. Πρόσφατες έρευνες έδειξαν ότι, εάν οι κατανομές μεγέθους (Μ), χρονικής (Δt) και χωρικής (Δd) εξάρτησης μεταξύ διαδοχικών σεισμών θεωρηθούν ανεξάρτητες έτσι ώστε η από κοινού πιθανότητα p(M, Δt, Δd) να παραγοντοποιείται σε p(MUΔtUΔd) = p(M) p(Δt) p(Δd), τότε η συχνότητα εμφάνισης ενός σεισμού εξαρτάται πολλαπλώς όχι μόνο από το μέγεθος όπως πρόβλεπει ο νόμος Gutenberg – Richter αλλά και από τη χρονική και χωρική εξάρτηση διαδοχικών σεισμών. Αυτό, με τη σειρά του, σημαίνει ότι η αυτο-οργάνωση της σεισμικότητας θα πρέπει να εκδηλώνεται μέσω μιας συγκεκριμένης στατιστικής συμπεριφοράς της χρονικής και χωρικής εξάρτησης της (κατανομές νόμων δύναμης). Στην παρούσα διατριβή θα επιχειρηθεί η περιγραφή της σεισμικότητας με όρους ΜΕΣΦ, σε σεισμογενετικά συστήματα κατά μήκος του ορίου πλακών του ΒΑ-Β Ειρηνικού και της Βορείου Αμερικής, καθώς και στο σεισμογενετικό σύστημα του ελλαδικού χώρου-Δυτικής Τουρκίας. Η ανάλυση πραγματοποιείται σε πλήρης και ομαδοποιημένους καταλόγους σεισμών, όπου οι μετασεισμοί έχουν αφαιρεθεί με τη στοχαστική μέθοδο απομαδοποίησης του Zhuang et al., (2002). Η στατιστική συμπεριφορά της σεισμικότητας υποδεικνύει ότι η επιφανειακή σεισμικότητα των συστημάτων που μελετώνται είναι υποεκτατική, χαρακτηρίζεται από μακράς εμβέλειας συσχετίσεις και για το λόγο αυτό είναι αυτο-οργανωμένη και πιθανόν κρίσιμη. Ο βαθμός της υπο-εκτακτικότητας δεν είναι ομοιόμορφος, ούτε σταθερός, αλλά διαφέρει δυναμικά από σύστημα σε σύστημα, ενίοτε διαφέρει στη χρονική εξέλιξη και μπορεί να παρουσιάζει κυκλικότητα. Το μόνο σύστημα βαθειάς δομής (σεισμικότητα σε μεγάλα εστιακά βάθη) που εξετάζεται εδώ - η Αλεούτια ζώνη υποβύθισης- φαίνεται να παρουσιάζει στατιστική που περιγράφεται με όρους κατανομής Poisson (απουσία συσχέτισης). Τα αποτελέσματα που προκύπτουν υποδεικνύουν ότι η ΜΕΣΦ αποτελεί ένα εξαιρετικό εργαλείο για την φυσική περιγραφή της σεισμικότητας σε διάφορα σεισμογενετικά περιβάλλοντα. Ο μη εκτατικός φορμαλισμός θεωρείται το κατάλληλο μεθοδολογικό εργαλείο για να περιγράψει φυσικά συστήματα που δε βρίσκονται σε ισορροπία και έχουν μεγάλη μεταβλητότητα και πολυκλασματική δομή όπως η σεισμικότητα.A fundamental challenge in many scientific fields is to define norms and laws of higher-order in relation to the existing knowledge about phenomena of lower-order. It has been long suggested that the active tectonic grain comprises a self-organized complex system, therefore its expression (seismicity) should be manifested in the temporal and spatial statistics of energy release rates, and exhibit memory due to long-range interactions in a fractal-like space-time. Such attributes can be properly understood in terms of Non-Extensive Statistical Physics (NESP) In addition to energy release rates expressed by the magnitude M, measures of the temporal and spatial interactions are the time (Δt) and hypocentral distance (Δd) between consecutive events. Recent work indicated that if the distributions of M, Δt and Δd are independent so that the joint probability p(M, Δt, Δd) factorizes into the probabilities of M, Δt and Δd, i.e. p(MUΔtUΔd) = p(M) p(Δt) p(Δd), then the frequency of earthquake occurrence is multiply related, not only to magnitude as the celebrated Gutenberg – Richter law predicts, but also to interevent time and distance by means of well-defined power-laws consistent with NESP. The present work applies these concepts to investigate the dynamics of seismogenetic systems along the NE – N boundary of the Pacific and North American plates and the seismogenic zones of Greece – Western Turkey. The analysis is conducted to full and declustered (reduced) catalogues where the aftreshocks are removed by the stochasting declustering method of Zhuang et al., 2002.The statistical behaviour of seismicity suggests that crustal seismogenetic systems along the Pacific–North American plate boundaries in California, the seismogenic zones of Greece – Western Turkey, Alaska and the Aleutian Arc are invariably sub-extensive; they exhibit prominent operative long-range interaction and long-term memory, therefore they are self-organized and possibly critical. The degree of sub-extensivity is neither uniform, nor stationary but varies dynamically between systems and may also vary with time, or in cycles. The only sub-crustal system studied herein (Aleutian Subduction) appears to be Poissonian. The results are consistent with simulations of small-world fault networks in which free boundary conditions at the edges, (i.e. at the surface) allow for self-organization and criticality to develop, and fixed boundary conditions within, (i.e. at depth), do not. The results indicate that NESP is an excellent natural descriptor of earthquake statistics and appears to apply to the seismicity observed in different seismogenetic environments. The NESP formalism, although far from having answered questions and debates on the statistical physics of earthquakes, appears to be an effective and insightful tool in the investigation of seismicity and its associated complexity

50 Years Geophysical Institute Karlsruhe, 1964 to 2014 - Expectations and Surprises

Die Festschrift anlässlich des 50. Geburtstags des Geophysikalischen Instituts in 2014 wurde hauptsächlich von Herrn Dr. Claus Prodehl zusammengestellt. Die einzelnen Beiträge stammen von ehemaligen und aktuellen GPI-Mitarbeitern und Mitarbeiterinnen

Geological and Mineralogical Sequestration of CO2

The rapid increasing of concentrations of anthropologically generated greenhouse gases (primarily CO2) in the atmosphere is responsible for global warming and ocean acidification. The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that carbon capture and storage (CCS) techniques are a necessary measure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the short-to-medium term. One of the technological solutions is the long-term storage of CO2 in appropriate geological formations, such as deep saline formations and depleted oil and gas reservoirs. Promising alternative options that guarantee the permanent capture of CO2, although on a smaller scale, are the in-situ and ex-situ fixation of CO2 in the form of inorganic carbonates via the carbonation of mafic and ultramafic rocks and of Mg/Ca-rich fly ash, iron and steel slags, cement waste, and mine tailings. According to this general framework, this Special Issue collects articles covering various aspects of recent scientific advances in the geological and mineralogical sequestration of CO2. In particular, it includes the assessment of the storage potential of candidate injection sites in Croatia, Greece, and Norway; numerical modelling of geochemical–mineralogical reactions and CO2 flow; studies of natural analogues providing information on the processes and the physical–chemical conditions characterizing serpentinite carbonation; and experimental investigations to better understand the effectiveness and mechanisms of geological and mineralogical CO2 sequestration

Progress in Landslide Research and Technology, Volume 1 Issue 1, 2022

This open access book provides an overview of the progress in landslide research and technology and is part of a book series of the International Consortium on Landslides (ICL). The book provides a common platform for the publication of recent progress in landslide research and technology for practical applications and the benefit for the society contributing to the Kyoto Landslide Commitment 2020, which is expected to continue up to 2030 and even beyond to globally promote the understanding and reduction of landslide disaster risk, as well as to address the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals

Model Validation and Simulation

The Bauhaus Summer School series provides an international forum for an exchange of methods and skills related to the interaction between different disciplines of modern engineering science. The 2012 civil engineering course was held in August over two weeks at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. The overall aim was the exchange of research and modern scientific approaches in the field of model validation and simulation between well-known experts acting as lecturers and active students. Besides these educational intentions the social and cultural component of the meeting has been in the focus. 48 graduate and doctoral students from 20 different countries and 22 lecturers from 12 countries attended this summer school. Among other aspects, this activity can be considered successful as it raised the sensitivity towards both the significance of research in civil engineering and the role of intercultural exchange. This volume summarizes and publishes some of the results: abstracts of key note papers presented by the experts and selected student research works. The overview reflects the quality of this summer school. Furthermore the individual contributions confirm that for active students this event has been a research forum and a special opportunity to learn from the experiences of the researchers in terms of methodology and strategies for research implementation in their current work

European Atlas of Natural Radiation

Natural ionizing radiation is considered as the largest contributor to the collective effective dose received by the world population. The human population is continuously exposed to ionizing radiation from several natural sources that can be classified into two broad categories: high-energy cosmic rays incident on the Earth’s atmosphere and releasing secondary radiation (cosmic contribution); and radioactive nuclides generated during the formation of the Earth and still present in the Earth’s crust (terrestrial contribution). Terrestrial radioactivity is mostly produced by the uranium and thorium radioactive families together with potassium. In most circumstances, radon, a noble gas produced in the radioactive decay of uranium, is the most important contributor to the total dose. This Atlas aims to present the current state of knowledge of natural radioactivity, by giving general background information, and describing its various sources. This reference material is complemented by a collection of maps of Europe displaying the levels of natural radioactivity caused by different sources. It is a compilation of contributions and reviews received from more than 80 experts in their field: they come from universities, research centres, national and European authorities and international organizations. This Atlas provides reference material and makes harmonized datasets available to the scientific community and national competent authorities. In parallel, this Atlas may serve as a tool for the public to: • familiarize itself with natural radioactivity; • be informed about the levels of natural radioactivity caused by different sources; • have a more balanced view of the annual dose received by the world population, to which natural radioactivity is the largest contributor; • and make direct comparisons between doses from natural sources of ionizing radiation and those from man-made (artificial) ones, hence to better understand the latter.JRC.G.10-Knowledge for Nuclear Security and Safet