168 research outputs found
Catalogues of historical earthquakes in Italy
A complete survey of historical earthquake investigation in Italy cannot be compressed into a few pages, since it would entail making a summary of widely different phases of research (performed by past scholars and by contemporary scientists and historians) and taking into account the widely different historical contexts, methodological assumptions and critical awareness of each of them. This short note only purposes to chart the main stages of the progress made by Italian historical seismology, from the late 17th century compilation by Bonito(1691) up to the latest parametric catalogue (Working Group CPTI, 1999)
Percorsi formativi per la riduzione del rischio: il progetto EDURISK
L'obiettivo di un progetto di educazione ambientale è modificare i comportamenti individuali e
collettivi; tale obiettivo è ambizioso, ma non può essere eluso quando si affronta il tema dei rischi
naturali e dei loro potenziali effetti distruttivi. La stessa distinzione epistemologica, ben chiara nella
lingua inglese, fra hazard e risk, piĂą incerta nella lingua italiana fra pericolo (o pericolositĂ ) e
rischio, include la consapevolezza che il rischio è determinato dall'azione umana. Educare al rischio
significa promuovere la coscienza del rischio quale elemento della vita quotidiana: la conoscenza
della vulnerabilità dell'ambiente fisico e costruito, acquisita facendone esperienza, è la chiave per
promuovere comportamenti individuali e sociali positivi e ridurre il rischio
A che santo votarsi. L’influsso dei grandi terremoti del 1703 sulla cultura popolare
La paura e il suo contraltare, la ricerca di rassicurazione e protezione, sono all’origine
delle piĂą svariate manifestazioni umane: riti, feste, interdetti, comportamenti pubblici e
privati, molto insomma di quanto si riassume nell’espressione generica “le mentalità ”1.
Questo saggio è un primo abbozzo di storia delle risposte a una paura specifica: quella
suscitata dai grandi terremoti del 1703, la maggior catastrofe sismica che abbia colpito
l’Italia centrale in età moderna. Il suo scopo è cercare di capire se le risposte alla paura
del 1703 siano rientrate nella norma di un contesto di modelli di comportamento
consolidati nel tempo o se vi abbiano introdotto degli elementi di novitĂ : come e quanto,
insomma, i terremoti del 1703 abbiano influito sulla cultura popolare.
Usiamo l’espressione “cultura popolare” in senso antropologico, intendendo per
“cultura” l’insieme dei valori e modalitĂ di giudizio, percezione ed espressione che dĂ
forma e colore a un dato ambito sociale e dando all’aggettivo “popolare” l’accezione di
“comune a una vasta maggioranza”.
Siamo a un crocevia tra più discipline: il tema è dell’antropologia storica, i metodi
sono storici e a far da sottofondo c’è una lunga consuetudine di lavoro nel campo della
sismologia storica2, senza la quale questo saggio non sarebbe mai stato neanche pensato.
Il soggetto è vasto, elevato il rischio di ripetere cose note ai lettori o magari ricordate in
altri saggi presenti in questo volume: confidiamo nell’indulgenza dei lettori per un testo
che in fondo vuole essere solo la messa a punto di una serie di problemi e spunti di
ricerca, ciascuno meritevole di trattazione piĂą estesa e approfondita di quanto non sia
possibile entro i limiti di questo saggio e che proponiamo ai colleghi ricercatori come
degno soggetto di un’indagine storica in larga misura ancora da fare
Changes and challenges following the 1997 Colfiorito earthquake: the evolution of the use of the Internet for large seismic events
The September 26, 1997 Central Italy earthquake represents the first Italian large seismic event on the occasion of which Internet was intensively exploited to exchange and disseminate data, information and news. The paper illustrates how national and international seismological institutions disseminate information about earthquakes ten years ago. A web evolution is sketched, and some features that can be of interest today in the seismological community are presented
Macroseismology: the lessons learnt from the 1997/98 Colfiorito seismic sequence
The seismic sequence of the Umbria-Marche Apennines was a dramatic moment for the
population involved; at the same time, it provided a unique occasion for the Italian scientific
community and for the national civil protection to assess their respective abilities in
understanding and managing the event.
Furthermore, macroseismology (including historical seismology) has knowingly confronted
important methodological problems, such as the procedures for assigning macroseismic
intensity, the use of the macroseismic scale, the impossibility of distinguishing the effects of
earthquakes following closely in both space and time, within such a complex sequence.
Starting from the analysis of the problems that were faced after the 1997/98 Umbria-
Marche earthquakes, as during the following seismic crises over the last 10 years, we
propose some considerations on the lessons we have learnt from that seismic
sequence
Strong Earthquakes in North-Western Africa in the Second Half of the 17th Century, AD: A Critical Reappraisal of the Historical Evidence
The recent seismological literature recorded three strong earthquakes in Algeria, Libya and Tunisia between 1656 and 1694 AD. The historical evidence for these derives from European sources only (gazettes, journalistic pamphlets, missionary literature). Considering the kind of sources involved, their likely biases and the geographical distances that divided their places of production from the places
that they spoke about, it is possible that some of these accounts could be less than
reliable, and therefore have little use as materials from which to assess earthquake
parameters. To answer these doubts, we have retrieved, cross-checked and critically
analysed the original historical sources quoted in previous compilations and studies
A 17th Century Destructive Seismic Crisis in the Gargano Area: Its Implications on the Understanding of Local Seismicity
A significant and partly forgotten series of earthquakes located in the Gargano area (Southern Italy) between 1646 and 1688 AD is critically revised, in the light of newly discovered historical records derived from non local contemporary serial sources (early newspapers and diplomatic reports). The revision is conducted in the frame of a survey of the current state of knowledge on historical Gargano seismicity. Hypotheses on the seismotectonic effects of the evente and their influences on the evaluation of local seismic hazard are also proposed
Educational strategies to reduce risk: a choice of social responsibility
This work develops a critical reflection on the activities for information, training and education conducted by a group of researchers of the INGV in recent years.
In particular, our analysis, from an epistemological point of view, is between:
 science outreach, the link between science and the world;
 science teaching and its role of contact between science and school;
 risk education, imaged as a process able to develop a culture of risk in relation to the territory in which we live.
These issues are critically analyzed on the basis of experience gained since 1995.
The educational methodologies tested in "peacetime", out of seismic events, with the EDURISK Project are compared with those experienced during the emergency in Abruzzo.
Increasingly today, we refer to prevention as a primary strategy of defense against risk.
But very often the responsibility of making prevention falls on the others as government, institutions, local authorities and the citizen perceive themselves as powerless against the inevitability of natural events and refer to the rulers for the implementation of effective prevention policies.
As researchers, what are the most effective actions we can take to influence the risk reduction and motivate the choices of people?
The effectiveness of our interventions must be based on scientific information, on a specific training, or must be reached to develop values, actions, awareness?
Our interventions must be oriented and developed to inform, to train or to educate
The 1561 Earthquake(s) in Southern Italy: New Insights into a Complex Seismic Sequence
In the summer of 1561, a strong seismic sequence struck southern Italy, then the Spanish-ruled
Kingdom of Naples. Both the Italian seismological tradition and the latest catalogues locate it in
the Vallo di Diano (Diano Valley), a low-seismicity intermontane basin 100 km south-east of
Naples. We explore the hypothesis that current perception of the 1561 earthquake is distorted by
the nature of the historical dataset from which its parameters have been assessed, and which mostly
derive from a single—albeit very detailed—primary source. We present and discuss several previously
unconsidered original accounts. Our results cast doubts on the traditional interpretation of
the earthquake, which could have been either one Vallo di Diano mainshock or several strong
earthquakes within a time/space window compact enough for contemporary viewers to perceive
them as one. Unquestionably, there is much more to the 1561 earthquake(s) than previously
appeared. We hope that this groundbreaking effort will rekindle the interest of the seismological
community in this seismic episode, our knowledge of which is still far from complete
Tutti giù per terra (all fall down) – An active course to discover earthquakes topics
Teaching topics involving risk and safety, and earthquake, requires a full involvement. Otherwise,
it can be useless. A full involvement means an experience rewarding the person in his/her
integrity, starting from practice to go beyond it, understanding phaenomena not using science as a
form of rational believe, working on the different ingenuous idea that everyone has of the
earthquake, staying related to the social connections of the learning group. ConUnGioco
developed, starting from these objectives, "Tutti giĂą per terra", an active course for discover, for
the Italian INGV: the course, whose title is inspired to the last line ("All fall down", in italian,
"Tutti giĂą per terra") of the child singing game "Ring a ring'o roses" (in Italian: girotondo), is
based on an interactive and participative approach. Following the active course, partecipants can
experiment feeling and emotions related to the experience of an earthquake (through simulation
tools). Therefore, starting from the questions that the simulated experience raised in everyone, the
group will search its own answers, investigating theorical knowledges with scientific experiments
and games, staying in touch with explanations coming from legends, history and religion. The
course will end in the area of concrete actions and possible reactions to an earthquake, talking
about preventions and solutions, individually and as a community
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