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)

Strategies for seismic risk reduction: outreaching scientific knowledge or promoting awareness, to educate?

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? Before an event occurs, how can we influence the views and choices that people do or not do to reduce the risk? 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

“Knowledge and practice”. Educational activities for reduction of earthquake impact: the EDURISK project

The EDURISK project (Earthquake eDUcation: a journey for seismic RISK reduction) focuses on the development of educational tools and activities centred on earthquakes and the mitigation of seismic risk, for use in courses and campaigns for seismic risk reduction addressed to students of age 4-13 and to adults and on their hand-on experimentation in targeted areas. The project aims to improve the general awareness of seismic risk by disseminating reliable information tailored to the needs, interests and learning abilities of a large and varied public. An efficacious strategy for seismic risk mitigation addressed to the general public must involve all the aspects of human life that are under seismic risk. Earthquakes should be presented not only as physical and geological phenomena but also as social events interacting with people’s lives and belongings. The EDURISK project should be perceived as a joint venture between the world of scientific research and the world of basic schoolteaching, working together to build up awareness and knowledge useful to reduce the seismic risk

Il contrasto di voci e dicerie sui terremoti del 20 e 29 Maggio 2012 in Pianura Padana

L’occorrenza di un forte terremoto genera una sensibilizzazione sociale al tema del rischio, che si esprime anche in forma di richiesta di informazione e di conoscenza. Questo bisogno di informazione è particolarmente sentito in occasione di sequenze sismiche di lunga durata e con un certo livello di complessità. L’informazione, in tutti i sui aspetti, influisce in modo rilevante sulla capacità delle singole persone e delle comunità coinvolte nell’affrontare la situazione di emergenza. Per questa ragione, così come avvenuto in occasione della sequenza sismica aquilana nel 2009, a seguito degli eventi di maggio 2012 in Pianura Padana è stata realizzata una lunga e complessa iniziativa formativa e informativa, che in varie fasi, fra il maggio e settembre 2012, ha coinvolto la popolazione. L’iniziativa, che ha assunto una valenza prevalentemente di sostegno psicosociale, si è rivelata particolarmente importante sia per la complessità della sequenza in atto che ha messo in allarme una vasta area, densamente abitata, sia per la circolazione ‘virale’ di leggende metropolitane, dicerie, rumors e false notizie che hanno messo a dura prova la capacità, delle persone coinvolte, di affrontare in modo adeguato l’emergenza e hanno ostacolato una buona gestione delle problematiche organizzative e sociali. Nell'ambito di questa iniziativa, nel periodo giugno-settembre 2012 sono stati raccolti e catalogati oltre 240 rumors. Questo lavoro di raccolta e analisi delle voci è stato particolarmente importante proprio perché ha consentito di promuovere delle strategie di comunicazione efficaci per contrastarne la diffusione. Solo in questo modo è stato possibile realizzare un intervento in grado di supportare appieno sia le istituzioni locali e che gli individui coinvolti, per affrontare adeguatamente l'emergenza e la gestione dei problemi organizzativi e sociali

The 2015 version of the Italian Parametric Earthquake Catalogue (CPTI15)

The Italian Parametric Earthquake Catalogue (CPTI) represents the most extensive and reliable source of parameters for earthquakes in Italy and surrounding areas. Since its first introduction in 1999, CPTI benefits from the results of the 30-years-long Italian tradition in historical earthquake research that, still today, keeps on providing a wealth of studies and macroseismic data. Such data have been collected, homogenized and made available through several releases of the related macroseismic database (DBMI). In 2016, the fourth release of CPTI and DBMI, has been finalized. They provide the most advanced and updated sets of macroseismic and instrumental data and parameters, and cover the time-span 1000-2014 with earthquakes with maximum intensity I ≥ 5 or magnitude Mw ≥ 4.0. The catalogue lists 4574 events, 70% of which accompa- nied by intensity data points (about 125’000 as a whole). Macroseismic data derive from 185 studies, 54 of them are new with respect to the previous version CPTI11. Parameters related to historical earthquakes are completely re-assessed, and magnitudes from macroseismic data are derived with new intensity-to-Mw relationships. Such relationships are based on the same dataset that contributes updated instrumental magnitudes to the catalogue. Either Mw from moment tensor solutions or proxies calculated with new published conversion relationship are considered. If available, both macroseismic and instrumental parameters are provided, together with a set of “preferred ones”, which consist of a selection between the macroseismic and the instrumental epicentres, and the weighted average of the macroseismic and instrumental magnitudes.PublishedTrieste, Italy3T. Storia Sismica4T. Sismologia, geofisica e geologia per l'ingegneria sismica4IT. Banche dat

Data on Seismic Risk Perception in Italy

Risks perception involves complex cognitive processes of collecting, selecting and interpreting signals about events, activities or technologies that may have consequences on us, even if they are unpredictable, and their impact is uncertain. In the natural sciences ‘risk’ means the probability distribution of adverse effects, but the everyday use of ‘risk’ has different connotations (Renn, 2008), and the two terms, hazards and risk, are often used interchangeably by the public. Within the social sciences however the terminology of ‘risk perception’ has become the conventional standard (Slovic, 1987). A theory that offers an integrative, as well as empirically valid, approach in understanding and explaining risk perception is still missing. To understand the perception of risk is necessary to consider several areas: social, psychological, cultural frames, and their interactions. Among the various researches in the international context on the perception of natural hazards and risks, the approach using the method of semantic differential seems to be promising (Osgood, C.E., Suci, G., & Tannenbaum, P. 1957, The measurement of meaning. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press). We set up a test on seismic risk perception in Italy, based on the semantic differential. Opposite adjectives or terms are confronted on a Likert’s scale of seven points. The test consists in an informative part and six sections respectively dedicated to: hazard; vulnerability (home and workplace); exposed value (with reference to population and territory); seismic risk in general; risk information and their sources; comparison between seismic risk and other natural hazards. The test allows to obtain the perception scores for seismic hazard, exposed values, and vulnerability; then, these scores can be put in relation with the scientific knowledge, to check awareness and resiliency of the society. The first survey took place in Italy from January to June 2013, in the frame of the activities funded by the DPC-INGV S2 project (https://sites.google.com/site/ingvdpc2012progettos2/). Collected data will be discussed at regional scale. The improvement of our understanding on the perception of seismic risk would allow us in planning more effective information initiatives and in developing specific educational projects for risk mitigation

The 2016–2017 earthquake sequence in Central Italy: macroseismic survey and damage scenario through the EMS-98 intensity assessment

In this paper we describe the macroseismic effects produced by the long and destructive seismic sequence that hit Central Italy from 24 August 2016 to January 2017. Starting from the procedure adopted in the complex field survey, we discuss the characteristics of the building stock and its classification in terms of EMS-98 as well as the issues associated with the intensity assessment due to the evolution of damage caused by multiple shocks. As a result, macroseismic intensity for about 300 localities has been determined; however, most of the intensities assessed for the earthquakes following the first strong shock on 24 August 2016, represent the cumulative effect of damage during the sequence. The earthquake parameters computed from the macroseismic datasets are compared with the instrumental determinations in order to highlight critical issues related to the assessment of macroseismic parameters of strong earthquakes during a seismic sequence. The results also provide indications on how location and magnitude computation can be strongly biased when dealing with historical seismic sequences.Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri - Dipartimento della Protezione Civile (DPC)Published2407–24314T. Sismicità dell'Italia1SR TERREMOTI - Sorveglianza Sismica e Allerta Tsunami2SR TERREMOTI - Gestione delle emergenze sismiche e da maremoto5SR TERREMOTI - Convenzioni derivanti dall'Accordo Quadro decennale INGV-DPCJCR Journa

Planning and managing a seismic emergency: The INGV drill of November 26th, 2015 carried out in the framework of the activity line T5 "Seismic surveillance and post-earthquake operational procedures" | Pianificazione e gestione di un'emergenza sismica: Esercitazione INGV del 26 novembre 2015 effettuata nell'ambito della Linea di Attività T5 "Sorveglianza sismica e operatività post terremoto"

Nella Struttura Terremoti dell’INGV la Linea di Attività T5 “Sorveglianza sismica ed operatività postterremoto” si occupa delle attività di sviluppo di strumenti e procedure per la valutazione in tempo reale degli effetti di terremoti e tsunami e della gestione delle emergenze sismiche. Uno dei suoi obiettivi del 2015 era la formalizzazione dei protocolli di intervento di Gruppi d’Emergenza, avvenuta per Emergeo, Emersito, IES, QUEST e Sismiko con Decreto del Presidente nel luglio 2015. Altro obiettivo era l’elaborazione di un Protocollo di Ente per la gestione delle emergenze sismiche. La bozza preparata nel 2015 prevede l’importante novità dell’Unità di Crisi, mai formalizzata in precedenza. Attraverso questo Protocollo di Ente si auspica di migliorare la risposta logistico-operativa dell’INGV durante l’emergenza, di avere una più rapida conoscenza del fenomeno in corso e di realizzare un’efficace comunicazione verso Protezione Civile, media e pubblico. Per verificare il tutto è stata organizzata un’esercitazione in cui è stato simulato un terremoto di magnitudo 6.4 nel basso Lazio. Si sono così sperimentate l’efficacia del flusso azioni/informazioni durante un’emergenza, il funzionamento dell’Unità di Crisi, la funzionalità dei protocolli dei Gruppi d’Emergenza, l’efficienza delle attività in sede per gli aspetti tecnico-logistici, il flusso di comunicazione interno e le comunicazioni istituzionali esterne (queste ultime simulate). In questo articolo sono descritte le fasi di organizzazione ed attuazione dell’esercitazione. Inoltre, durante il suo svolgimento, la valutazione dell’efficacia dell’organizzazione e delle attività svolte dai gruppi coinvolti è stata affidata ad alcuni osservatori e qui è allegata l’elaborazione dei commenti riportati. Abbiamo fatto infine una sintesi dei risultati positivi e delle criticità emerse dall’esercitazione, attività così importante a nostro avviso da considerarne indispensabile la ripetizione con cadenza quanto meno annuale.Published1SR. TERREMOTI - Servizi e ricerca per la SocietàN/A or not JCRope