IMAGING THE ACTIVE STRESS FIELD OF THREE SEISMOGENIC AREAS ALONG THE APENNINES AS REVEALED BY CRUSTAL ANISOTROPY

During the last decades, the study of seismic anisotropy has provided useful information for the interpretation and evaluation of the stress field and active crustal deformation. Seismic anisotropy can yield valuable information on upper crustal structure, fracture field, and presence of fluid-saturated rocks crossed by shear waves. Several studies worldwide demonstrate that seismic anisotropy is related to stress-aligned, filled-fluid micro-cracks (EDA model). An automatic analysis code, “Anisomat+”, was developed, tested and improved to calculate the anisotropic parameters: fast polarization direction (φ) and delay time (∂t). Anisomat+ has been compared to other two automatic analysis codes (SPY and SHEBA) and tested on three zones of the Apennines (Val d’Agri, Tiber Valley and L’Aquila surroundings). The anisotropic parameters, resulting from the automatic computation, have been interpreted to determine the fracture field geometries; for each area, we defined the dominant fast direction and the intensity of the anisotropy, interpreting these results in the light of the geological and structural setting and of two anisotropic interpretative models, proposed in the literature. In the first one, proposed by Zinke and Zoback, the local stress field and cracks are aligned by tectonics phases and are not necessarily related to the presently active stress field. Therefore the anisotropic parameters variations are only space-dependent. In the second, EDA model, and its development in the APE model fluid-filled micro-cracks are aligned or ‘opened’ by the active stress field and the variation of the stress field might be related to the evolution of the pore pressure in time; therefore in this case the variation of the anisotropic parameters are both space- and time- dependent. We recognized that the average of fast directions, in the three selected areas, are oriented NW-SE, in agreement with the orientation of the active stress field, as suggested by the EDA model, but also, by the proposed by Zinke and Zoback model; in fact, NW-SE direction corresponds also to the strike of the main fault structures in the three study regions. The mean values of the magnitude of the normalized delay time range from 0.005 s/km to 0.007 s/km and to 0.009 s/km, respectively for the L'Aquila (AQU) area, the High Tiber Valley (ATF) and the Val d'Agri (VA), suggesting a 3-4% of crustal anisotropy. In each area are also examined the spatial and temporal distribution of anisotropic parameters, which lead to some innovative observations, listed below. 1) The higher values of normalized delay times have been observed in those zones where most of the seismic events occur. This aspect was further investigated, by evaluating the average seismic rate, in a time period, between years 2005 and 2010, longer than the lapse of time, analyzed in the anisotropic studies. This comparison has highlighted that the value of the normalised delay time is larger where the seismicity rate is higher. 2) In the Alto Tiberina Fault area the higher values of normalised delay time are not only related to the presence of a high seismicity rate but also to the presence of a tectonically doubled carbonate succession. Therefore, also the lithology, plays a important role in hosting and preserving the micro-fracture network responsible for the anisotropic field. 3) The observed temporal variations of anisotropic parameters, have been observed and related to the fluctuation of pore fluid pressure at depth possibly induced by different mechanisms in the different regions, for instance, changes in the water table level in Val D’Agri, occurrence of the April 6th Mw=6.1 earthquake in L’Aquila.Since these variations have been recognized, it is possible to affirm that the models that better fit the results, both in term of fast directions and of delay times, seems to be EDA and APE models

Seismic measurements to reveal short-term variations in the elastic properties of the Earth crust

Since the late the late ’60s-early ’70s era seismologists started developed theories that included variations of the elastic property of the Earth crust and the state of stress and its evolution crust prior to the occurrence of a large earthquake. Among the others the theory of the dilatancy (Scholz et al., 1973): when a rock is subject to stress, the rock grains are shifted generating micro-cracks, thus the rock itself increases its volume. Inside the fractured rock, fluid saturation and pore pressure play an important role in earthquake nucleation, by modulating the effective stress. Thus measuring the variations of wave speed and of anisotropic parameter in time can be highly informative on how the stress leading to a major fault failure builds up. In 80s and 90s such kind of research on earthquake precursor slowed down and the priority was given to seismic hazard and ground motions studies, which are very important since these are the basis for the building codes in many countries. Today we have dense and sophisticated seismic networks to measure wave-fields characteristics: we archive continuous waveform data recorded at three components broad-band seismometers, we almost routinely obtain high resolution earthquake locations. Therefore we are ready to start to systematically look at seismic-wave propagation properties to possibly reveal short-term variations in the elastic properties of the Earth crust. One seismological quantity which, since the ‘70s, is recognized to be diagnostic of the level of fracturation and/or of the pore pressure in the rock, hence of its state of stress, is the ratio between the compressional (P-wave) and the shear (S-wave) seismic velocities, the Vp/Vs (Nur, 1972; Kisslinger and Engdahl, 1973). Variations of this ratio have been recently observed and measured during the preparatory phase of a major earthquake (Lucente et al. 2010). In active fault areas and volcanoes, tectonic stress variation influences fracture field orientation and fluid migration processes, whose evolution with time can be monitored through the measurement of the anisotropic pa- rameters (Miller and Savage, 2001; Piccinini et al., 2006). Through the study of S waves anisotropy it is therefore potentially possible to measure the presence, migration and state of the fluid in the rock traveled by seismic waves, thus providing a valuable route to understanding the seismogenic phenomena and their precursors (Crampin & Gao, 2010). In terms of determination of Earth crust elastic properties, recent studies (Brenguier et al., 2008; Chen et al., 2010; Zaccarelli et al., 2011) have shown how it is possible to estimate the relative variations in the wave speed through the analysis of the crosscorrelation of ambient seismic noise. In this paper we analyze in detail two seismological methods dealing with shear wave splitting and seismic noise cross correlation: a short historical review, their theoretical bases, the problems, learnings, limitations and perspec- tives. Moreover we discuss the results of these methods already applied on the data recorded in the L’Aquila region, before and after the destructive earthquake of April 6th 2009, represent their self an interesting case study

The contribution of the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica 1 e Vulcanologia (INGV) to 2 “Adria LithosPHere investigAtion (ALPHA)” active seismic experiment

During the winter 2012, from 20 January to 4 February, the German oceanographic FS METEOR cruise (M86/3) took place in the central-southern Adriatic Sea in the frame of “Adria LithosPHere InvestigAtion” (ALPHA [Kopp et al., 2013]). The primary goal of the project was high-resolution tomographic imaging of the crust and lithospheric mantle underneath the southern Adriatic Sea, the Apulia eastern margin and the external zone of the Dinaric thrust-belt by collecting offshore-onshore seismic data along three multi-fold wide-aperture profiles. The definition of reliable velocity models of the Adriatic lithosphere was considered crucial for a better understanding of the structure, fragmentation, geodynamic evolution, and seismotectonics of the Adria-Apulia microplates. The ALPHA Project was coordinated by Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany (GEOMAR), former Leibniz Institute of Marine Sciences (German: Leibniz-Institut für Meereswissenschaften, IFM-GEOMAR) and conducted in close cooperation with different European institutions of Germany, Albania, Croatia, Italy and Montenegro. The Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica Vulcanologia (INGV) participated by deploying land stations along two transects in the Apulia and Gargano Promontory to extend westwards the seismic profiles. The primary goal was to record shallow-to-deep seismic phases travelling along the transition between the Adriatic basin and the Apulia foreland. In this paper we present the field work related to the two Italian onshore transects, the recorded data, and the processing flow developed to highlight crustal and mantle refractions and wide-angle reflections

A comprehensive suite of earthquake catalogues for the 2016-2017 Central Italy seismic sequence

The protracted nature of the 2016-2017 central Italy seismic sequence, with multiple damaging earthquakes spaced over months, presented serious challenges for the duty seismologists and emergency managers as they assimilated the growing sequence to advise the local population. Uncertainty concerning where and when it was safe to occupy vulnerable structures highlighted the need for timely delivery of scientifically based understanding of the evolving hazard and risk. Seismic hazard assessment during complex sequences depends critically on up-to-date earthquake catalogues—i.e., data on locations, magnitudes, and activity of earthquakes—to characterize the ongoing seismicity and fuel earthquake forecasting models. Here we document six earthquake catalogues of this sequence that were developed using a variety of methods. The catalogues possess different levels of resolution and completeness resulting from progressive enhancements in the data availability, detection sensitivity, and hypocentral location accuracy. The catalogues range from real-time to advanced machine-learning procedures and highlight both the promises as well as the challenges of implementing advanced workflows in an operational environment

"Il Fenomeno delle Dipendenze nella Provincia di Varese. Anno 2009."

Report on the state of legal and illegal substances use in the territory of Varese Province.Il Report analizza il fenomeno delle dipendenze nella provincia di Varese. La descrizione del fenomeno si sviluppa intorno all\u27analisi degli indicatori individuati dall\u27Osservatorio Europeo delle Dipendenze di Lisbona (OEDT): 1-uso di sostanze nella popolazione generale (questo indicatore va a rilevare i comportamenti nei confronti di alcol e sostanze psicoattive da parte della popolazione generale); 2-prevalenza d\u27uso problematico delle sostanze psicoattive; 3-domanda di trattamento degli utilizzatori di sostanze; 4-mortalit? degli utilizzatori di sostanze; 5-malattie infettive. Altri due importanti indicatori che si stanno sviluppando, e che vengono qui illustrati, sono l\u27analisi delle Schede di Dimissione Ospedaliera (SDO) e gli indicatori relativi alle conseguenza sociali dell\u27uso di droghe (criminalit? droga correlata). Inoltre sono state applicate diverse metodologie standard di stima sia per quantificare la quota parte sconosciuta di utilizzatori di sostanze che non afferiscono ai servizi, sia per identificarne alcune caratteristiche

Seismic emergency in Molise (2018). Preliminary report of the SISMIKO task force.

Il 16 agosto 2018 alle ore 18:19:04 UTC un terremoto di magnitudo ML 5.2 (Mw 5.1) è stato ben risentito in un’ampia area che comprende molte regioni del Centro Sud Italia. I sismologi in turno presso la sala di monitoraggio e sorveglianza sismica dell’Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) hanno localizzato l’evento in provincia di Campobasso, a 4 km a Sud-Est di Montecilfone e ad una profondità inizialmente calcolata di 9 km. Nella stessa area si era verificato due giorni prima, il 14 agosto alle ore 23.48 italiane un terremoto di Mw 4.6 anch’esso ben risentito (i dettagli dell’evento sono reperibili alla pagina [http://cnt.rm.ingv.it/event/20375681]). A seguito dell’evento di magnitudo Mw 5.1 e della sequenza ad esso associata, come in ogni emergenza di questo tipo, è stato attivato il Gruppo Operativo SISMIKO [Moretti et al., 2012; 2016; Pondrelli et al., 2016] per l’installazione di alcune stazioni sismiche temporanee ad integrazione di quelle permanenti della Rete Sismica Nazionale (RSN [Michelini et al., 2016]) presenti nella regione.Il 16 agosto 2018 alle ore 18:19:04 UTC un terremoto di magnitudo ML 5.2 (Mw 5.1) è stato ben risentito in un’ampia area che comprende molte regioni del Centro Sud Italia [http://cnt.rm.ingv.it/event/20375681]. I sismologi, in turno presso la sala di monitoraggio e sorveglianza sismica dell’Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV), hanno localizzato l’evento in provincia di Campobasso, a 4 km a Sud-Est di Montecilfone. Nella stessa area si era verificato due giorni prima, il 14 agosto alle ore 21.48 UTC un terremoto di Mw 4.6 [http://cnt.rm.ingv.it/event/20362671]. A seguito dell’evento di magnitudo Mw 5.1 e della sequenza ad esso associata, come avviene in questi casi, si è attivato il Gruppo Operativo SISMIKO [Moretti et al., 2012; 2016; Pondrelli et al., 2016] per l’installazione di stazioni sismiche temporanee ad integrazione di quelle permanenti della Rete Sismica Nazionale (RSN [Michelini et al., 2016; http://cnt.rm.ingv.it/instruments/network/IV]) presenti nella regione.Published1SR. TERREMOTI - Servizi e ricerca per la Societ

Seismological constraints for the dyke emplacement of the July-August 2001 lateral eruption at Mt. Etna volcano, Italy

In this paper we report seismological evidence regarding the emplacement of the dike that fed the July 18 - August 9, 2001 lateral eruption at Mt. Etna volcano. The shallow intrusion and the opening of the eruptive fracture system, which mostly occurred during July 12, and July 18, were accompanied by one of the most intense seismic swarms of the last 20 years. A total of 2694 earthquakes (1 £ Md £ 3.9) were recorded from the beginning of the swarm (July 12) to the end of the eruption (August 9). Seismicity shows the upward migration of the dike from the basement to the relatively thin volcanic pile. A clear hypocentral migration was observed, well constraining the upwards propagation of a near-vertical dike, oriented roughly N-S, and located a few kilometers south of the summit region. Earthquake distribution and orientation of the P-axes from focal mechanisms indicate that the swarm was caused by the local stress source related to the dike intrusion

Colorectal Cancer Stage at Diagnosis Before vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

IMPORTANCE Delays in screening programs and the reluctance of patients to seek medical attention because of the outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 could be associated with the risk of more advanced colorectal cancers at diagnosis. OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic was associated with more advanced oncologic stage and change in clinical presentation for patients with colorectal cancer. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This retrospective, multicenter cohort study included all 17 938 adult patients who underwent surgery for colorectal cancer from March 1, 2020, to December 31, 2021 (pandemic period), and from January 1, 2018, to February 29, 2020 (prepandemic period), in 81 participating centers in Italy, including tertiary centers and community hospitals. Follow-up was 30 days from surgery. EXPOSURES Any type of surgical procedure for colorectal cancer, including explorative surgery, palliative procedures, and atypical or segmental resections. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome was advanced stage of colorectal cancer at diagnosis. Secondary outcomes were distant metastasis, T4 stage, aggressive biology (defined as cancer with at least 1 of the following characteristics: signet ring cells, mucinous tumor, budding, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, and lymphangitis), stenotic lesion, emergency surgery, and palliative surgery. The independent association between the pandemic period and the outcomes was assessed using multivariate random-effects logistic regression, with hospital as the cluster variable. RESULTS A total of 17 938 patients (10 007 men [55.8%]; mean [SD] age, 70.6 [12.2] years) underwent surgery for colorectal cancer: 7796 (43.5%) during the pandemic period and 10 142 (56.5%) during the prepandemic period. Logistic regression indicated that the pandemic period was significantly associated with an increased rate of advanced-stage colorectal cancer (odds ratio [OR], 1.07; 95%CI, 1.01-1.13; P = .03), aggressive biology (OR, 1.32; 95%CI, 1.15-1.53; P < .001), and stenotic lesions (OR, 1.15; 95%CI, 1.01-1.31; P = .03). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This cohort study suggests a significant association between the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the risk of a more advanced oncologic stage at diagnosis among patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer and might indicate a potential reduction of survival for these patients

Post-intervention Status in Patients With Refractory Myasthenia Gravis Treated With Eculizumab During REGAIN and Its Open-Label Extension

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether eculizumab helps patients with anti-acetylcholine receptor-positive (AChR+) refractory generalized myasthenia gravis (gMG) achieve the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America (MGFA) post-intervention status of minimal manifestations (MM), we assessed patients' status throughout REGAIN (Safety and Efficacy of Eculizumab in AChR+ Refractory Generalized Myasthenia Gravis) and its open-label extension. METHODS: Patients who completed the REGAIN randomized controlled trial and continued into the open-label extension were included in this tertiary endpoint analysis. Patients were assessed for the MGFA post-intervention status of improved, unchanged, worse, MM, and pharmacologic remission at defined time points during REGAIN and through week 130 of the open-label study. RESULTS: A total of 117 patients completed REGAIN and continued into the open-label study (eculizumab/eculizumab: 56; placebo/eculizumab: 61). At week 26 of REGAIN, more eculizumab-treated patients than placebo-treated patients achieved a status of improved (60.7% vs 41.7%) or MM (25.0% vs 13.3%; common OR: 2.3; 95% CI: 1.1-4.5). After 130 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 88.0% of patients achieved improved status and 57.3% of patients achieved MM status. The safety profile of eculizumab was consistent with its known profile and no new safety signals were detected. CONCLUSION: Eculizumab led to rapid and sustained achievement of MM in patients with AChR+ refractory gMG. These findings support the use of eculizumab in this previously difficult-to-treat patient population. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: REGAIN, NCT01997229; REGAIN open-label extension, NCT02301624. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class II evidence that, after 26 weeks of eculizumab treatment, 25.0% of adults with AChR+ refractory gMG achieved MM, compared with 13.3% who received placebo