Seismic hazard for the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP). Part 2: broadband scenarios at the Fier Compressor Station (Albania)

AbstractTo ensure environmental and public safety, critical facilities require rigorous seismic hazard analysis to define seismic input for their design. We consider the case of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP), which is a pipeline that transports natural gas from the Caspian Sea to southern Italy, crossing active faults and areas characterized by high seismicity levels. For this pipeline, we develop a Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA) for the broader area, and, for the selected critical sites, we perform deterministic seismic hazard assessment (DSHA), by calculating shaking scenarios that account for the physics of the source, propagation, and site effects. This paper presents a DSHA for a compressor station located at Fier, along the Albanian coastal region. Considering the location of the most hazardous faults in the study site, revealed by the PSHA disaggregation, we model the ground motion for two different scenarios to simulate the worst-case scenario for this compressor station. We compute broadband waveforms for receivers on soft soils by applying specific transfer functions estimated from the available geotechnical data for the Fier area. The simulations reproduce the variability observed in the ground motion recorded in the near-earthquake source. The vertical ground motion is strong for receivers placed above the rupture areas and should not be ignored in seismic designs; furthermore, our vertical simulations reproduce the displacement and the static offset of the ground motion highlighted in recent studies. This observation confirms the importance of the DSHA analysis in defining the expected pipeline damage functions and permanent soil deformations

STUDY OF THE ACTIVE GEODYNAMICS OF THE HELLENIC ARC AREA WITH THE RECOGNITION OF ACTIVE FAULTS

Η ΓΕΩΦΥΣΙΚΗ ΕΡΕΥΝΑ (ΕΡΜΗΝΕΙΑ ΠΟΛΥΚΑΝΑΛΩΝ ΣΕΙΣΜΙΚΩΝ ΔΕΔΟΜΕΝΩΝ) ΕΠΕΤΡΕΨΕ ΤΗΝ ΕΚΠΟΝΗΣΗ ΕΝΟΣ ΝΕΟΥ ΤΕΚΤΟΝΙΚΟΥ ΧΑΡΤΗ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΗ ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΥ ΤΟΞΟΥ (ΠΕΡΙΟΧΗ ΜΕΤΑΞΥ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΛΛ. ΤΑΦΡΟΥ) ΚΑΙ ΤΗΣ ΕΠΑΥΞΗΤΙΚΗΣ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΥ ΤΟΞΟΥ(ΜΕΣΟΓΕΙΑΚΗ ΡΑΧΗ). ΣΕ ΟΛΗ ΤΗΝ ΠΡΟΑΝΑΦΕΡΟΜΕΝΗ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΗ Η ΣΥΜΠΙΕΣΤΙΚΗ ΤΕΚΤΟΝΙΚΗ ΕΧΕΙ ΤΟΝ ΠΡΩΤΕΥΟΝΤΑ ΡΟΛΟ ΣΤΗ ΔΟΜΗ ΚΑΙ Η ΤΕΚΤΟΝΙΚΗ ΕΦΕΛΚΥΣΜΟΥ ΕΧΕΙ ΔΕΥΤΕΡΕΥΟΝΤΑΡΟΛΟ ΚΑΙ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΤΟ ΑΠΟΤΕΛΕΣΜΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΝΕΡΓΟΥΣ ΦΥΣΗΣ ΤΗΣ ΡΗΓΜΑΤΟΓΟΝΟΥ ΤΕΚΤΟΝΙΚΗΣ ΣΥΜΠΙΕΣΗΣ. Η ΔΟΜΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΠΑΥΞΗΤΙΚΗΣ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΥ ΤΟΞΟΥ, ΒΡΙΣΚΕΤΑΙ ΣΤΟ ΜΕΤΩΠΟ ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΟΥ ΤΟΞΟΥ ΚΑΙ ΕΧΕΙ ΧΑΡΑΚΤΗΡΑ ΕΠΑΥΞΗΤΙΚΗΣ ΖΩΝΗΣ ΜΕ ΑΠΟΚΟΛΗΣΗ ΤΩΝ ΙΖΗΜΑΤΩΝ ΤΟΥ ΜΕΣΟ-ΚΑΙΝΟΖΩΙΚΟΥ ΑΠΟ ΤΟ ΠΑΛΑΙΟ-ΩΚΕΑΝΙΟ ΦΛΟΙΟ ΤΗΣ ΚΕΝΤΡΙΚΗΣ-ΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΚΗΣ ΜΕΣΟΓΕΙΟΥ. ΕΠΙΣΗΣ ΕΧΕΙ ΜΕΓΑΛΥΤΕΡΟ ΠΛΑΤΟΣ ΕΜΦΑΝΙΣΗΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΛΕΥΡΑ ΤΟΥ ΙΟΝΙΟΥ ΟΠΩΣ ΚΑΙ ΣΤΗ ΠΛΕΥΡΑ ΤΟΥ ΛΕΒΑΝΤΙΝΟΥ ΕΝΩ ΑΝΤΙΘΕΤΑ ΕΧΕΙ ΜΙΚΡΟ ΠΛΑΤΟΣ ΣΤΗ ΚΕΝΤΡΙΚΗ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΗ. ΤΟΥΤΟ ΟΦΕΙΛΕΤΑΙ ΣΤΗΝ ΕΝΑΡΞΗ ΤΗΣ ΣΥΓΚΡΟΥΣΗΣ ΜΕ ΤΟ ΑΦΡΙΚΑΝΙΚΟ ΠΕΡΙΘΩΡΙΟ (ΚΥΡΗΝΑΙΚΗ ΤΡΑΠΕΖΑ) ΣΤΗ ΚΕΝΤΡΙΚΗ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΗ, ΣΕ ΑΝΤΙΘΕΣΗ ΜΕ ΤΑ ΑΚΡΑ ΟΛΟΥ Η ΣΥΓΚΛΙΣΗ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΑΚΟΜΑ ΕΛΕΥΘΕΡΗ ΚΑΙ Η ΕΠΕΚΤΑΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΕΠΑΥΞΗΤΙΚΗΣ ΖΩΝΗΣ ΣΥΝΕΧΙΖΕΤΑΙ. Η ΕΝΑΡΞΗ ΤΗΣ ΣΥΓΚΡΟΥΣΗΣ ΕΙΝΑΙ ΠΙΘΑΝΑ ΤΟ ΑΙΤΙΟ ΓΙΑ ΤΗΝ ΑΝΑΠΤΥΞΗ ΑΡΙΣΤΕΡΟΣΤΡΟΦΗΣ ΔΙΑΤΜΗΤΙΚΗΣ ΖΩΝΗΣ ΟΡΙΖΟΝΤΙΑΣ ΟΛΙΣΘΗΣΗΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΚΗ ΠΛΕΥΡΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΤΑΦΡΟΥ ΚΑΤΑ ΜΗΚΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΤΑΦΡΟΥ ΤΟΥ ΣΤΡΑΒΩΝΑ ΚΑΙ ΠΛΙΝΙΟΥ Η ΟΠΟΙΑ ΕΠΙΣΗΣ ΕΧΕΙ ΚΑΘΟΡΙΣΤΙΚΟ ΡΟΛΟ ΣΤΗ ΔΙΑΜΟΡΦΩΣΗ ΤΗΣ ΔΟΜΗΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΝΑΤΟΛΙΚΟΥ ΤΜΗΜΑΤΟΣ ΤΗΣ ΘΑΛΑΣΣΙΑΣ ΠΕΡΙΟΧΗΣ ΜΕΤΑΞΥ ΚΡΗΤΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΚΗΣ ΤΑΦΡΟΥ.BASED ON ADVANCED GEOPHYSICAL INTERPRETATION OF A MULTICHANNEL REGIONAL SEISMICEXPLORATION INTEGRATED WITH NEW GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATION ON THE EMERGED LANDS, THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE TECTONIC SETTING OF THE HELLENIC ARC (THE AREA BETWEEN CRETE AND HELLENIC TRENCH) AND THE HELLENIC ARC ACCRETIONARY AREA (MEDITERRANEAN RIDGE) HAS BEEN PERFORMED. IN ALL THE AREA THE COMPRESSIVE TECTONICS ISTHE FIRST ORDER TECTONICS AND THE DISTENSIVE TECTONICS THE SECOND ORDER TECTONICS AND IS THE RESULT OF THE COMPRESSIVE TECTONICS. THE HELLENIC ARC ACCRETIONARY AREA (SOUTH OF THE HELLENIC TRENCH) THE DOMINATING TECTONICS IS GIVEN BYIMBRICATION OF BLOCKS, DETACHED FROM THE SUBDUCTING PALEO-OCEANIC CRUST OF CENTRAL-EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN. THE INNER ZONE IS FORMED BY OVERTHRUSTED BLOCKS COMING FROM DIFFERENT PALEOGEOGRAPHIC POSITIONS. THE ACCRETIONARY ZONE IS CONSISTENTLY WIDER AT THE TWO SIDES (IONIAN AND LEVANTINE) THAN AT THE APEX AREA (CYRENAICA). THIS IS DUE TO THE INCIPIENT COLLISION WITH THE CYRENAICAN MARGIN WHILE IN THE IONIAN AND LEVANTINE SEAS THE ACCRETION IS STILL FREE TO EXPAND. THIS FACT IS PROBABLY THE CAUSE OF THE FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF A SINISTRALSTRIKE-SLIP SHEAR ZONE IN THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE HELLENIC TRENCH ALONG THE PLINY AND STRABO TRENCH AREA

Analysis of GNSS data along the Southern Gas Corridor and estimate of the expected slowly-cumulating tectonic displacements

In the present paper, we analyze the final part of the Southern Gas Corridor, a route highlighted in the European energy security and energy union strategies. This route crosses one of the most seismically active zones of theMediterranean with several recognized crustal-scale seismogenic sources. We focus on the possibility of identifying the areas where critical differential motions could be expected along the route,which will be occupied by the Trans Adriatic Pipeline, over the nominal pipeline life span of 50 yr.We analyze the available global navigation satellite system data and compare the results to the deformation patterns of the most significant faults affecting the area.We interpolated the sparsely available velocity vectors and calculated strain rate information, both considering the region as a continuum and by applying an original algorithmthat allows the linear interpolation within individual blocks. The blocks are characterized by a relatively homogenous deformational behavior, or a specific tectonic setting, independently upon the neighboring ones. The results of the two methods are then compared by calculating the maximum displacement that would cumulate in the next 50 yr of the pipeline lifespan and the differential displacements that could cause possible bending phenomena to the pipeline structure. The methodological approach followed in this research could be applied to other infrastructures to identify the segments prone to localized deformation because of interseismic tectonic loading

Abnormal Microvascular Architecture, Fibrosis, and Pericyte Characteristics in the Calf Muscle of Peripheral Artery Disease Patients with Claudication and Critical Limb Ischemia

Work from our laboratory documents pathological events, including myofiber oxidative damage and degeneration, myofibrosis, micro-vessel (diameter = 50–150 μm) remodeling, and collagenous investment of terminal micro-vessels (diameter ≤ 15 µm) in the calf muscle of patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD). In this study, we evaluate the hypothesis that the vascular pathology associated with the legs of PAD patients encompasses pathologic changes to the smallest micro-vessels in calf muscle. Biopsies were collected from the calf muscle of control subjects and patients with Fontaine Stage II and Stage IV PAD. Slide specimens were evaluated by Quantitative Multi-Spectral and Fluorescence Microscopy. Inter-myofiber collagen, stained with Masson Trichrome (MT), was increased in Stage II patients, and more substantially in Stage IV patients in association with collagenous thickening of terminal micro-vessel walls. Evaluation of the Basement Membrane (BM) of these vessels reveals increased thickness in Stage II patients, and increased thickness, diameter, and Collagen I deposition in Stage IV patients. Coverage of these micro-vessels with pericytes, key contributors to fibrosis and BM remodeling, was increased in Stage II patients, and was greatest in Stage IV patients. Vascular pathology of the legs of PAD patients extends beyond atherosclerotic main inflow arteries and affects the entire vascular tree—including the smallest micro-vessels

A hybrid plaque characterization method using intravascular ultrasound images

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) is an invasive imaging modality that provides high resolution crosssectional images permitting detailed evaluation of the lumen, outer vessel wall and plaque morphology and evaluation of its composition. Over the last years several methodologies have been proposed which automated processing of the IVUS data and reliable segmentation of the regions of interest or characterization of the type of the plaque. In this paper we present a novel methodology for the automated identification of different plaque components in grayscale IVUS images