The Mw6.3, April 6, 2009 earthquake occurred on the previously identified Paganica normal fault and produced
a 3 km-long co-seismic surface rupture along its northern section, with few centimeters of vertical displacement.
Extensive 1:10,000-scale geological and geomorphological mapping has been carried out, focusing on the
characterization of the long-term expression of the Paganica Fault at the surface. The field mapping was integrated
by observations, made on 1:33,000 scale aerial photographs (GAI), 5-m-resolution Digital Elevation Model and
standard morphometric derivatives (hill-shaded and slope angle maps, Spatial Analyst™). Particular attention
was devoted to the study of the continental deposits and landforms affected by cumulative offset with the aim to
reconstruct the Quaternary deformational history of the fault. The fault runs for a total length of 20 km and, along
with antithetic faults on its hanging-wall, forms the graben of the Middle Aterno River Valley. The whole fault
system and the variable setting of deformation affecting the continental deposits at the surface were identified.
The Paganica long-term morphologic signature is represented by a set of prominent scarps formed by the tectonic
juxtaposition of late Pliocene-middle Pleistocene and late Pleistocene alluvial deposits, and by lower scarps in
late Pleistocene-Holocene deposits. In addition, evident Quaternary erosional and depositional paleosurfaces were
recognized and sampled for 14C and OSL (Optically Stimulated Luminescence) and tephra chronology dating for
long-term slip-rate calculations.
This study resulted helpful to locate four paleoseismological investigations (see Pantosti et al. talk) and to provide
the appropriate context for correctly interpret the depositional bodies outcropping on the trench walls. These
paleoseismological investigations evidenced the presence of repeated late Pleistocene-Holocene activity and
allowed for slip-rate estimation at a shorter time-scale. Such estimates were valuable for a comparison with the
preliminary estimates on late Pleistocene calculations carried out by geomorphological investigations.
Moreover, we correlated co-seismic deformations with the long-term morphologies and structures. The 2009
co-seismic ruptures show a general coherence with the long-term Paganica fault trace, both in terms of location
and style. However, the limited extent of the 2009 surface ruptures coincides with the portion of the fault
trace where deformation is more localized and few splays contribute to the extension. This is also testified by
the presence on its hanging-wall of a large late Pleistocene-Holocene alluvial fan that subsides over the basin
depocenter. Conversely, where the Paganica fault system branches out, various splays accommodated the small
2009 co-seismic throw, resulting in a distributed and not evident extensional strain.
The preserved fault-related geomorphology is evidence for the persistence of the rupture complexities during
Quaternary. On this light, further studies on the style of fault activity are needed to estimate if the Paganica fault
is capable of earthquakes with Magnitude larger than the 2009 event.SubmittedVienna, Austriaope
