Abstract
We have modelled the surface volume and gravity changes caused by four seismic events: three mainshocks (moment magnitude Mw 6.0, 5.9, 6.5) occurred during the last seismic period started on 2016, August 24 in central Italy, and the 2009, April 6 L’Aquila Earthquake (Mw 6.3). Our calculations start from the source parameters estimated by the inversion of the largest dataset of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and global positioning system observations ever managed in Italy after earthquake occurrences, based on the half-space elastic dislocation theory. The vertical displacements modelled after the 2016 events allow to infer a substantial unbalance between the subsided and uplifted volumes. In particular, we detected ~ 106 × 106 m3 of hangingwall subsidence against ~ 37 × 106 m3 of footwall uplift, that accounts for ~ 74% of the total volume mobilization. From the ratio between the footwall and total deformed volumes, we have computed an average fault dip of ~ 47°, in line with the values retrieved by seismological methods. The total gravity variations which affected the study area are of the order of ~ 1 μGal (1 μGal = 10−8 ms−2) in the far field, and ~ 170 μGal in the near field. The area affected within a gravity change of 1 μGal is ~ 140 km long and ~ 57 km wide, parallel to the Apennines mountain chain. The larger contribution is given by positive variations which account for the tensional style of deformation and larger subsided area. The significant gravity variations modelled from the coseismic deformations point out the need to update our knowledge about the absolute gravity field in Italy carrying out extensive measurements, and to align Italy to the recent international standards about national gravity and height networks (International Association of Geodesy, IAG Report, Commission 2—gravity field, http://www.iag-commission2.ch, 2015).
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anzidei M et al (2009) Coseismic deformation of the destructive April 6, 2009 L’Aquila Earthquake (central Italy) from GPS data. Geophys Res Lett 36:L17307. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009gl039145
Atzori S, Hunstad I, Chini M, Salvi S, Tolomei C, Bignami C, Stramondo S, Trasatti E, Antonioli A, Boschi E (2009) Finite fault inversion of DInSAR coseismic displacement of the 2009 L’Aquila Earthquake (central Italy). Geophys Res Lett 36:L15305. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009gl039293
Boncio P, Lavecchia G, Pace B (2004) Defining a model of 3D seismogenic sources for Seismic Hazard Assessment applications: the case of central Apennines (Italy). J Seismol 8:407–425
Brozzetti F, Boncio P, Lavecchia G, Pace B (2009) Present activity and seismogenic potential of a low-angle normal fault system (Città di Castello, Italy): constraints from surface geology, seismic reflection data and seismicity. Tectonophysics 463:31–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2008.09.023
Brozzetti F, Boncio P, Cirillo D, Ferrarini F, Nardis R, Testa A, Liberi F, Lavecchia G (2019) High-resolution field mapping and analysis of the August–October 2016 coseismic surface faulting (central Italy earthquakes): slip distribution, parameterization, and comparison with global earthquakes. Tectonics 38(2):417–439
Calderoni G, Rovelli A, Di Giovambattista R (2017) Rupture directivity of the strongest 2016–2017 central Italy earthquakes. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 122:9118–9131. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017jb014118
Cambiotti G, Sabadini R (2013) Gravitational seismology retrieving Centroid-Moment-Tensor solution of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 118:183–194. https://doi.org/10.1029/2012jb009555
Cheloni D, D’Agostino N, D’Anastasio E, Avallone A, Mantenuto S, Giuliani R, Mattone M, Calcaterra S, Gambino P, Dominici D, Radicioni F, Castellini F (2010) Coseismic and initial postseismic slip of the 2009 MW 6.3 L’Aquila Earthquake, Italy, from GPS measurements. Geophys J Int 181:1539–1546. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246x.2010.04584.x
Cheloni D, Giuliani R, D’Anastasio E, Atzori S, Walters RJ, Bonc L, D’Agostino N, Mattone M, Calcaterra S, Gambino P, Deninno F, Maseroli R, Stefanelli G (2014) Coseismic and post-seismic slip of the 2009 L’Aquila (central Italy) MW 6.3 Earthquake and implications for seismic potential along the Campotosto Fault from joint inversion of high-precision levelling, InSAR and GPS data. Tectonophysics 622:168–185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2014.03.009
Cheloni D et al (2017) Geodetic model of the 2016 central Italy earthquake sequence inferred from InSAR and GPS data. Geophys Res Lett 44:6778–6787. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017gl073580
Chiarabba C, De Gori P, Cattaneo M, Spallarossa D, Segou M (2018) Faults geometry and the role of fluids in the 2016–2017 central Italy seismic sequence. Geophys Res Lett 45:6963–6971. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018gl077485
Chiaraluce L, Amato A, Cocco M, Chiarabba C, Selvaggi G, Di Bona M, Piccinini D, Deschamps A, Margheriti L, Courboulex F, Ripepe M (2004) Complex normal faulting in the Apennines Thrust-and-Fold Belt: the 1997 seismic sequence in central Italy. Bull Seismol Soc Am 94(1):99–116
Chiaraluce L, Di Stefano R, Tinti E, Scognamiglio L, Michele M, Casarotti M, Cattaneo M, De Gori P, Chiarabba C et al (2017) The 2016 central Italy seismic sequence: a first look at the mainshocks, aftershocks, and source models. Seismol Res Lett 88:757–771
Chinnery MA (1961) The deformation of ground around surface faults. Bull Seismol Soc Am 51:355–372
Ciaccio MG (2016) Instrumental seismicity of the Amatrice Earthquake epicentral area: a review. Ann Geophys. https://doi.org/10.4401/ag-7283
Cunietti M, Inghilleri G (1955) La rete gravimetrica fondamentale italiana. Memorie Commissione Geodetica Italiana 8. Stamperia Cesare Tamburini fu Camillo, Milano (in Italian)
Devoti R (2012) Combination of coseismic displacement fields: a geodetic perspective. Ann Geophys 55(4):781–787. https://doi.org/10.4401/ag-6119
Devoti R, Riguzzi F (2017) The velocity field of the Italian area. Rend Fis Acc Lincei 29(Suppl 1):S51–S58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-017-0651-x
Devoti R, Riguzzi F, Cuffaro M, Doglioni C (2008) New GPS constraints on the kinematics of the Apennines subduction. Earth Planet Sci Lett 273:163–174
Devoti R, D’Agostino N, Serpelloni E, Pietrantonio G, Riguzzi F, Avallone A, Cavaliere A, Cheloni D, Cecere G, D’Ambrosio C, Falco L, Selvaggi G, Métois M, Esposito A, Sepe V, Galvani A, Anzidei M (2017) The Mediterranean Crustal Motion Map compiled at INGV. Ann Geophys. https://doi.org/10.4401/ag-7059
Di Luccio F, Ventura G, Di Giovambattista R, Piscini A, Cinti FR (2010) Normal faults and thrusts reactivated by deep fluids: the 6 April 2009 Mw 6.3 L’Aquila Earthquake, central Italy. J Geophys Res 115:B06315. https://doi.org/10.1029/2009jb007190
Falcucci E, Gori S, Peronace E, Fubelli G, Moro M, Saroli M, Giaccio B, Messina P, Naso G, Scardia G, Sposato A, Voltaggio M, Galli P, Galadini F (2009) The Paganica Fault and surface coseismic ruptures caused by the 6 April 2009 earthquake (L’Aquila, central Italy). Seismol Res Lett 80(6):940–950
Falcucci E, Gori S, Galadini F, Fubelli G, Moro M, Saroli M (2016) Active faults in the epicentral and mesoseismal Ml 6.0 24, 2016 Amatrice Earthquake region, central Italy. Methodological and seismotectonic issues. Ann Geophys. https://doi.org/10.4401/ag-7266
Fu G (2007) Surface gravity changes caused by tied-generating potential and by internal dislocation in a 3-D heterogeneous earth. Thesis, University of Tokyo, Japan
Galadini F, Galli P (2003) Paleoseismology of silent faults in the central Apennines (Italy): the Mt. Vettore and Laga Mts Faults. Ann Geophys. https://doi.org/10.4401/ag-3457
Galvani A, Anzidei M, Devoti R, Esposito A, Pietrantonio G, Pisani AR, Riguzzi F, Serpelloni E (2012) The interseismic velocity field of the central Apennines from a dense GPS network. Ann Geophys. https://doi.org/10.4401/ag-6168
Gentili S, Di Giovambattista R, Peresan A (2017) Seismic quiescence preceding the central Italy earthquakes. PEPI 272:27–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pepi.2017.09.004
Harms J, Ampuero J-P, Barsuglia M, Chassande-Mottin E, Montagner J-P, Somala SN, Whiting BF (2015) Transient gravity perturbations induced by earthquake rupture. Geophys J Int 201(3):1416–1425
IAG Report (2015) Commission 2. https://iag.dgfi.tum.de/fileadmin/handbook/handbook_2016/304_Commission_2.pdf
Iezzi F, Roberts G, Walker JF, Papanikolaou I (2019) Occurrence of partial and total coseismic ruptures of segmented normal fault systems: insights from the central Apennines, Italy. J Struct Geol 126:83–99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2019.05.003
Imanishi Y, Sato T, Higashi T, Sun W, Okubo S (2004) A network of superconducting gravimeters detects submicrogal coseismic gravity changes. Science 306:476–478
Juhel K, Ampuero J-P, Barsuglia M, Bernard P, Chassande-Mottin E, Fiorucci D et al (2018) Earthquake early warning using future generation gravity strain meters. J Geophys Res Solid Earth. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018jb016698
Lavecchia G et al (2016) Ground deformation and source geometry of the 24 August 2016 Amatrice Earthquake (central Italy) investigated through analytical and numerical modeling of DInSAR measurements and structural–geological data. Geophys Res Lett 43(12):389–12398. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gl071723
Locati M, Camassi R, Rovida A, Ercolani E, Bernardini F, Castelli V, Caracciolo CH, Tertulliani A, Rossi A, Azzaro R, D’Amico S, Conte S, Rocchetti E (2016) DBMI15, the 2015 version of the Italian Macroseismic Database. Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia. https://doi.org/10.6092/ingv.it-dbmi15
Malagnini L, Lucente FP, De Gori P, Akinci A, Munafo I (2012) Control of pore fluid pressure diffusion on fault failure mode: insights from the 2009 L’Aquila seismic sequence. J Geophys Res 117:B05302. https://doi.org/10.1029/2011jb008911
Marson I, Morelli C (1977) First order gravity net in Italy. Boll Geod Sci Affin XXXVII 4:659–689
Maruyama T (1964) Static elastic dislocations in an infinite and semi-infinite medium. Bull Earthq Res Inst Tokyo Univ 42:289–368
Montagner J-P, Juhel K, Barsuglia M, Ampuero JP, Chassande-Mottin E, Harms J, Whiting B, Bernard P, Clévédé E, Lognonné P (2016) Prompt gravity signal induced by the 2011 Tohoku-Oki Earthquake. Nat Commun 7:13349. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13349
Okada Y (1985) Surface deformation due to shear and tensile faults in a half-space. Bull Seismol Soc Am 75:1135–1154
Okubo S (1991) Potential and gravity changes raised by point dislocations. Geophys J Int 105:573–586
Okubo S (1992) Gravity and potential changes due to shear and tensile faults in a half-space. J Geophys Res 97:7137–7144
Pizzi A, Galadini F (2009) Pre-existing cross-structures and active fault segmentation in the northern-central Apennines (Italy). Tectonophysics 476(1–2):304–319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2009.03.018
Pollitz FF (1996) Coseismic deformation from earthquake faulting in a layered spherical Earth. Geophys J Int 125:1–4
Pollitz FF (1997) Gravitational viscoelastic postseismic relaxation on a layered spherical Earth. J Geophys Res 102(B8):17921–17941
Pondrelli S, Salimbeni S, Morelli A, Ekström G, Olivieri M, Boschi E (2010) Seismic moment tensors of the April 2009, L’Aquila (central Italy), earthquake sequence. Geophys J Int 180(1):238–242. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246x.2009.04418.x
Press F (1965) Displacements, strains, and tilts at teleseismic distances. J Geophys Res 70:2395–2412
Rovida A, Locati M, Camassi R, Lolli B, Gasperini P (eds) (2016) CPTI15, the 2015 version of the parametric catalogue of Italian earthquakes. Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia. https://doi.org/10.6092/ingv.it-cpti15
Segall P (2010) Earthquake and volcano deformations. Princeton University Press, Princeton
Shen C, Li H, Tan H (2010) Simulation of co-seismic gravity change and deformation of Wenchuan Ms 8.0 Earthquake. Geod Geodyn 1:1–14. https://doi.org/10.3724/sp.j.1246.2010.00008
Sun W, Okubo S (1998) Surface potential and gravity changes due to internal dislocations in a spherical Earth II. Application to a finite fault. Geophys J Int 132:79–88
Sun W, Okubo S, Vanicek P (1996) Global displacement caused by dislocations in a realistic Earth model. J Geophys Res 101:8561–8577
Tinti E, Scognamiglio L, Michelini A, Cocco M (2016) Slip heterogeneity and directivity of the ML 6.0, 2016, Amatrice Earthquake estimated with rapid finite-fault inversion. Geophys Res Lett 43:10745–10752. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gl071263
Toda S, Stein RS, Richards-Dinger K, Bozkurt S (2005) Forecasting the evolution of seismicity in southern California: animation built on earthquake stress transfer. J Geophys Res 110:B05S16. https://doi.org/10.1029/2004jb003415
Valentini A, Pace B, Boncio P, Visini F, Pagliaroli A, Pergalani F (2019) Definition of seismic input from fault-based PSHA: remarks after the 2016 central Italy earthquake sequence. Tectonics. https://doi.org/10.1029/2018tc005086
Valerio E, Tizzani P, Carminati E, Doglioni C, Pepe S, Petricca P, De Luca C, Bignami C, Solaro G, Castaldo R, De Novellis V, Lanari R (2018) Ground deformation and source geometry of the 30 October 2016 Mw 6.5 Norcia Earthquake (central Italy) investigated through seismological data, DInSAR measurements, and numerical modelling. Remote Sens. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10121901
Vallée M, Ampuero JP, Juhel K, Bernard P, Montagner JP, Barsuglia M (2017) Observations and modeling of the elastogravity signals preceding direct seismic waves. Science 358(6367):1164–1168
Van Camp M, de Viron O, Avouac J-P (2016) Separating climate-induced mass transfers and instrumental effects from tectonic signal in repeated absolute gravity measurements. Geophys Res Lett 43:4313–4320. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016gl068648
Van Camp M, de Viron O, Watlet A, Meurers B, Francis O, Caudron C (2017) Geophysics from terrestrial time-variable gravity measurements. Rev Geophys 55:938–992. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017rg000566
Walsh JB (1969) Dip angle of faults as calculated from surface deformation. J Geophys Res 74(8):2070–2080
Wang H (1999) Surface vertical displacements potential, perturbations and gravity changes of a viscoelastic Earth model induced by internal point dislocations. Geophys J Int 137(2):429–440
Wang R, Lorenzo-Martin F, Roth F (2006) PSGRN/PSCMP—a new code for calculation co- and post-seismic deformation, geoid and gravity changes based on the viscoelastic-gravitational dislocation theory. Comput Geosci 32:527–541
Acknowledgements
This study is based on geodetic data and models acquired and processed during the 2016 and 2009 earthquake emergencies, therefore, we are very grateful to Daniele Cheloni and all the INGV Geodetic Team, together we worked intensely and with passion during all that time. We are also grateful to the Reviewers and the Editor, their suggestions helped us to improve the manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Riguzzi, F., Tan, H. & Shen, C. Surface volume and gravity changes due to significant earthquakes occurred in central Italy from 2009 to 2016. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 108, 2047–2056 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-019-01748-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-019-01748-0