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The study of local deformations is a hot topic in geodesy. Local rotations of the crust around the vertical axis can be caused by deformations. In the Gran Sasso area, the ring laser gyroscope GINGERINO and the GNSS array are operative. One year of data of GINGERINO is compared with the ones from the GNSS stations, homogeneously selected around the position of GINGERINO, aiming at looking for rotational signals with period of days common to both systems. At that purpose the rotational component of the area circumscribed by the GNSS stations has been evaluated and compared with the GINGERINO data. The coherences between the signals show structures that even exceed 60% coherence over the 6–60 days period; this unprecedented analysis is validated by two different methods that evaluate the local rotation using the GNSS stations. The analysis reveals that the shared rotational signal's amplitude in both instruments is approximately 10−13 rad/s, an order of magnitude lower than the amplitudes of the signals examined. The comparison of the ring laser data with GNSS antennas provides evidence of the validity of the ring laser data for very low frequency investigation, essential for fundamental physics test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large frame ring laser gyroscopes, based on the Sagnac effect, are top sensitivity instrumentation to measure angular velocity with respect to the fixed stars. GINGER (Gyroscopes IN GEneral Relativity) project foresees the construction of an array of three large dimension ring laser gyroscopes, rigidly connected to the Earth. GINGER has the potentiality to measure general relativity effects and Lorentz Violation in the gravity sector, once a sensitivity of 10 − 9 , or better, of the Earth rotation rate is obtained. Being attached to the Earth crust, the array will also provide useful data for geophysical investigation. For this purpose, it is at present under construction as part of the multi-components observatory called Underground Geophysics at Gran Sasso (UGSS). Sensitivity is the key point to determine the relevance of this instrument for fundamental science. The most recent progress in the sensitivity measurement, obtained on a ring laser prototype called GINGERINO, indicates that GINGER should reach the level of 1 part in 1011 of the Earth rotation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the geomorphological map of the upper sector of the Roncovetro active landslide (Enza Valley, Emilia-Romagna, Italy). The 1:1500 scale map provides an accurate picture of the landslide in October 2014. The map is mainly based on the data collected during an airborne LiDAR survey. The capability of LiDAR to ‘penetrate’ the vegetation cover makes these data the most complete and accurate topographic dataset of this landslide. The map shows that the upper sector of the Roncovetro landslide consists of gravity- and water runoff-related forms. Gravitational features are linked to sliding and flowing movements that characterize the short- and long-term behaviour of the landslide. By comparing the 2014 LiDAR-Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with the 1973 DEM provided by the Emilia-Romagna Region, we calculated that 6.2 ± 0.8 × 105 m³ of material has moved from the top of the Roncovetro landslide in about 40 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We find that geodetic strain rate (SR) integrated with the knowledge of active faults points out that hazardous seismic areas are those with lower SR, where active faults are possibly approaching the end of seismic cycle. SR values estimated from GPS velocities at epicentral areas of large historical earthquakes in Italy decrease with increasing elapsed time, thus highlighting faults more prone to reactivation. We have modelled an exponential decrease relationship between SR and the time elapsed since the last largest earthquake, differencing historical earthquakes according to their fault rupture style. Then, we have estimated the characteristic times of relaxation by a non-linear inversion, showing that events with thrust mechanism exhibit a characteristic time (∼ 990 yr) about three times larger than those with normal mechanism. Assuming standard rigidity and viscosity values we can infer an average recurrence time of about 600 yr for normal faults and about 2000 yr for thrust faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broad availability of geodetic measurements for the Mw 6.3 April 6th 2009 L'Aquila earthquake allowed an unprecedented description of the co- and post-seismic ground deformations, leading to the definition of the Paganica fault geometry and kinematics. Through DIn SAR, we found, in a wide area of 20 kilometres on the Paganica hangingwall, a further displacement up to 7 cm, which might have occurred in the earthquake proximity. In this study, we explore the possibility of the co-, post- and pre-seismic alternative scenarios. Although our data are not sufficient to undoubtedly prove that this signal occurred before the main event, this seems to be the most likely hypothesis based on tectonics constraints and image acquisition times. The nature of this deformation remains unclear, but we speculate that deep fluids played a role. These results can drive ad hoc requirements for future space-based missions and design of the GPS network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present the velocity field in Italy derived from over 300 continuous GPS stations operated in the 1998–2009 time span. The GPS network maps the whole country with a mean inter-site distance of about 50km and provides a valuable source of data to study the ongoing deformation processes in the central Mediterranean. The estimated horizontal and vertical velocity fields show major significant features and also less known second-order kinematic features. A general uplift characterizes the whole Apennines and Alpine belts that follow the topographic ridge, whereas the Po Plain shows a gradually increasing subsidence from west to east. The Apennines belt displays a distinctive extension (50–80 10−9 yr−1) while compressive tectonic regimes characterize northern Sicily, eastern Alps and the northeast front of the northern Apennines (25–50 10−9 yr−1). Second-order deformation patterns, on large scale wavelength (~100km) have been detected on the accretionary prism of central and southern Apennines that are highly correlated with other geophysical data (Vp anomalies, seismic anisotropy, etc.) and related to deep rooted sections (70–100km), marked by different subduction regimes. Apparently at this scale-length the observed deformations are governed by the lithosphere as a whole. We interpret these deformations as a result of different subduction mechanisms, such as variations of the subduction rollback velocity affecting different segments of the subduction zone and/or to mantle flows in proximity of the slab edges. Further south, in central-southern Sicily, we detect a contraction of (−1.1±0.2) mm/yr that probably accommodates part of the Africa–Eurasia convergence on the outer thrust front of the Apennines–Maghrebides belt. This hypothesis agrees with an independent analysis of the seismicity associated to the Sicilian Basal Thrust, thought to be still active. The ITRF2005 estimates of the new GPS velocity field are available also in SINEX format as supplementary file S1. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We present the velocity field of the Italian area derived from continuous GPS observations from 2003 to 2007. The GPS sites were installed by different institutions and for different purposes; they cover the whole country with a mean inter-site distance of about 60 km and provide a valuable source of data to map the present day kinematics of the region. The absolute ITRF2005 rotation poles and rates of Eurasia, Africa and Adriatic plates are estimated, to study the kinematics along their boundaries in the Apennines belt. The Corsica–Sardinia block, coherently moving as the Eurasia plate, is used as reference of the upper plate for the Apennines subduction zone. We apply a simple kinematic model to estimate the rates and spatial pattern of the subduction along the Apennines. We identify at least four different, independently moving, lower plates, i.e., the Adriatic (diverging and internally segmented), Ionian, Sicily and Africa (converging) plates with different subduction rates. The conservative estimates of the subduction rate are ~5 mm/yr in the Calabrian Arc, ~1.5 mm/yr in Sicily, and ~0.9 mm/yr in the northern Apennines. This variegate mixture of behaviors seems to reflect the variable lithospheric thickness and composition of the lower plates inherited from the Mesozoic rifting. An unexpected along strike contraction is observed along the western side of the central-northern Apennines. Velocities are estimated both relative to Eurasia, and relative to the deep and shallow hotspot reference frames (HSRF). The hotspot representation seems more coherent with the geophysical and geological constraints along the subduction system, in which the Adriatic and Ionian plates move SW-ward and their deeper slab portions provide an obstacle to the opposite relative mantle flow. All these patterns better reconcile if the subduction process is conceived as a passive feature controlled by the far field plate velocities and the relative “eastward” mantle flow acting on a disrupted slab. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Water supply from karst sources is a worldwide natural resource and the exploitation is tied to the knowledge of the positions of the hydrologic channels. We show that surface deformation induced by flood events in karst conduits is observable, and consists in uplift and outward movement from the hydraulic channel. Precipitation events produce the natural occurrence of subsurface hydraulic overpressure up to 1 MPa. Numerical modeling shows that the stresses are so strong to uplift and dislocate the surface by several mm and induce tilts in the order of microradians. The naturally induced deformation is compatible with a transient internal pressure loading of a channel. The results can be used to find new channels with dense GNSS networks. Sea water incursion and channels accessed for tourism could be monitored. Seismicity has been shown to have a seasonal variation in some areas, which could be explained by the subsurface stresses induced by the natural subsurface overpressure. The pressure induced deformation is expected to be observed in all karstic systems worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding natural variations of Rn (222Rn) concentrations is the fundamental prerequisite of using this radioactive gas as a tracer, or even precursor, of natural processes, including earthquakes. In this work, Rn concentrations in groundwater were continuously measured over a seven-month period, during 2017, in the Giardino Spring, Italy, together with groundwater levels in a nearby well installed into a fractured regional aquifer. Data were processed to reduce noise, and then analyzed to produce the Fourier spectra of Rn concentrations and groundwater levels. These spectra were compared with the spectrum of tidal forces. Results showed that diurnal and semidiurnal cycles of Rn concentrations, and filtered oscillations of groundwater levels, in the nearby well, are correlated with solar and luni-solar components of tidal forces, and suggested no correlation with the principal lunar components. Therefore, influencing factors linked to solar cycles, such as daily oscillations of temperature and atmospheric pressure, and related rock deformations, may have played a role in Rn concentrations and groundwater levels. An open question remains regarding the correlation, which is documented elsewhere, of Rn concentrations and groundwater levels with the lunar components of the solid Earth tides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this article is the illustration of the new functionalities of the VADASE (Variometric Approach for Displacements Analysis Stand-alone Engine) processing approach. VADASE was presented in previous works as an approach able to estimate in real time the velocities and displacements in a global reference frame (ITRF), using high-rate (1 Hz or more) carrier phase observations and broadcast products (orbits, clocks) collected by a stand-alone GNSS receiver, achieving a displacements accuracy within 1–2 cm (usually better) over intervals up to a few minutes. It has been well known since the very first implementation and testing of VADASE that the estimated displacements might be impacted by two different effects: spurious spikes in the velocities due to outliers (consequently, displacements, obtained through velocities integration, are severely corrupted) and trends in the displacements time series, mainly due to broadcast orbit and clock errors. Two strategies are herein introduced, respectively based on Leave-One-Out cross-validation (VADASE-LOO) for a receiver autonomous outlier detection, and on a network augmentation strategy to filter common trends out (A-VADASE); they are combined (first, VADASE-LOO; second, A-VADASE) for a complete solution. Moreover, starting from this VADASE improved solution, an additional strategy is proposed to estimate in real time the overall coseismic displacement occurring at each GNSS receiver. New VADASE advances are successfully applied to the GPS data collected during the recent three strong earthquakes that occurred in Central Italy on 24 August and 26 and 30 October 2016, and the results are herein presented and discussed. The VADASE real-time estimated coseismic displacements are compared to the static ones derived from the daily solutions obtained within the standard post-processing procedure by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]