Abstract
Abstract. We describe a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary method to analyse the causes of differential macroseismic effects caused by an earthquake in a historical town. We illustrate the method with a case study based on analysing the damage caused by the 1930 Irpinia earthquake (Me=6.7) in Melfi, a town in southern Italy. A damage pattern map was already available for this site. To understand the anomalies of Melfi damage, we used an integrated approach that combines geological surveys, geophysical prospecting and analysis of unpublished technical-historical data. Geo-electrical prospecting was adopted to infer the geological set-up and to estimate the thickness of shallow deposits. The results of the geophysical surveys were compared with detailed geological information derived from both in situ surveys and boreholes. Finally, cross-correlation among these data and technical reports coeval to the earthquake allowed us to create a complete picture of the possible causes of uneven damage.
Highlights
IntroductionDetailed knowledge of the effects of past earthquakes can lead to a meaningful improvement in the “seismic features” of a town (e.g., Guidoboni et al, 2003; Gizzi, 2006)
Detailed knowledge of the effects of past earthquakes can lead to a meaningful improvement in the “seismic features” of a town (e.g., Guidoboni et al, 2003; Gizzi, 2006).It is possible to infer from a damage map the areas where highest damage occurred and where in-depth multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary analyses and surveys should be done
We provide a case study of the 1930 Irpinia earthquake (Me=6.7) in Melfi, a medieval town located in southern Italy, for which a detailed damage pattern map was already available (Gizzi and Masini, 2004)
Summary
Detailed knowledge of the effects of past earthquakes can lead to a meaningful improvement in the “seismic features” of a town (e.g., Guidoboni et al, 2003; Gizzi, 2006). It is possible to infer from a damage map the areas where highest damage occurred and where in-depth multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary analyses and surveys should be done In this way, the causes of the differential damage, such as seismic amplification, landslides, geo-technical failure of the soils and/or building vulnerability, can be inferred. We provide a case study of the 1930 Irpinia earthquake (Me=6.7) in Melfi, a medieval town located in southern Italy, for which a detailed damage pattern map was already available (Gizzi and Masini, 2004). To identify the causes of the uneven damage in Palermo some studies, examined as a whole, show an integrated use of geological, geotechnical, geophysical, and historical data (Guidoboni et al, 2003; Giammarinaro et al, 2005; Cara et al, 2008).
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