Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2399
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2399
29 Aug 2024
 | 29 Aug 2024

Paleoseismological evidence of multiple, large magnitude earthquake surface ruptures on the active Mt. Morrone normal fault, central Apennines, Italy

Irene Puliti, Alberto Pizzi, Stefano Gori, Emanuela Falcucci, Fabrizio Galadini, Marco Moro, and Michele Saroli

Abstract. The Mt. Morrone active normal Fault (MMF) and the related Sulmona intermountain basin constitute one of the most characteristic examples of the extensional tectonic landscape carving the central Apennines (Italy). Above the ⁓22 km MMF, thousands of inhabitants concentrate on a thriving reality and a historical and cultural heritage of great significance. According to the current knowledge, the last activation event of the whole MMF occurred ⁓2000 years ago and the maximum expected magnitude is M 6.6–7. Thus, the MMF today constitutes one of the most problematic structures in the central Apennines seismotectonic setting in terms of large-magnitude earthquake probability. Despite this, information on the activity of the MMF is presently relatively few, both for associated historical seismicity and paleoseismological data. To strengthen these knowledge weaknesses, we performed new extensive paleoseismological analyses (employing four trenches) in the central sector of the fault. Our goal was to supplement the limited existing dataset, constituted by a single paleoseismological study close to the northwestern tip of the fault. Additionally, we aimed to incorporate findings from a pair of studies focused on archaeoseismological and speleoseismological secondary evidence. Through these analyses, we unveiled four significant surface rupture events of the MMF, three of which occurred over the past 6000 years BP. Specifically, the youngest identified event occurred after 3.6–3.5 kyr BP, being thus chronologically consistent with the event in 2nd century CE; a penultimate event after 4.4 kyrs BP; a previous event occurred after 5.4–5.3 kyr BP; and the oldest event took place after 9–8.9 kyr and (presumably) before 5.8–5.7 kyr BP. Considering that the cumulative minimum vertical displacement estimated encompassing the last three events is ⁓140 cm, and based on the length of the fault at the surface, we can confirm that earthquakes with M 6.6–7.0 may be expected from the activation of the MMF with an inferred average recurrence interval not longer than 1800 years over the last ⁓5.4 kyr.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Irene Puliti, Alberto Pizzi, Stefano Gori, Emanuela Falcucci, Fabrizio Galadini, Marco Moro, and Michele Saroli

Status: final response (author comments only)

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2399', Francesco Iezzi, 09 Oct 2024
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2024-2399_Nasim Mozafari', Nasim Mozafari Amiri, 24 Oct 2024
Irene Puliti, Alberto Pizzi, Stefano Gori, Emanuela Falcucci, Fabrizio Galadini, Marco Moro, and Michele Saroli
Irene Puliti, Alberto Pizzi, Stefano Gori, Emanuela Falcucci, Fabrizio Galadini, Marco Moro, and Michele Saroli

Viewed

Total article views: 308 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
218 68 22 308 27 6 5
  • HTML: 218
  • PDF: 68
  • XML: 22
  • Total: 308
  • Supplement: 27
  • BibTeX: 6
  • EndNote: 5
Views and downloads (calculated since 29 Aug 2024)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 29 Aug 2024)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 307 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 307 with geography defined and 0 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 08 Dec 2024
Download
Short summary
We performed a paleoseismological study on the Mt. Morrone active fault, which constitutes one of the most problematic structures of the central Apennines in terms of large-earthquake probability. Information on historical seismicity is relatively few and the paleoseismological record is limited only to the northern portion of the fault. We investigated four trenches and we recovered the occurrence of three events over the last 5–6 kyrs, suggesting an average recurrence interval of 1800 years.