Characterization of active tectonic structures of the Etna volcano, through geophysical surveys, analysis of site response and deformation

Abstract

In this thesis are shown the results of a multidisciplinary research, including geophysical, structural and geodetic surveys, carried out along the Tremestieri-Trecastagni-San Gregorio-Acitrezza fault system with the aim to provide additional insightful about its geometry and kinematics; also, additional geophysical surveys were performed at various sites of the municipalities most affected by the fault segments presence in order to obtain information on site response. This fault system, considered as "laboratory structure", was selected for the different kinematic characteristics and different modes of strain-energy release, that characterized its fault segments. In the northernmost portion, this system has a kinematic behavior of normal fault and releases energy during coseismic deformation, while in the southernmost portion presents a kinematic behavior of a right-lateral strike-slip fault with releases energy during aseismic creep. Furthermore, this fault system, which can be considered the southern boundary of the sliding of Etnean eastern slope, was less studied than the northern sliding boundary and very little is known about the depth geometry of its fault segments. The surveys were performed after an analysis of the data relating to shallow geology and to morphological, structural, stratigraphic, geophysical and seismological aspects; these detailed surveys have confirmed and highlighted a variety of geological and geomorphological conditions that can determine the existence of different stress following the occurrence of an earthquake. After have performed a detailed structural survey, the project has planned the acquisition and analysis of many ambient noise samplings, and of other geophysical surveys, undertaken within the municipalities affected by the presence of the fault segments, increasing the surveys near the fault. All this in order to reconstruct the resonance frequency distribution and detect the possible presence of areas affected by amplification effects. Moreover, in some areas, the surface deformation process was characterized through the design, implementation and installation, across the fault segments, of a geodetic monitoring network, in order to obtain information on the fault kinematics and on the local stress field. The integration of the results obtained from structural, geological and geophysical surveys, with a complete literature review has provided important information on the development in depth of the fault segments; it was thus possible to reconstruct a 3D model of geometry that characterized the southern boundary of Etnean eastern slope sliding. Various deformation data such as GPS displacements, InSAR images, level data and measures with extensometers suggest that the slip along the fault system is not uniform, but can be better described by a distribution of dislocation sources along the fault surfaces. In order to model the slip distribution along the fault surfaces, an inverse modeling of DInSAR deformation data was carried out. This project was aimed to the recognizing site effects, that characterize the studied areas, in order to highlight the seismo-stratigraphic and tectonic behavior of subsoil, as well as, to the characterization of the deformation field related to the fault segments, through the implementation of a new geodetic monitoring network (GEO-UNICT geodetic network). The results allowed to obtain important information on all parameters that can increment the local seismic hazard; all these different but converging approaches, have permitted a complete study of the investigated area. This study providing essential information for a proper land use planning, having as main objective the mitigation of risks that can affect the population.