Effects of the 6th September 2002 earthquake: damage amplification in the south-eastern sector of Palermo explained by GIS technology
Main Article Content
Abstract
During the 6th September 2002 earthquake the highest damage level in Palermo was observed in the SE sector.
This is a recent urbanization area where reinforced concrete structures predominate. A detailed analysis of soil
properties in Palermo was carried out by City-GIS to investigate a possible role of nearsurface geology on earthquake
effects. City-GIS is a tool dedicated to natural hazard evaluation in urban areas. The availability of high
density of well log data (stratigraphic and geotechnical) allowed a realistic modeling of surface geology and
physical-mechanical properties that control the seismic response. In wide zones of the above mentioned sector
of Palermo, outcropping terrains are composed of thin calcarenite layers, lying above remarkably thick siltyclayey
sands that overlay the Numidian Flysch, commonly considered the bedrock of Quaternary sediments.
Since silty-clayey sands feature greater deformability properties (Young's modulus) and smaller resistance properties
(undrained cohesion and shear resistance angle) than Numidian Flysch, these zones of the SE sector exhibit
high values of the acoustic impedance contrast. Moreover, a quite wide portion of the study area, crossed
by the Oreto River, is characterized by very thick alluvial deposits. Here, the significant lateral variations of the
lithostratigraphic geometry may be an additional cause of strong site effects.
This is a recent urbanization area where reinforced concrete structures predominate. A detailed analysis of soil
properties in Palermo was carried out by City-GIS to investigate a possible role of nearsurface geology on earthquake
effects. City-GIS is a tool dedicated to natural hazard evaluation in urban areas. The availability of high
density of well log data (stratigraphic and geotechnical) allowed a realistic modeling of surface geology and
physical-mechanical properties that control the seismic response. In wide zones of the above mentioned sector
of Palermo, outcropping terrains are composed of thin calcarenite layers, lying above remarkably thick siltyclayey
sands that overlay the Numidian Flysch, commonly considered the bedrock of Quaternary sediments.
Since silty-clayey sands feature greater deformability properties (Young's modulus) and smaller resistance properties
(undrained cohesion and shear resistance angle) than Numidian Flysch, these zones of the SE sector exhibit
high values of the acoustic impedance contrast. Moreover, a quite wide portion of the study area, crossed
by the Oreto River, is characterized by very thick alluvial deposits. Here, the significant lateral variations of the
lithostratigraphic geometry may be an additional cause of strong site effects.
Article Details
How to Cite
Giammarinaro, M. S., Canzoneri, V., Vallone, P. and Zuccarello, A. (2009) “Effects of the 6th September 2002 earthquake: damage amplification in the south-eastern sector of Palermo explained by GIS technology”, Annals of Geophysics, 46(6). doi: 10.4401/ag-3466.
Issue
Section
OLD
Open-Access License
No Permission Required
Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia applies the Creative Commons Attribution License (CCAL) to all works we publish.
Under the CCAL, authors retain ownership of the copyright for their article, but authors allow anyone to download, reuse, reprint, modify, distribute, so long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers.
In most cases, appropriate attribution can be provided by simply citing the original article.
If the item you plan to reuse is not part of a published article (e.g., a featured issue image), then please indicate the originator of the work, and the volume, issue, and date of the journal in which the item appeared. For any reuse or redistribution of a work, you must also make clear the license terms under which the work was published.
This broad license was developed to facilitate open access to, and free use of, original works of all types. Applying this standard license to your own work will ensure your right to make your work freely and openly available. For queries about the license, please contact ann.geophys@ingv.it.