S wave Splitting in Central Apennines (Italy): anisotropic parameters in the crust during seismic sequences

Abstract

In this work, we reviewed the main anisotropic results obtained in the last two decades along the Central Apennines. Moreover, we improved this database, with new results coming from the seismicity that occurred in the Montereale area, between 2009 and 2017, which corresponds to a spatio-temporal gap in the previously analyzed datasets. The examined papers concerned both seismic sequences (as Colfiorito in 1997, Pietralunga in 2010, L’Aquila in 2009, Amatrice in 2016) and background seismicity (as the 2000-2001 Città di Castello experiment).

The whole of the collected results shows a general NW-SE fast shear wave direction consistent with both the orientation of the extensional active Quaternary and inherited compressive fault systems, focal mechanisms and local stress field. Also, we observed a more intense anisotropy strength (normalized delay time > 0.006 s/km) nearby the strongest events (M > 5), all concentrated in the hanging-wall of the activated fault systems. In fact, this area is deeply affected by the surrounding rock volume perturbations that, in turn, have altered both the local stress field and crustal fracturing network. The most common anisotropic interpretative models that could explain our results are 1) the stress-induced anisotropy according to the Extensive-Dilatancy Anisotropy (EDA) model where the anisotropic pattern is related to the local stress variation and most of the variability is visible in time; 2) the tectonic-controlled anisotropy according to the Structural-Induced Anisotropy (SIA) model where the anisotropic pattern is related to the major structural features and most of the variability is visible only in space.

As reported by the examined studies in Central Apennines the possibility to discriminate between stress and structural anisotropy is quite complex in a region where the directions of the extensional regime, the in situ horizontal maximum stress, the strike of major faults, both active and inherited coincide.

Generally, in this review, we noted an overlap and mixture of the two aforementioned mechanisms and, just through a temporal analysis, made in the Montereale area, we supposed a predominant stressinduced anisotropy only in rock volumes where anisotropic parameter variations have been detected.