Parametric table of recordings for seismological studies at Mount Etna: implications for seismic microzonation studies

Abstract

We present a new dataset of earthquake ground‑motion records for the volcanic area of Mount Etna (eastern Sicily, Italy), aimed at supporting seismological analyses and seismic microzonation studies. The dataset includes 200 volcano‑tectonic earthquakes with local magnitude ML ≥ 3.0 that occurred between 2008 and 2023, recorded by a dense network of permanent and temporary stations up to 150 km. Waveforms were processed using a uniform workflow based on manual phase picking, signal‑to‑noise criteria, and instrument correction. From the processed signals, we derived peak parameters (Peak Ground Acceleration and Peak Ground Velocity), Fourier Amplitude Spectra, and 5% damped response spectra, all distributed through a parametric table integrating ground‑motion measures with event, station, and record metadata. Site conditions were characterized through a multi‑level approach combining existing databases, geological information, Horizontal‑to‑Vertical Spectral Ratio analyses, and dedicated geophysical surveys at selected stations. Dataset consistency was evaluated through residual analysis, allowing the identification of anomalous records while preserving statistical representativeness. To support future ground motion modeling in the area, we identified two clusters with specific seismological characteristics, corresponding to different depth ranges. The resulting dataset provides a unique resource for investigating ground‑motion variability in volcanic environments, which are underrepresented in existing strong‑motion archives, and for advanced applications in ground‑motion modeling and seismic microzonation.