Alessandro Amato | Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (original) (raw)
Papers by Alessandro Amato
Seismic tomography provides velocity images of the crust beneath Quaternary volcanoes and geother... more Seismic tomography provides velocity images of the crust beneath Quaternary volcanoes and geothermal areas with a detail of 1-4 km. We describe the three-dimensional P-wave velocity structure of the upper crust beneath the adjacent Amiata and Vulsini Geothermal Regions, and beneath the Alban Hills Volcano (Central Italy), obtained by inverting local earthquake arrival times. In the three study areas, we find high-velocity anomalies in the upper km of the crust revealing the presence of uplifted limestone units (metamorphosed at depth). The 3-D geometry of the limestone units (the main geothermal reservoir in the region) is clearly defined by the three-dimensional velocity pattern. Negative anomalies at 1 and 3 km depth identify PlioQuaternary depressed structures, filled with low velocity clayey sediments. Earthquake hypocenters are confined in the high velocity carbonate units, in the upper 6-7 km of the crust. Abscence of seismicity beneath 6-7 km suggests ductile behavior of rock...
In the framework of INGV Earthquake Department organization, the Research Activity named "So... more In the framework of INGV Earthquake Department organization, the Research Activity named "Sorveglianza sismica ed operatività post-terremoto" (Seismic survey and post-earthquake operativity" (T5) takes care of the development of tools and procedures for the real time evaluation of earthquake effects and the management of seismic emergency. One of main goals of T5 during 2015 was to formalize protocols from emergency teams mainly devoted to evaluation of damages and geologic effects and installation of temporary seismic stations, immediately after a relevant earthquake. Protocols of 5 teams have been formalized by an INGV President Decree on July, 2015. Another goal of T5 for 2015 was to write an INGV general protocol to face a seismic emergency. A draft version has been prepared and it includes an important news, i.e. the existence of an official Crisis Management Unit. To test all these protocols, a drill has been set up simulating a M6.4 earthquake in southern Latiu...
The INGV sites that deliver information in quasi-real-time are well known. People often connect t... more The INGV sites that deliver information in quasi-real-time are well known. People often connect to the INGV
In recent years, particularly after the L’Aquila 2009 earthquake and the 2012 Emilia sequence, th... more In recent years, particularly after the L’Aquila 2009 earthquake and the 2012 Emilia sequence, the issue of earthquake predictability has been at the center of the discussion in Italy, not only within the scientific community but also in the courtrooms and in the media. Among the noxious effects of the L’Aquila trial there was an increase of scaremongering and false alerts during earthquake sequences and swarms, culminated in a groundless one-night evacuation in northern Tuscany in 2013.
<p>Communicating earthquake scientific information is very important in cou... more <p>Communicating earthquake scientific information is very important in countries like Italy, where seismic sequences are frequent, seismic risk is high, and people’s perception of risk is strongly affected by fear.</p> <p>After the 2009 earthquake in L’Aquila (central Italy), which claimed 309 casualties and triggered a long lasting dispute among scientists, journalists, citizens, including a suite of criminal and civil trials involving scientists and civil protection officers, the scientific and risk communication in Italy (not only on earthquakes) was facing a crossroad. The first choice (feared at that time by many reporters) was to minimize or even elude public communication, in order to avoid misunderstandings and involvement in litigations. The second possibility was to increase the efforts in public communication, getting closer to citizens. INGV definitely opted for the second choice. In the past ten years the INGVterremoti platform has augmented and differentiated its activities on the web and social media, substantially increasing the number of involved people, which amounts today to several hundreds thousand. The platform consists of a coordinated suite of social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and a blog (on wordpress), where we publish both updating during earthquake sequences and scientific topics. Our end users are mostly citizens, but also media and authorities. Our tweets on earthquake activity are often in the first pages of web and TV news magazines.</p> <p>In September 2018, we started publishing automatic locations/magnitudes for earthquakes in Italy with magnitude equal to or larger than 3, after a careful analysis of the thresholds and of the best format to use, in order to warrant message understandability and to minimize false or incorrect information. This issue is very critical both to provide the best and fastest information to citizens, and to increase people’s trust in scientific information and institutions. These are often blamed by citizens and by media when contradictory information is offered to the public. We will present an analysis of the first 18 months of this testing phase, which has been widely appreciated by the public.</p>
Advances in Geosciences, 2016
Seismological Research Letters, 2020
The continuity of monitoring operations at national earthquake centers during crisis is an import... more The continuity of monitoring operations at national earthquake centers during crisis is an important challenge. In 2020, because of the COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) health emergency, monitoring centers all over the world faced new, unexpected problems. In Italy, the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) has the duty to perform earthquake and volcano monitoring, seismic surveillance and tsunami alerting, and maintaining effective communication with the National Civil Protection agency and the public. During the lockdown, that started on 9 March 2020, INGV set up a series of sanitary and organizational measures and improved the technological infrastructures in the control room in Rome for remote use of software for seismic network monitoring, seismic surveillance, and tsunami alerting. Our main goal was to protect the researchers and technicians on duty as much as possible and develop the remote use of software tools necessary to perform service activities when ...
In February 2010, we launched an experimental scientific video channel on YouTube
Frontiers in Earth Science
The NEAM Tsunami Hazard Model 2018 (NEAMTHM18) is a probabilistic hazard model for tsunamis gener... more The NEAM Tsunami Hazard Model 2018 (NEAMTHM18) is a probabilistic hazard model for tsunamis generated by earthquakes. It covers the coastlines of the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and connected seas (NEAM). NEAMTHM18 was designed as a three-phase project. The first two phases were dedicated to the model development and hazard calculations, following a formalized decision-making process based on a multiple-expert protocol. The third phase was dedicated to documentation and dissemination. The hazard assessment workflow was structured in Steps and Levels. There are four Steps: Step-1) probabilistic earthquake model; Step-2) tsunami generation and modeling in deep water; Step-3) shoaling and inundation; Step-4) hazard aggregation and uncertainty quantification. Each Step includes a different number of Levels. Level-0 always describes the input data; the other Levels describe the intermediate results needed to proceed from one Step to another. Alternative datasets and models...
Seismological Research Letters
The Italian Tsunami Alert Center based at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (CAT... more The Italian Tsunami Alert Center based at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (CAT-INGV) has been monitoring the Mediterranean seismicity in the past 8 yr to get fast and reliable information for seismically induced tsunami warnings. CAT-INGV is a tsunami service provider in charge of monitoring the seismicity of the Mediterranean Sea and of alerting Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)/UNESCO subscriber Member States and the Italian Department of Civil Protection of a potentially impending tsunami, in the framework of the Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System in the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and connected seas (NEAMTWS). CAT-INGV started operating in 2013 and became operational in October 2016. Here, after describing the NEAMTWS in the framework of the global effort coordinated by IOC/UNESCO, we focus on the tsunami hazard in the Mediterranean Sea. We then describe CAT-INGV mandate, functioning, and operational procedures. Furthermore, the...
<p>The tsunami risk perception survey is promoted b... more <p>The tsunami risk perception survey is promoted by the Tsunami Alert Centre of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, operating within the Italian System for Tsunami Alert (SiAM) with the Civil Protection Department and ISPRA, and acting as Tsunami Service Provider in the NEAMTWS.</p><p>Conducting studies on tsunami risk perception is important in order to obtain data on population’s knowledge and awareness, and understanding people’s perception of tsunami risk. These data are going to be added to those from two previous surveys on tsunami risk perception being issued in 2018 and 2020, to integrate the available knowledge on these issues and will provide publics, experts and policy makers with relevant tools to <strong>implement risk mitigation policies</strong>. </p><p>The third phase of the survey was completed in January 2021, administering a <strong>total of 4,207 questionnaires</strong> to the population living on the coastal areas of <em>Sicily, Campania, Latium and Sardinia</em>, <strong>in addition to the 1,635 interviewees</strong> considered in previous surveys.</p><p>The survey used a semi-structured questionnaire consisting of 27 items, with closed alternative questions, and four sets of Likert scale questions. The questionnaire was optimized for <em>CATI</em> administration, taking into account the need for conciseness and comprehensibility of the questions.</p><p>All the studied regions are located in the central Mediterranean basin (including central and southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Sardinian Sea, Sicily Channel), some of which are characterized by <strong>high tsunami hazard</strong>, and in some cases they have been affected by recorded tsunamis in a close or distant past. Some regions are located in areas where potential seismic tsunami sources are present, others surround waters where active volcanoes exist, both on islands (such as <em>Stromboli</em>, Vulcano) and below the sea (<em>Marsili, Palinuro</em>). </p><p>In addition, the four studied regions have a <strong>high risk exposure</strong> due to the <strong>high density of population living on</strong>, or visiting the coastal areas for tourism. In the areas where the questionnaire was administered, five highly populated regional capitals are located, including <em>Palermo, Messina, Naples, Rome and Cagliari</em>, together with other important towns (such as <em>Catania, Siracusa, Trapani, Salerno, Olbia</em> etc.). Moreover, the coastal shores involved in the survey, live of a <strong>significant tourist affluence</strong> in the summer period (and not only), with many tourist facilities and large hotels located along the coasts.</p><p>The survey's main aim is to analyze the perception of tsunami risk by the coastal population and to correlate levels of tsunami risk perception with scientific data from <em>probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment</em> (PTHA) for the considered coastal area. We will present some preliminary results of this last survey, with a comparison with the previous analyses on other regions in southern Italy.</p>
Geophysical Research Letters, 2004
Geophysical Research Letters, 1992
Seismic tomography provides velocity images of the crust beneath Quaternary volcanoes and geother... more Seismic tomography provides velocity images of the crust beneath Quaternary volcanoes and geothermal areas with a detail of 1-4 km. We describe the three-dimensional P-wave velocity structure of the upper crust beneath the adjacent Amiata and Vulsini Geothermal Regions, and beneath the Alban Hills Volcano (Central Italy), obtained by inverting local earthquake arrival times. In the three study areas, we find high-velocity anomalies in the upper km of the crust revealing the presence of uplifted limestone units (metamorphosed at depth). The 3-D geometry of the limestone units (the main geothermal reservoir in the region) is clearly defined by the three-dimensional velocity pattern. Negative anomalies at 1 and 3 km depth identify PlioQuaternary depressed structures, filled with low velocity clayey sediments. Earthquake hypocenters are confined in the high velocity carbonate units, in the upper 6-7 km of the crust. Abscence of seismicity beneath 6-7 km suggests ductile behavior of rock...
In the framework of INGV Earthquake Department organization, the Research Activity named "So... more In the framework of INGV Earthquake Department organization, the Research Activity named "Sorveglianza sismica ed operatività post-terremoto" (Seismic survey and post-earthquake operativity" (T5) takes care of the development of tools and procedures for the real time evaluation of earthquake effects and the management of seismic emergency. One of main goals of T5 during 2015 was to formalize protocols from emergency teams mainly devoted to evaluation of damages and geologic effects and installation of temporary seismic stations, immediately after a relevant earthquake. Protocols of 5 teams have been formalized by an INGV President Decree on July, 2015. Another goal of T5 for 2015 was to write an INGV general protocol to face a seismic emergency. A draft version has been prepared and it includes an important news, i.e. the existence of an official Crisis Management Unit. To test all these protocols, a drill has been set up simulating a M6.4 earthquake in southern Latiu...
The INGV sites that deliver information in quasi-real-time are well known. People often connect t... more The INGV sites that deliver information in quasi-real-time are well known. People often connect to the INGV
In recent years, particularly after the L’Aquila 2009 earthquake and the 2012 Emilia sequence, th... more In recent years, particularly after the L’Aquila 2009 earthquake and the 2012 Emilia sequence, the issue of earthquake predictability has been at the center of the discussion in Italy, not only within the scientific community but also in the courtrooms and in the media. Among the noxious effects of the L’Aquila trial there was an increase of scaremongering and false alerts during earthquake sequences and swarms, culminated in a groundless one-night evacuation in northern Tuscany in 2013.
<p>Communicating earthquake scientific information is very important in cou... more <p>Communicating earthquake scientific information is very important in countries like Italy, where seismic sequences are frequent, seismic risk is high, and people’s perception of risk is strongly affected by fear.</p> <p>After the 2009 earthquake in L’Aquila (central Italy), which claimed 309 casualties and triggered a long lasting dispute among scientists, journalists, citizens, including a suite of criminal and civil trials involving scientists and civil protection officers, the scientific and risk communication in Italy (not only on earthquakes) was facing a crossroad. The first choice (feared at that time by many reporters) was to minimize or even elude public communication, in order to avoid misunderstandings and involvement in litigations. The second possibility was to increase the efforts in public communication, getting closer to citizens. INGV definitely opted for the second choice. In the past ten years the INGVterremoti platform has augmented and differentiated its activities on the web and social media, substantially increasing the number of involved people, which amounts today to several hundreds thousand. The platform consists of a coordinated suite of social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and a blog (on wordpress), where we publish both updating during earthquake sequences and scientific topics. Our end users are mostly citizens, but also media and authorities. Our tweets on earthquake activity are often in the first pages of web and TV news magazines.</p> <p>In September 2018, we started publishing automatic locations/magnitudes for earthquakes in Italy with magnitude equal to or larger than 3, after a careful analysis of the thresholds and of the best format to use, in order to warrant message understandability and to minimize false or incorrect information. This issue is very critical both to provide the best and fastest information to citizens, and to increase people’s trust in scientific information and institutions. These are often blamed by citizens and by media when contradictory information is offered to the public. We will present an analysis of the first 18 months of this testing phase, which has been widely appreciated by the public.</p>
Advances in Geosciences, 2016
Seismological Research Letters, 2020
The continuity of monitoring operations at national earthquake centers during crisis is an import... more The continuity of monitoring operations at national earthquake centers during crisis is an important challenge. In 2020, because of the COronaVIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) health emergency, monitoring centers all over the world faced new, unexpected problems. In Italy, the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) has the duty to perform earthquake and volcano monitoring, seismic surveillance and tsunami alerting, and maintaining effective communication with the National Civil Protection agency and the public. During the lockdown, that started on 9 March 2020, INGV set up a series of sanitary and organizational measures and improved the technological infrastructures in the control room in Rome for remote use of software for seismic network monitoring, seismic surveillance, and tsunami alerting. Our main goal was to protect the researchers and technicians on duty as much as possible and develop the remote use of software tools necessary to perform service activities when ...
In February 2010, we launched an experimental scientific video channel on YouTube
Frontiers in Earth Science
The NEAM Tsunami Hazard Model 2018 (NEAMTHM18) is a probabilistic hazard model for tsunamis gener... more The NEAM Tsunami Hazard Model 2018 (NEAMTHM18) is a probabilistic hazard model for tsunamis generated by earthquakes. It covers the coastlines of the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and connected seas (NEAM). NEAMTHM18 was designed as a three-phase project. The first two phases were dedicated to the model development and hazard calculations, following a formalized decision-making process based on a multiple-expert protocol. The third phase was dedicated to documentation and dissemination. The hazard assessment workflow was structured in Steps and Levels. There are four Steps: Step-1) probabilistic earthquake model; Step-2) tsunami generation and modeling in deep water; Step-3) shoaling and inundation; Step-4) hazard aggregation and uncertainty quantification. Each Step includes a different number of Levels. Level-0 always describes the input data; the other Levels describe the intermediate results needed to proceed from one Step to another. Alternative datasets and models...
Seismological Research Letters
The Italian Tsunami Alert Center based at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (CAT... more The Italian Tsunami Alert Center based at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (CAT-INGV) has been monitoring the Mediterranean seismicity in the past 8 yr to get fast and reliable information for seismically induced tsunami warnings. CAT-INGV is a tsunami service provider in charge of monitoring the seismicity of the Mediterranean Sea and of alerting Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)/UNESCO subscriber Member States and the Italian Department of Civil Protection of a potentially impending tsunami, in the framework of the Tsunami Warning and Mitigation System in the North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and connected seas (NEAMTWS). CAT-INGV started operating in 2013 and became operational in October 2016. Here, after describing the NEAMTWS in the framework of the global effort coordinated by IOC/UNESCO, we focus on the tsunami hazard in the Mediterranean Sea. We then describe CAT-INGV mandate, functioning, and operational procedures. Furthermore, the...
<p>The tsunami risk perception survey is promoted b... more <p>The tsunami risk perception survey is promoted by the Tsunami Alert Centre of the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, operating within the Italian System for Tsunami Alert (SiAM) with the Civil Protection Department and ISPRA, and acting as Tsunami Service Provider in the NEAMTWS.</p><p>Conducting studies on tsunami risk perception is important in order to obtain data on population’s knowledge and awareness, and understanding people’s perception of tsunami risk. These data are going to be added to those from two previous surveys on tsunami risk perception being issued in 2018 and 2020, to integrate the available knowledge on these issues and will provide publics, experts and policy makers with relevant tools to <strong>implement risk mitigation policies</strong>. </p><p>The third phase of the survey was completed in January 2021, administering a <strong>total of 4,207 questionnaires</strong> to the population living on the coastal areas of <em>Sicily, Campania, Latium and Sardinia</em>, <strong>in addition to the 1,635 interviewees</strong> considered in previous surveys.</p><p>The survey used a semi-structured questionnaire consisting of 27 items, with closed alternative questions, and four sets of Likert scale questions. The questionnaire was optimized for <em>CATI</em> administration, taking into account the need for conciseness and comprehensibility of the questions.</p><p>All the studied regions are located in the central Mediterranean basin (including central and southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Sardinian Sea, Sicily Channel), some of which are characterized by <strong>high tsunami hazard</strong>, and in some cases they have been affected by recorded tsunamis in a close or distant past. Some regions are located in areas where potential seismic tsunami sources are present, others surround waters where active volcanoes exist, both on islands (such as <em>Stromboli</em>, Vulcano) and below the sea (<em>Marsili, Palinuro</em>). </p><p>In addition, the four studied regions have a <strong>high risk exposure</strong> due to the <strong>high density of population living on</strong>, or visiting the coastal areas for tourism. In the areas where the questionnaire was administered, five highly populated regional capitals are located, including <em>Palermo, Messina, Naples, Rome and Cagliari</em>, together with other important towns (such as <em>Catania, Siracusa, Trapani, Salerno, Olbia</em> etc.). Moreover, the coastal shores involved in the survey, live of a <strong>significant tourist affluence</strong> in the summer period (and not only), with many tourist facilities and large hotels located along the coasts.</p><p>The survey's main aim is to analyze the perception of tsunami risk by the coastal population and to correlate levels of tsunami risk perception with scientific data from <em>probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment</em> (PTHA) for the considered coastal area. We will present some preliminary results of this last survey, with a comparison with the previous analyses on other regions in southern Italy.</p>
Geophysical Research Letters, 2004
Geophysical Research Letters, 1992