Defining a mid-Holocene earthquake through speleoseismological and independent data: implications for the outer Central Apennines (Italy) seismotectonic framework
A speleoseismological study has been conducted in the Cavallone Cave, located in the easternmost carbonate sector of the Central Apennines (Maiella Massif), in a seismically active region interposed between the post-orogenic extensional domain, to the west, and the contractional one, to the east. Th...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2017-02-01
|
| Series: | Solid Earth |
| Online Access: | http://www.solid-earth.net/8/161/2017/se-8-161-2017.pdf |
| _version_ | 1817979423584944128 |
|---|---|
| author | A. Di Domenica A. Pizzi |
| author_facet | A. Di Domenica A. Pizzi |
| author_sort | A. Di Domenica |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A speleoseismological study has been conducted in the
Cavallone Cave, located in the easternmost carbonate sector of the Central
Apennines (Maiella Massif), in a seismically active region interposed
between the post-orogenic extensional domain, to the west, and the
contractional one, to the east. The occurrence of active <q>silent normal
faults</q>, to the west, close to blind thrusts, to the east, raises critical
questions about the seismic hazard for this transitional zone. Large
collapses of cave ceilings, fractures, broken speleothems with new
re-growing stalagmites on their top, preferential orientation of fallen
stalagmites and the absence of thin and long concretions have been observed
in many portions of the karst conduit. This may indicate that the cave
suffered sudden deformation events likely linked to the occurrence of past
strong earthquakes. Radiocarbon dating and, above all, the robust
correspondence with other coeval on-fault and off-fault geological data
collected in surrounding areas outside the cave, provide important
constraints for the individuation of a mid-Holocene paleoearthquake around
4.6–4.8 kyr BP. On the basis of the available paleoseismological data,
possible seismogenic sources can be identified with the Sulmona normal fault
and other active normal fault segments along its southern prosecution, which
recorded synchronous strong paleoevents. Although
the correlation between speleotectonic observations and quantitative
modeling is disputed, studies on possible effects of earthquake on karstic landforms and features, when corroborated by independent data collected outside caves, can provide a useful contribution in discovering past earthquakes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T22:42:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4dcee44ff14f4406899697ffff2ab58b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1869-9510 1869-9529 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T22:42:34Z |
| publishDate | 2017-02-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Solid Earth |
| spelling | doaj.art-4dcee44ff14f4406899697ffff2ab58b2022-12-22T02:26:33ZengCopernicus PublicationsSolid Earth1869-95101869-95292017-02-018116117610.5194/se-8-161-2017Defining a mid-Holocene earthquake through speleoseismological and independent data: implications for the outer Central Apennines (Italy) seismotectonic frameworkA. Di Domenica0A. Pizzi1Department of Engineering and Geology, University G. d'Annunzio, Via dei Vestini 31, Chieti, 66013, ItalyDepartment of Engineering and Geology, University G. d'Annunzio, Via dei Vestini 31, Chieti, 66013, ItalyA speleoseismological study has been conducted in the Cavallone Cave, located in the easternmost carbonate sector of the Central Apennines (Maiella Massif), in a seismically active region interposed between the post-orogenic extensional domain, to the west, and the contractional one, to the east. The occurrence of active <q>silent normal faults</q>, to the west, close to blind thrusts, to the east, raises critical questions about the seismic hazard for this transitional zone. Large collapses of cave ceilings, fractures, broken speleothems with new re-growing stalagmites on their top, preferential orientation of fallen stalagmites and the absence of thin and long concretions have been observed in many portions of the karst conduit. This may indicate that the cave suffered sudden deformation events likely linked to the occurrence of past strong earthquakes. Radiocarbon dating and, above all, the robust correspondence with other coeval on-fault and off-fault geological data collected in surrounding areas outside the cave, provide important constraints for the individuation of a mid-Holocene paleoearthquake around 4.6–4.8 kyr BP. On the basis of the available paleoseismological data, possible seismogenic sources can be identified with the Sulmona normal fault and other active normal fault segments along its southern prosecution, which recorded synchronous strong paleoevents. Although the correlation between speleotectonic observations and quantitative modeling is disputed, studies on possible effects of earthquake on karstic landforms and features, when corroborated by independent data collected outside caves, can provide a useful contribution in discovering past earthquakes.http://www.solid-earth.net/8/161/2017/se-8-161-2017.pdf |
| spellingShingle | A. Di Domenica A. Pizzi Defining a mid-Holocene earthquake through speleoseismological and independent data: implications for the outer Central Apennines (Italy) seismotectonic framework Solid Earth |
| title | Defining a mid-Holocene earthquake through speleoseismological and independent data: implications for the outer Central Apennines (Italy) seismotectonic framework |
| title_full | Defining a mid-Holocene earthquake through speleoseismological and independent data: implications for the outer Central Apennines (Italy) seismotectonic framework |
| title_fullStr | Defining a mid-Holocene earthquake through speleoseismological and independent data: implications for the outer Central Apennines (Italy) seismotectonic framework |
| title_full_unstemmed | Defining a mid-Holocene earthquake through speleoseismological and independent data: implications for the outer Central Apennines (Italy) seismotectonic framework |
| title_short | Defining a mid-Holocene earthquake through speleoseismological and independent data: implications for the outer Central Apennines (Italy) seismotectonic framework |
| title_sort | defining a mid holocene earthquake through speleoseismological and independent data implications for the outer central apennines italy seismotectonic framework |
| url | http://www.solid-earth.net/8/161/2017/se-8-161-2017.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT adidomenica definingamidholoceneearthquakethroughspeleoseismologicalandindependentdataimplicationsfortheoutercentralapenninesitalyseismotectonicframework AT apizzi definingamidholoceneearthquakethroughspeleoseismologicalandindependentdataimplicationsfortheoutercentralapenninesitalyseismotectonicframework |