Massimiliano Porreca

Università degli Studi di Perugia | UNIPG · Department of Physics and Geology

Sete Cidades is an active yet dormant central volcano located in the westernmost part of São Miguel Island (Azores archipelago), characterized by a 5-km-wide multi-stage caldera formed in the last 36 ka. In this work, we present new stratigraphic, grain size, petrographic, and geochemical data of the 16 ka Santa Bárbara Formation, related to the la...

The 2016–2017 Amatrice-Norcia seismic sequence was triggered by the reactivation of a complex NNW-SSE trending, WSW-dipping normal fault system cross-cutting the Umbria-Marche fold and thrust belt near M. Vettore. This fault system produced clear and impressive co-seismic ruptures on normal faults in the hangingwall of the M. Sibillini thrust, wher...

The Barents Sea is a typical example of a multiple sourced hydrocarbon system, with several gas and oil fields. Previous studies have suggested a gas and oil-prone character of the source rocks, but a lack of success in oil discoveries characterizes this area. In this work, the geochemical characterization of source rocks using well data from six e...

Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) is a valid tool to investigate magma flow direction within dikes. However, geometrically inverse magnetic fabric characterized by maximum magnetic susceptibility axis (kmax) perpendicular to the dike wall, may complicate the interpretation of flow trajectories. To better understand the nature of this fabr...

Large magnitude earthquakes produce complex surface deformations, which are typically mapped by field geologists within the months following the mainshock. We present detailed maps of the surface deformation pattern produced by the M. Vettore Fault System during the October 2016 earthquakes in central Italy, derived from ALOS-2 SAR data, via DInSAR...

Satellite Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) is a well-known technique that allows investigation surface displacements affecting large areas (km-scale) on the Earth, in both natural and anthropogenic hazard scenarios, with rather limited costs and a centimeter accuracy. In particular, in the last two decades, the effectiv...

Remote Sensing techniques are methods based on the acquisition of the reflected electromagnetic radiation from the Earth surface in different portions of the electromagnetic spectrum (Campbell, 1996), and are widely applied in several fields, as environmental monitoring or the detection of changes in tropical forests. Another interesting applicatio...

In the last three decades, remote sensing techniques, such as Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR), have been exploited for investigating, with high accuracy, ground displacement phenomena. Large seismic events (Mw > 5.5) can trigger deformations at the surface, which are controlled by the active faults and the intercepted...

Volcanic phenomaena shaped the surface of all terrestrial planets in the solar system, and silicate glasses represent a major component in pyroclastic deposits and lavas. Spectral features of silicate glasses therefore influence spectral characteristics of large portions of planetary surfaces. In this study, experimental petrology techniques have b...

The footwall of the surface rupturing Paganica normal fault, the source of the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake (Mw 6.1) in the Central Apennines (Italy), was investigated using integrated geological and geomorphological approaches. The aim was to constrain the active tectonics by studying the Raiale River that orthogonally crosscuts the fault trace, where...

Silicate glasses represent a major component in volcanic products, both in pyroclastic deposits and lavas. To date, their spectral characteristics are not thoroughly investigated in the context of their characterization as possible analogues of planetary surfaces, mainly due to their lack of spectral features. Nevertheless, featureless VIS-NIR spec...

The highest part of the Nera River basin (Central Italy) hosts significant water resources for drinking, hydroelectric, and aquaculture purposes. The river is fed by fractured large carbonate aquifers interconnected by Jurassic and Quaternary normal faults in an area characterized by high seismicity. The October 30, 2016, seismic sequence in Centra...

In 2016–2017, a destructive sequence of earthquakes affected a wide portion of Central Italy, activating a complex, 80-km long system of SW-dipping normal faults and causing impressive surface faulting and widespread damage. Former studies providing reconstructions of the fault systems activated during this sequence, are mostly based on high-resolu...

Central Italy was affected by a long seismic sequence in 2016 and 2017, characterized by five main-shocks with Mw>5.0. The Mw 6.5 mainshock occurred on 30 October 2016 close to the town of Norcia, located in the intra-Apennine Norcia basin. Different degrees of damages were observed during this seismic crisis, caused by a variable seismic shaking....

The 2016–2017 seismic sequence in Central Italy caused the reactivation of a complex NNW-SSE trending, WSW-dipping normal fault system associated with relevant coseismic ruptures. The seismic sequence significantly affected the groundwater circulation hosted in limestone aquifers. Based on the data available in May 2019, this work aims to contribut...

In seismotectonic studies, seismic reflection data are a powerful tool to unravel the complex deep architecture of active faults. Such tectonic structures are usually mapped at the surface through traditional geological surveying, whilst seismic reflection data may help to trace their continuation from the near surface down to hypocentral depths. O...

During the 2016–2017, a seismic sequence struck the Central Italy, involving four regions (Umbria, Marche, Abruzzo and Lazio) and causing important damages and victims in inhabited areas such as Norcia and Amatrice towns. The strongest event of the seismic sequence was a Mw 6.5 event with epicenter at about 5 km far from the Norcia area, which is a...

In seismotectonic studies, seismic reflection data are a powerful tool to unravel the complex deep architecture of active faults. Such tectonic structures are usually mapped at surface through traditional geological surveying whilst seismic reflection data may help to trace their continuation from the near-surface down to hypocentral depth. In this...

The presence of a set of well-known turbidite successions, deposited in progressively E-migrating foredeep basins and subsequently piled up with east vergence, makes the Northern Apennines of Italy paradigmatic of the evolution of deepwater fold-and-thrust belts. This study focuses on the early Apenninic collisional stage, early Miocene in age, whi...

An Mw 6.1, devastating earthquake, on April 6, 2009, struck the Middle Aterno Valley (Abruzzi Apennines, Italy) due to the activation of a poorly known normal fault system. Structural analysis of the fault population and investigation of the relationships with the Quaternary continental deposits through integrated field and laboratory techniques we...

The recent 2016–2017 seismic sequence in Central Italy has prompted the investigation of several geological and geophysical data in order to derive more accurate subsurface geological models. We present the results of combined gravity and magnetic modeling performed along three sections crossing the area of the seismic sequence in order to evaluate...

The Secche di Lazzaro formation (ca. 6.2-7 kys BP) is a phreatomagmatic deposit situated in the southwestern part of the island of Stromboli (Aeolian Archipelago, Italy). The volcanic sequence is comprised of three main units. In the lower unit accretionary lapilli are particularly abundant and are characterized by strong cementation between the pa...

The Santa Bárbara trachytic eruption (~16 ka) was one of the major eruptions of the Sete Cidades Volcano (São Miguel Island, Azores), recording the last stage of caldera formation. Here we report and combine geochemical, mineralogical and petrological constraints on natural samples with time-series experiments to describe the pre-eruptive condition...

Facies classification is an important factor to understand depositional history of the rocks and therefore to improve the hydrocarbon reservoir characterization. The ideal sources for facies classification are core samples extracted from wells, not always obtained due to high costs. Therefore, a method is necessary for classifying facies in uncored...

We provide a novel reconstruction of the subsurface geology of the area close to the Norcia Mw 6.5 mainshock (30 October 2016), based on previously unpublished seismic reflection profiles and available geological data. Though the surface expression of the complex system of NNW-SSE trending, seismogenic normal faults is well known at the surface, th...

The area interested by the 2016-2017 seismic sequence is located in a tectonically complex region Central Italy. Here, the compressional structures show a very complex pattern: both Umbria-Marche and Gran Sasso Domains overthrust the synorogenic Messinian Laga Domain, through arc-shaped major thrusts, namely the M. Sibillini thrust and the Gran Sas...

Starting from August 24th, 2016, a long seismic sequence, including nine Mw>5.0 earthquakes, struck a wide area of the Central Italy. A large amount of geological, geodetic and seismological data envisages a complex system of NNW‐SSE trending, seismogenic normal faults. These active tectonic structures are well known at the surface, and consistent...

We present new evidence that shows magma mingling can be a key process during highly explosive eruptions. Using fractal analysis of the size distribution of trachybasaltic fragments found on the inner walls of bubbles in trachytic pumices, we show that the more mafic component underwent fracturing during quenching against the trachyte. We propose a...

The purpose of this thesis was to study in detail the structural architecture and the properties of the Candigliano fault zone (Piobbico PU, Italy), and to calculate its permeability by using the classical statistical algorithms of Fault Seal Analysis (FSA) calibrated for siliciclastic sequences, adapted and applied for a single fault (F1) in carbo...

Starting from August 24th, 2016, a long seismic sequence struck a wide area of the Central and Northern Apennines of Italy, including nine Mw>5.0 earthquakes, located at depths between 6 and 12 km. Geological, geodetic and seismological data acquired during the seismic sequence univocally envisage a complex system of NNW-SSE trending, seismogenic n...

Starting from August 24, 2016, a long seismic sequence struck a wide area of the central and northern Apennines of Italy, including nine Mw > 5.0 earthquakes, located at depths between 6 and 12 km. Geological, geodetic and seismological data acquired during the seismic sequence univocally envisage a complex system of NNW-SSE trending, seismogenic n...

Abstract The deepwater fold-and-thrust belts (DWFTBs) are geological structures recently explored thanks to advances in offshore seismic imaging by oil industry. In this study we present a kinematic analysis based on three balanced cross-sections of depth-converted, 2-D seismic profiles along the offshore Lamu Basin (East African passive margin)....

The poster presents a multidisciplinary geological study of the Outer Tuscan Nappe (OTN), an imbricate thrust system in the Northern Apennines of Italy, emplaced in Early Miocene times in deep water environment, intended to classify the OTN as an example of fossil (exhumed) Deep Water Fold-and-Thrust Belt.

Since the 70's magnetic fabric analysis has been used to infer magma emplacement in dikes. However, the interpretation of magmatic flow orientation in dikes is often complicated by the occurrence of anomalous (i.e. inverse) magnetic fabric. This latter may either reflect the presence of single-domain (SD) grains or result from peculiar orientation...

Fold-and-Thrust Belts occur worldwide in a variety of tectonic settings. Most of them develop in a deepwater environment (Deep Water Fold-and-Thrust Belts, DWFTBs), at both continental passive and active margins, driven by gravity (near-field stresses) and tectonic forces (far-field stresses) respectively. Here we present a multidisciplinary geolog...

A seguito dell'ennesimo terremoto distruttivo, ritorna prepotente la stessa domanda: perché la scienza non è in grado di prevedere un terremoto? In realtà, non è esattamente così. A partire dagli anni '70, sono stati fatti notevoli passi avanti nello studio dei terremoti, grazie allo sviluppo di nuove tecnologie e all'acquisizione di un numero elev...

The knowledge of modern deep-water fold-and-thrust belts (DWFTBs), widespread at both passive and active continental margins, has been significantly increased in the last decades, due to advances in offshore seismic imaging. DWFTBs are geological features of considerable economic interest, since many oil and gas fields have been recently discovered...

A multidisciplinary approach was carried out in the Quaternary continental Triponzo basin (northern Apennines, Umbria region) with the aim of developing a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between tectonic and fluid circulation processes that have promoted deposition of widespread continental carbonates. The area is located at the int...

InSAR images showed that the 2009 Mw=6.1 normal faulting L'Aquila earthquake (Abruzzi region, central Italy) produced a maximum co-seismic subsidence of ca. 24 cm in the epicentral area. We report new results about the stratigraphic architecture of this area by means of the integration of geophysical and stratigraphic data from a new 151 m deep bor...

Even if most thinskinned fold-and-thrust belt are generated at convergent plate boundaries, in the last decades advances in seismic exploration and acquisition of large datasets have shown that they are also notably widespread along continental passive margins, driven by gravity processes in deep-water areas. In this study a composite set of modern...

The 4.6 ka Fogo A Plinian eruption was a caldera-forming volcanic event on São Miguel Island, Azores. The deposit succession is very complex, composed of a thick trachytic Plinian fallout deposit interstratified with two intra-Plinian ignimbrites (named “pink ignimbrite” and “black ignimbrite” sequentially). The succession ends with a main ignimbri...

Paper conference at the General Assembly IUGG2015.

Recent rifting episodes highlight the role of magmatic systems with propagating dikes on crustal spreading. However, our knowledge of magmatic systems is usually limited to surface observations and geophysical data. Eastern Iceland allows direct access to extinct and eroded deeper magmatic systems. Here we collected field structural and AMS (Anisot...

Recent rifting episodes highlight the role of magmatic systems with propagating dikes on crustal spreading. However, our knowledge of magmatic systems is usually limited to surface observations and geophysical data. Eastern Iceland allows direct access to extinct and eroded deeper magmatic systems. Here we collected field structural and AMS (anisot...

The occurrence of inverse magnetic fabric in dikes is very common and may either reflect the presence of single-domain (SD) grains or it may result from different orientation mechanisms of magnetic minerals in magmas of different viscosities. Here we present the results of a multidisciplinary study in the Alftafjordur volcanic system (Eastern Icela...

The propagation direction of dikes and the relationships between magmatism and tectonics within rift systems are still debated. The extinct rift zones in Eastern Iceland show the deep eroded portions of a rift, largely consisting of dikes. Here we present a multidisciplinary study in the Alftafjordur volcanic system (Eastern Iceland), including a:...

The emplacement temperatures of three ignimbrites belonging to the 4.6-ka Fogo A plinian eruption sequence in São Miguel Island (Azores, Portugal) were determined using partial thermal remanent magnetization (pTRM) of lithic clasts and reflectance (Ro%) of charcoal fragments embedded within the deposits and collected at the same localities close to...

This Special Publication provides a snapshot of our understanding of volcanic processes through the use of palaeomagnetic and rock magnetic techniques. Here, we provide a context for the book, placing individual chapters within the milieu of previous work, including some magnetic techniques that were not used in the particular studies described her...

The 150 m deep borehole LAQUICORE was drilled in the coseismic subsidence depocenter, shown by INSAR images in the middle Aterno continental basin, after the 2009 Mw=6.1 earthquake that struck the historical city of L’Aquila (Italy). The drill site was located where geological, seismological and geophysical surveys indicated a continuous record wit...

New 40Ar/39Ar ages and major and trace element geochemistry of the middle-late Miocene Cabo de Gata volcanic complex, southeast Spain, indicate that the volcanic activity of the Cabo de Gata volcanic zone developed over a short period through several pulses of geochemically and isotopically different parental magmas. The oldest volcanic rocks expos...

The geologic map of the Neogene Cabo de Gata volcanic zone is presented together with a comprehensive volcanic stratigraphy and structure based on logging, correlation and mapping. Volcanic rocks are interbedded with sedimentary rocks throughout the Cabo de Gata volcanic zone. The volcano-sedimentary succession of Cabo de Gata has been divided into...

Faial is one of the most volcanically active islands of the Azores Archipelago. Historical eruptions occurred on the Capelo Peninsula (westernmost sector of the island) during A.D. 1672–1673 and more recently in A.D. 1957–1958. The other exposed volcanic products of the peninsula are so far loosely dated within the Holocene. Here, we present a succ...

Abstract The Miocene Cabo de Gata volcanic arc in SE Spain comprises a wide variety of volcanic facies and eruptive styles in subaqueous to subaerial environments. In the SW sector of the area, 5-100 m-thick, NNW-SSE-orientated dykes feed and intrude submarine hyaloclastite deposits. We analysed the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) of si...

Submarine felsic volcanoes are dominated by hyaloclastic piles hundreds of meters thick, the origin of which, in terms of how and when they form, is far from being completely understood. Here we present a study of the thermal remanent magnetization of the Miocene high- K dacitic El Barronal hyaloclastites (Cabo de Gata, Spain), showing that their f...

The relationships between tectonics and hotspot-related magmatism in transform/ transtensive settings are poorly known. The Azores archipelago, lying where the transform plate boundary between the Nubian and Eurasian plates meets the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, is a rare site to investigate these relationships. The distinct tectono-magmatic features of Fai...