Valeria Paoletti

• Applied Geophysics
• Researcher at University of Naples Federico II

We analyze a wide gravity low in the Campania Active Volcanic Area and interpret it by a large and deep source distribution of partially molten, low-density material from about 8 to 30 km depth. Given the complex spatial-temporal distribution of explosive volcanism in the area, we model the gravity data consistently with several volcanological and...

S U M M A R Y We present the results of a multidisciplinary and multiscale study at Mt. Massico, Southern Italy. Mt. Massico is a carbonate horst located along the Campanian-Latial margin of the Tyrrhenian basin, bordered by two main NE-SW systems of faults, and by NW-SE and N-S trending faults. Our analysis deals with the modelling of the main NE-...

We analyzed new magnetic, bathymetric, and seismic data acquired in the offshore sector of Somma-Vesuvius volcano (Italy). We detected a group of high-intensity, short wavelength magnetic anomalies corresponding to partly buried volcanic dome-like structures located by seismic data. The magnetic anomalies are aligned along a NW-SE strike that is th...

The gravity gradient tensor (GGT) has been increasingly used in practical applications, but the advantages and the disadvantages of the analysis of GGT components versus the analysis of the vertical component of the gravity field are still debated. We analyse the performance ofjoint inversion of GGT components versus separate inversion of the gravi...

In potential-field inversion, careful management of singular value decomposition components is crucial for obtaining information about the source distribution with respect to depth. In principle, the depth-resolution plot provides a convenient visual tool for this analysis, but its computational complexity has hitherto prevented application to larg...

The 1688 Sannio–Matese earthquake that struck the province of Benevento in Southern Italy on June 5 had a profound impact on the region. This seismic event caused extensive damage and significant environmental effects with I=XI Mercalli-Cancani-Sieberg (MCS) and Mw=7.0. Our study addresses a critical knowledge gap regarding the earthquake's environ...

With the continuous development of society, the rapid urbanization of cities, and the increasing construction of large-scale infrastructure projects, seismic hazard studies are becoming increasingly necessary [...]

The 1688 Sannio–Matese earthquake, with a macroseismically derived magnitude of Mw = 7 and an epicentral intensity of IMCS = XI, had a deep impact on Southern Italy, causing thousands of casualties, extensive damage and significant environmental effects (EEEs) in the epicentral area. Despite a comprehensive knowledge of its economic and social impa...

The Irpinia Fault, also known as the Monte Marzano Fault System, located in the Southern Apennines (Italy), is one of the most seismically active structures in the Mediterranean. It is the source of the 1980, Ms 6.9, multi-segment rupture earthquake that caused significant damage and nearly 3,000 casualties. Paleoseismological surveys indicate that...

Etruscan cemeteries are the best-known source for the Etruscan civilization and provide valuable insights into their culture shedding light on their funerary customs, social structure, and religious beliefs. We present a geophysical study conducted at the Etruscan necropolis of Sasso Pinzuto, Tuscania (Central Italy), using Ground Penetrating Radar...

We conducted large-depth Ground-Penetrating Radar investigations of the seismogenic Casamicciola fault system at the volcanic island of Ischia, with the aim of constraining the source characteristics of this active and capable fault system. On 21 August 2017, a shallow (hypocentral depth of 1.2 km), moderate (Md = 4.0) earthquake hit the island, ca...

On 21 August 2017, a shallow earthquake of Md 4.0 struck the Casamicciola Terme village in the north of Ischia volcanic island (Italy). It caused two fatalities and heavy damage in a restricted area of a few square kilometers. The damaging earthquakes at Ischia Island are no exception. The earthquakes repeat with similar characteristics over the hi...

The Fucino Pliocene-Quaternary extensional basin represents a puzzling tectonic structure in the central part of the Apennine chain (Italy). Bordered by seismogenetic faults responsible for strong earth- quakes in the last millennium (Mw = 6–7), differently from other elongated intermontane basins in this area, it has a rounded shape and extend...

Sediments infilling in intermontane basins in areas with high seismic activity can strongly affect ground-shaking phenomena at the surface. Estimates of thickness and density distribution within these basin infills are crucial for ground motion amplification analysis, especially where demographic growth in human settlements has implied increasing s...

The aim of this paper is to identify and constrain the geometry (strike, dip direction and dip angle) of the seismogenic structures in areas of central-southern Apennines characterized by outcropping/ buried and/or active/silent faults. We use an integrated analysis of geo-structural, seismological and gravimetric data in GIS environment and focus...

The choice of an effective interpretative methodology in terms of management costs, timing, reliability, safety and efficiency is a key issue for the identification of unexploded ordnance (UXO). Among geophysical methods, magnetometry plays an important role in detection and interpretation of UXO objects. We present a study aimed at the identificat...

In recent years, potential field quantities such as the Normalized Source Strength and the Total Gradient have been increasingly used in applied and environmental geophysics because of their properties. They are always non-negative and minimally affected by the direction of the source’s remanent magnetization. Despite the fact that these quantities...

This paper deals with the Krafla geothermal field, northeastern Iceland, and illustrates how the upgrade of high enthalpy geothermal plants can be effective and lead to increased power production. The aim of this paper is to examine ways of improving the thermodynamic performance of the power plant at Krafla in light of the recent wells. Starting w...

In past decades, magnetic surveying had become popular as one of the most effective techniques supporting archaeological prospecting. This is possible because the existence of susceptibility contrasts between the cover soil and several buried finds often causes detectable anomalies. More recently, great advances were made in signal enhancement and...

In past decades, magnetic surveying had become popular as one of the most effective techniques supporting archaeological prospecting. This is possible because the existence of susceptibility contrasts between the cover soil and several buried finds often causes detectable anomalies. More recently, great advances were made in signal enhancement and...

The island of Socorro is located in the eastern Pacific Ocean, 650 km off the coast of Mexico. It is a rare example of an oceanic volcanic island whose above sea level volume is made up mostly of peralkaline trachytes and rhyolites, with subordinate mafic rocks. Subaerial volcanism started several hundred thousand years ago and continues until rece...

Identification of active faults in abruzzo area (central italy) through the analysis of geological, seismological and gravimetric data The aim of this study is to identify and constrain the geometry of the seismogenic structures (active, outcropping and buried fault systems) of the Abruzzo area (central Italy), through an integrated analysis of geo...

In recent years, Gravity Gradient Tensor (GGT) has been successfully used in applied and environmental geophysics, also in light of the development of gradiometers. In this paper, we aim at analysing the inversion, either joint or separate, of different GGT components and of the sole gravity field vertical component. We perform our analysis by insp...

Modern technologies in the field of marine geophysical surveys allow us to obtain accurate and detailed information on the characteristics of the seabed and the marine substrate. In this paper we present a new magnetic high-resolution map of the Somma-Vesuvius offshore (Gulf of Naples, Southern Italy) depicting some main volcanological and tectonic...

SUMMARY We describe a multihomogeneity theory for source-parameter estimation of potential fields. Similar to what happens for random source models, where the monofractal scaling-law has been generalized into a multifractal law, we propose to generalize the homogeneity law into a multihomogeneity law. This allows a theoretically correct approach to...

We present the results of a geophysical study at the site of Pian della Tirena, near the town of Nocera Terinese (Calabria, Italy). Geophysical imaging is a recent technique providing a reliable mapping of the three-dimensional magnetization distribution below the ground and, thus, effectively estimating the depth of buried structures. The site stu...

Many methods have been used to upward continue potential field data.Most techniques employ the Fast Fourier transform, which is an accurate, quick way to compute level-to-level upward continuation or spatially varying scale filters for level-to-draped surfaces. We here propose a new continuation approach based on the minimum-length solution of the...

A careful management of the data errors in potential field inversion is crucial for obtaining reliable information about the source distribution with respect to depth. The Depth Resolution Plot introduced by Fedi, Hansen and Paoletti provides a convenient tool for this analysis: it allows a computational/visual analysis of how much the depth resolu...

We processed and interpreted a newly acquired geophysical dataset (WS10 project) integrated with vintage seismic profiles to study the evolution of the Sardinian passive margin of the Sardo-Provençal basin. The most prominent features of the area of study are a consequence of the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) which produced a thick salt layer in...

In this paper we recall a method for medium scale (level-2) zoning of seismic-induced landslide susceptibility and present its application to the Sannio-Irpinia area, Southern Italy. Previous small scale studies of the entire Campania Region identified this area as one of the most susceptible to earthquake-induced landslides in the region. The area...

We present a potential-field constrained inversion procedure based on a priori information derived exclusively from the analysis of the gravity and magnetic data (self-constrained inversion). The procedure is designed to be applied to underdetermined problems and involves scenarios where the source distribution can be assumed to be of simple charac...

A careful management of the ambiguities and errors in potential field inversion is crucial for obtaining reliable information about the source distribution with respect to depth. In this paper we introduce a tool, the ApproxDRP, which is based on an approximation of the singular vectors obtained by the iterative Lanczos bidiagonalization algorithm....

Several methods are used to upward continue potential field data. The leading techniques employ the Fast Fourier transform, accurate and quick for level-to-level upward continuation, and spatially varying scale filters for level-to-draped surfaces. We propose a new approach, based on the minimum-length solution of the inverse potential field proble...

The main objective of the present study is to evaluate seismic attenuation relationships for the Campanian area (southern Italy) using felt intensity report data obtained from a comprehensive historical databases (DOM 4.1). We focused our attention on the Campania region because it is characterized by a high seismic hazard and risk, particularly in...

We present a potential-field-constrained inversion procedure based on apriori information derived exclusively from the analysis of the gravity and magnetic data (self-constrained in- version). The procedure is designed to be applied to underdetermined problems and involves scenarios where the source distribution can be assumed to be of simple charac...

Starting with the tragic case of the earthquake in L'Aquila this paper discusses a fundamental aspect of the correct evaluation of the danger (hazard) of an area and of a specific urban site, that is, the underestimation of the amplyfying effect of the sites in many developed Italian urgan areas situated in valleys or alluvial plains along with a s...

In this paper we give an overview of the recent geophysical, geochemical and volcanological studies concerning the island of Ischia within the geological and tectonic framework of Southern Italy. Ischia is an active volcanic field that had a complex volcanic history resulting from dominant explosive and minor effusive activity, several caldera coll...

We describe a multiscale method for source parameter estimations (depth to the source, homogeneity degree) based on a new theory, which we propose for studying explicitly inhomogeneous field. The theory consists in enlarging the set of homogeneous fields with those having a fractional homogeneity-degree and in relaxing the standard homogeneous equa...

Shear wave velocities have a fundamental role in connection with the mitigation of seismic hazards, as their low values are the main causes of site amplification phenom-ena and can significantly influence the susceptibility of a ter-ritory to seismic-induced landslides. The shear wave velocity (Vs) and modulus (G) of each lithological unit are infl...

Shear wave velocities have a fundamental role in connection with the mitigation of seismic hazards, as their low values are the main causes of site amplification phenomena and can significantly influence the susceptibility of a territory to seismic-induced landslides. The shear wave velocity (Vs) and modulus (G) of each lithological unit are influe...

We propose a constrained inversion procedure based on a priori information derived exclusively from the potential field data themselves (self-constrained inversion). To set up effective constraints, we utilize two source parameters, namely the structural index N and the position of the source body edges, both estimated through analysis of the field...

In this paper, we present a GIS-based method for regional zoning of seismic-induced landslide susceptibility and show its application to the territory of the Campania region, Southern Italy. The method employs only three factors that we believe are most significant in the susceptibility assessment: the type of outcropping rock/soil, the slope angle...

Southern Italy Southern Apennines, Italy, are characterized by a very high seismic hazard and the shaking related to this seismicity has been a major cause for landslide triggering. An effective study of seismic hazard of a landslide-prone region should therefore include a detailed assessment of the seismic slope stability, to be carried out at dif...

In this paper we present an approach for evaluating landslide susceptibility in seismic areas. It is known that earthquake-induced landslide susceptibility is related to several, often interplaying, factors. Nevertheless, an effective grade-2 zonation should be characterized by a good balance between simplicity, quickness and reliability. The GIS-b...

At 0132 UTC (0332 local time) on 6 April 2009, a major earthquake (ML = 5.8, Mw = 6.3) occurred a few kilometers southwest of the city of L'Aquila in the Abruzzi region of central Italy (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/eqinthenews/2009/us2009fcaf/). The quake was preceded by a long and often intense seismic sequence, and it was followed by a se...

In this paper we present a study of the structural setting of the volcanic island of Ischia by the analysis and interpretation of high-resolution aeromagnetic and self-potential data recently acquired over the island. The magnetic data allowed us to locate the main anomaly sources and lineaments of the island and its offshore surroundings, while th...

In this paper we present a study of the structural setting of the volcanic island of Ischia by the analysis and interpretation of high-resolution aeromagnetic and self-potential data recently acquired over the island. The magnetic data allowed us to locate the main anomaly sources and lineaments of the island and its offshore surroundings, while th...

Since the Sixties, the turning point marked by the Plate Tectonics global theory has provided new ideas for the interpretation of the complex geodynamic evolution of the Mediterranean area. The renewed interest that followed gave a strong impulse to the geological and geophysical investigations of the Mediterranean area and, more specifically, of t...

This paper presents a study of the Phlegrean Fields-Ischia submarine ridge by the analysis and interpretation of high-resolution aeromagnetic data recently acquired in the Western Procida offshore. The investigated area is located along the ridge connecting Ischia to the Phlegrean Fields and is characterized by the existence of several monogenetic...

Since the Sixties, the turning point marked by the Plate Tectonics global theory has provided new ideas for the interpretation of the complex geodynamic evolution of the Mediterranean area. The renewed interest that followed gave a strong impulse to the geological and geophysical investigations of the Mediterranean area and, more specifically, of t...

The main objective of the present study is to evaluate seismic attenuation relationships for the Campanian area (southern Italy) using the felt intensity report data obtained from comprehensive historical databases (DOM 4.1). We focused our attention on the Campania region because it is characterized by a high seismic hazard and risk, particularly...

We show how a denoising technique based on the wavelet transform can be used to deal with localized noise related to DC electrified railway lines. This method, which performs localized and sharp filtering of cultural noise, was applied to high-resolution aeromagnetic data acquired in the Phlegrean volcanic area, southern Italy, in 1999 and 2001. Th...

Inverse potential field problems have ambiguous solutions, and a unique solution can only be computed if additional a priori information is incorporated into the solution process. We discuss several kinds of ambiguity, and show how each type of ambiguity occurs and is handled differently. We demonstrate that potential-field data provide depth infor...

In questo lavoro è presentato uno studio della struttura dell'area di Monte di Vezzi, nell'Isola d'Ischia, effettuato attraverso l'analisi di un nuovo 'data set' aeromagnetico ad alta risoluzione e di precedenti dati gravimetrici. L'indagine aeromagnetica ha coperto l'intera Isola d'Ischia, con linee di volo separate 300 m ed una distanza dal piano...

We study the inversion of potential fields and evaluate the degree of depth resolution achievable for a given problem. To this end, we introduce a powerful new tool: the depth-resolution plot (DRP). The DRP allows a theoretical study of how much the depth resolution in a potential-field inversion is influenced by the way the problem is discretized...

We start from the general inverse problem for potential fields and discuss the validity and suitability of using not only horizontal variations of them, but also their vertical ones. Hence multilevel data sets are considered, being they obtained either from measured data at different levels or by measuring the field just at the lower level and then...

In this paper we present and discuss the results of a geophysical airborne survey carried out in the Somma-Vesuvius volcanic area, Southern Italy, in 1999. The helicopter-borne survey was aimed at giving new detailed insights into the distribution of the magnetization of the area and, therefore, into the volcanological characteristics of the region...

An application of magnetic survey to the submerged Roman ruins of the Bay of Baia, volcanic area of the Phlegrean Fields, Naples (southern Italy) is presented and discussed. The site of Baiae, one of the most extensive submerged archaeological sites known in Italy, is characterized by urban sites with residential houses, thermal baths, fisheries an...

In this paper we present an example of the integration of airborne and marine magnetic data sets measured in the Nea- politan area, southern Italy. The integra- tion involved detailed data measured re- cently in the Phlegrean Fields, in the Somma-Vesuvis area and in the Bay of Na- ples, that produced a high-resolution mag- netic map of the whole ac...

In this paper, we present an application of denoising techniques to the high-resolution aeromagnetic and radiometric data measured in 1999 in the Vesuvian volcanic area, southern Italy. The helicopter-borne survey aimed at giving new detailed insights into the distribution of the magnetization and of the main radionuclides of the area and, therefor...

In this paper we present and analyze the new detailed aeromagnetic data set resulting from a recent survey carried out in the Phlegrean Fields volcanic area. The survey was aimed at gaining new insight into the volcanological characteristics of the region north of Phlegrean Fields (Parete-Villa Literno area) where remarkable thickness of volcanic/s...

We here present and discuss the results of the analysis and qualitative interpretation of two magnetic surveys performed in the Bay of Naples in 1998 and 2000. A map of the Bay of Naples based on the data acquired during these surveys has already been published by the Italian CNR-IAMC Research Institute. We re-processed the same data to produce map...

In this work we discuss some analysis and interpretation aspects of potential field data occurring in densely populated regions, where cultural noise is relevant. We use data from a recent survey of Phlegrean Fields volcanic area. The survey was aimed at giving new insight into the volcanological characteristics of the region north of Phlegrean Fie...