Fault identification for the catastrophic 1894 Atalanti earthquake using 3D finite-difference modelling and local geophysical data

Abstract

An identification of the responsible faults for the destructive earthquakes of 1894 in the Atalanti region was carried out by employing a novel application of 3D finite-difference wavefield modeling. Several faults proposed in the literature were tested in detailed 3D simulations, by also utilizing a detailed local 3D velocity model, as well as the local topography. The assessment of the most probable sources for these events was based on the correlation of reported damages with the distribution of the simulated peak ground acceleration. Furthermore, the distribution of the spectral amplitudes at higher frequencies that are related to the resonant frequencies of the local buildings on that time period was also used as an indicator. The general effect of the local 3D subsurface structure on the propagation of the wavefield and the spatial distribution of the ground motion was also investigated. The Malessina fault was identified as a probable source for the main event of 20/4/1894 based on the results of the 3D modeling, whereas the 3D effect was found to be a highly contributing factor to the distribution of the simulated ground motion.