Subsurface geological and geophysical data from the Po Plain and the northern Adriatic Sea (north Italy)

Abstract

Abstract. The Po Plain (Italy) is one of the most densely populated and productive regions of Europe, characterized by a flourishing economy (also linked to strategic subsurface resources) and several world cultural and natural heritage sites. The coupling of socio-economic interests with geological hazards (i.e. seismic, subsidence, and flooding hazards) in this area requires accurate knowledge of the subsurface geology, the active geological processes, and the impact of human activities on natural environments to mitigate the potential natural and anthropic risks. Most data unveiling the subsurface geology of this region were produced by the hydrocarbon exploration industry. Indeed, the Po Plain hosts many hydrocarbon fields that have been discovered since the early 1950s, giving rise to the subsurface exploration through extensive seismic reflection surveys and drilling of numerous deep wells. In this work, geological and geophysical data from 160 deep wells drilled for hydrocarbon exploration and/or exploitation purposes in the Po Plain and in the facing northern Adriatic Sea have been collected and digitized along with several published geological cross-sections and maps. These data have been used to reconstruct the overall subsurface 3D architecture and to extract the physical properties of the subsurface geological units. The digitized data are suitable to be imported into geo-software environments so as to derive the geophysical and mechanical properties of the geological units for a wealth of applied and scientific studies such as geomechanical, geophysical, and seismological studies. The integrated dataset may represent a useful tool in defining regional first-order strategies to ensure the safety of the urbanized areas and human activities and to reduce natural and anthropic risks that may affect this crucial region of Europe. In particular, the data collected would be useful to highlight sensible areas where data collection and more detailed studies are needed. Nowadays, such issues are particularly relevant for the underground industry development related to the increasing interest in possible CO2 and hydrogen underground storage, which can play a fundamental role in the energy transition process towards decarbonization goals. The full dataset is available at the following link: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8126519 (Livani et al., 2023).