1,721,097 research outputs found
Attenuation relationship of macroseismic intensity in Italy for probabilistic seismic hazard assessment
No full textA statistical analysis of macrosesmic intensity decay with distance has been conducted by using the most recent compilation of felt intensities relative to Italian earthquakes. An innovative aspect of the present study has been the attempt to define criteria for the validation of the attenuation relationships considered in their complete probabilistic form by a quantitative comparison with observed
macroseismic fields. From the results of our analyses, a new attenuation relationship is proposed for the Italian territory, based on two independent variables only: epicentral intensity and hypocentral distance. Preliminary indications on the existence of differentiated attenuation features of macroseismic intensity over the national territory were gained
Testing probabilistic seismic hazard estimates by comparison with observations: an example in Italy
No full textAn evaluation of the actual reliability of probabilistic seismic hazard (PSH) assessments, provided by existing numerical techniques, is mandatory to orientate new researches and improvements. Two procedures devoted to this task are proposed, which are based on the comparison of the hazard estimates with empirical observations (e.g. strong-motion data). These procedures have been applied to the estimates provided by the methodology adopted for most recent seismic hazard evaluations in Italy. The analysis shows that a significant mismatch exists between peak ground acceleration values characterized by an exceedence probability of 10 per cent in 30 yr and what has actually been observed at 68 accelerometric stations located on stiff soil, where continuous seismicity monitoring has been performed in the last 30 yr. Although this finding should be considered with caution, it suggests that a future re-examination of the adopted PSH computational model could be useful to avoid possible underestimates of seismic hazard in Italy
The Role of Data Processing and Uncertainty Management in Seismic Hazard Evaluations: Insights from Estimates in the Garfagnana–Lunigiana Area (Northern Italy)
No full textSignificantly different estimates of seismic hazard may result for the same site as an effect of different methodological choices underlying the adopted procedures. In order to explore this aspect, two approaches devoted to probabilistic seismic hazard assessment are considered for the evaluation of hazard in a seismic area in Northern Italy. In particular, results of a standard procedure are compared with those obtained by an innovative approach. Fundamental features of this last methodology are the extensive use of intensity data relative to seismic effects observed at the site of interest during past earthquakes and the basic role attributed to the parameterisation of uncertainty which affects the considered pieces of information. The analysis indicates that the new approach supplies results significantly different from those obtained from standard methodology and that these differences strongly depend on strategies adopted for data processing and for the management of uncertainties which affect input parameters
Validation of insensity attenuation relationships
No full textA new approach is proposed for the empirical validation of intensity attenuation relationships to be implemented in standard procedure devoted to probabilistic seismic hazard assessment (PSHA). To this purpose, the overall number of documented intensities above a given threshold in the area of interest is compared with the one expected on the basis of the considered attenuation relationship. By using this methodology, the reliability of empirical relationships can be analyzed by also taking into account the uncertainty affecting ill-defined intensity attributions both at the epicenter and at the site. To assess the feasibility of this procedure, an attenuation relationship recently proposed for the Italian region has been evaluated by considering felt intensities documented in the area during the past two centuries. Although the macroseismic database considered for validation is the same used for the parameterization of the investigated relationship, important discrepancies have been detected between observed and computed intensities in the range of values significant for seismic hazard. This result indicates that a careful parameterization of attenuation relationships in their complete probabilistic form is mandatory when such relationships have to be implemented in PSHA procedures
Taking care of the unaccompanied foreign minors starting from the housing
No full textIn Italy the subject of the rights of unaccompanied foreign minors (UAMs) is not an easy one. UAMs are increasingly becoming “victims of collateral damage” due to the risks of urban marginalization (Bauman 2011). Collateral damage is the result, on the one hand, of inequality and, on the other, of an increase in human suffering. Although discomfort and suffering are connected to the individual, they relate to place, and thus individual fragility becomes an expression of urban fragility. The condition of social fragility is, therefore, dictated by a combination of a series of elements that are not related only to housing, but also to the absence of basic resources that might ensure decent material conditions of life (Townsend, 1979). It is of primary importance to trigger considerations and interventions that may promote effective policies aimed at accompanying people at the risk of extreme marginality, starting from individual projects and taking overall charge of the individual. Stability of accommodation is, sure, one of the conditions for guiding people towards self-sufficiency and the response should be geared towards the planning of case management (i.e. taking charge of the person) and the adoption of housing-led and housing-first approaches, based on the principle of swift rehousing, i.e.: housing first, as a basic human
right. The paper will focus on analysis of experiences of HF as a possible strategy to reduce the risk of social marginality, e.g. for unaccompanied foreign minors who have become newly legal adults and consequently are leaving the reception system in Italy
Narratives to revert overconsumption: human-nature interdependence and Circular Economy
Full text linkPolicy and practitioners’ initiatives to stimulate sustainable consumption have so far failed to have notable impact on individuals’ behaviors. The current commentary is a plea to social and sustainability scientists, particularly to economists dealing with sustainable agri-food systems, to dig deeper into the notion of narratives to trigger societal dynamics that stir consumers toward more sufficient lifestyles. As dominant cultural narratives have a critical role in shaping shared meanings and acceptable behaviors, in the future they could guide dramatic changes in individuals’ conduct, triggering drastic modifications of current consumption patterns. Based on the power that concepts as the Circular Economy and the Anthropocene have had in the recent past, a future step to develop an ecological worldview across society, and nourish individual identities deeply committed with the preservation of natural ecosystems, is working on narratives based on the notion of human-nature interdependence
Validation Through HVSR Measurements of a Method for the Quick Detection of Site Amplification Effects from Intensity Data: An Applicaton to a Seismic Area in Northern Italy
No full text- …
