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The current unrest phase at Campi Flegrei Caldera, Italy from 2000 to present is evidenced by increasing seismicity rates and magnitude, gas emissions and remarkable ground deformation. We consider multi-technique geodetic data to constrain the recent surface deformations and study the possible hazard implications. Time-series from the COSMO-SkyMed satellite mission and GNSS data in the period 2013-2020 show an increasing rate of uplift at the caldera center, reaching a total of about 1 m in the town of Pozzuoli during 2010-2020. Horizontal deformation confirms the inflationary trend. Also, new GNSS seafloor measurements, located in the Gulf of Pozzuoli and available from 2017 to 2020, show a nearly radial pattern. The use of these data in the analysis, in addition to the inland GNSS and InSAR data, helps constraining the 3D pattern of deformation also in the submerged part of the Campi Flegrei caldera.3D finite element models are developed including the elastic heterogeneous structure of the medium based on the newest seismic tomography of the area of Campi Flegrei. We consider the potential action of a plumbing system composed of a general (without fixing the shape a-priori) “central” source, and a deep tabular layer placed at 7.5 km depth.The results show that the central source is placed below the caldera floor, at 4.5 km depth, and has a shape of a thick spheroid with axes ratio of about 0.8 and 0.5. The use of the sill-like source, as suggested by several previous studies for the 2011-2013 time window, lead to three-four fold higher misfits. We interpret our solution as a thickened sill for which the vertical dimension is not negligible such as for the sill-like source, but has a finite dimension of about half the horizontal extension.No significant contributions from the deep tabular layer are evidenced by the inversions, but the hypothesis of a deep reservoir cannot be fully ruled out, since its activity may be masked by the central shallower source. Also, the implementation of seafloor measurements leads to results compatible with the inland GNSS data alone. In order to understand the evolution of the current inflation process, the results are compared to previous models from the beginning of the present unrest phase (2011 - 2013) and also previous unrest phases (1980-1984).This work is part of the multidisciplinary project LOVE-CF, financed by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, to study the dynamics of Campi Flegrei caldera.

Coseismic ground displacement of Turkey/Syria earthquakes of 6th February 2023 from Sentinel-1 SAR data

We evaluated the performances of different SAR-based techniques by analyzing the surface coseismic displacement related to the 2019 Ridgecrest seismic sequence (an Mw 6.4 foreshock on July 4th and an Mw 7.1 mainshock on July 6th) in the tectonic framework of the eastern California shear zone (Southern California, USA). To this end, we compared and validated the retrieved SAR-based coseismic displacement with the one estimated by a dense GNSS network, extensively covering the study area. All the SAR-based techniques constrained the surface fault rupture well; however, in comparison with the GNSS-based coseismic displacement, some significant differences were observed. InSAR data showed better performance than MAI and POT data by factors of about two and three, respectively, therefore confirming that InSAR is the most consolidated technique to map surface coseismic displacements. However, MAI and POT data made it possible to better constrain the azimuth displacement and to retrieve the surface rupture trace. Therefore, for cases of strike-slip earthquakes, all the techniques should be exploited to achieve a full synoptic view of the coseismic displacement field.

We study the surface deformation following a moderate size M5+ earthquake sequence that occurred close to Tyrnavos village (Thessaly, Greece) in March 2021. We adopt the interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) technique to exploit several pairs of Sentinel-1 acquisitions and successfully retrieve the ground movement caused by the three major events (M5+) of the sequence. The mainshocks occurred at depths varying from ~7 to ~10 km, and are related to the activation of at least three normal faults characterizing the area previously unknown. Thanks to the 6-day repeat time of the Sentinel-1 mission, InSAR analysis allowed us to detect both the surface displacement due to the individual analyzed earthquakes and the cumulative displacement caused by the entire seismic sequence. Especially in the case of a seismic sequence that occurs over a very short time span, it is quite uncommon to be able to separate the surface effects ascribable to the mainshock and the major aftershocks because the time frequency of radar satellite acquisitions often hamper the temporal separation of such events. In this work, we present the results obtained through the InSAR data analysis, and are able to isolate single seismic events that were part of the sequence.

Subsidence can be caused by multiple natural or anthropogenic factors. Natural factors account for compaction of recent sedimentary deposits, oxidation and shrinkage of organic soils. Anthropogenic factors include the pumping of groundwater for human use and the exploitation of hydrocarbon reservoir, both inland and off-shore. The area of Ravenna (Northern Italy) is affected by both anthropogenic and natural subsidence. Natural contribution is due to the compaction of the deposits of the Po plain, of approximately 2 mm/yr. This phenomenon has dramatically increased since the 1950s because of shallow groundwater pumping and deep gas production from several on-shore and off-shore reservoirs in the Upper Adriatic Sea basin.In this work, we used SAR, GPS and levelling data to investigate the deformation detected at Lido Di Dante, located along the coastal area of Ravenna. This area is subject to gas pumping of the Angela-Angelina gas field, a gas reservoir exploited since 1973, with platform located very close to the coast, at approximately 2 km from the shoreline. We analysed SAR data from multiple missions from 1992 to 2018. In particular, the ESA’s archives were exploited considering ERS data (ascending and descending orbits, spanning 1992-2000), ENVISAT data (ascending and descending orbits, 2003-2010) and Sentinel-1 satellites (ascending and descending orbits, 2015-2018) and ASI’s images acquired by Cosmo-SkyMed (ascending orbit, 2011-2017). The GPS data are provided by Eni S.p.A. In particular, we consider the GPS ANGA, located offshore on the Angela-Angelina platform, and the GPS FIUN, located near Lido Di Dante. The levelling data are from Eni S.p.A. archives, span 1983-2017.The subsidence detected by InSAR (Interferometric SAR) time series at Lido Di Dante from 1992 to 2018 is approximately 250 mm. The ERS time series show a change in the slope between 1997 and 1998, when the Angela-Angelina platform came into operation. There is a general correlation between gas extraction and surface deformation, indeed the subsidence increases when the gas production increases. Therefore, to better analyze the correlation between gas extraction and observed deformation, the exploited reservoir is modelled as a closing crack (dislocation tensile fault), whose contraction rate is constrained by data inversions. The results indicate that the subsidence in the area of Lido di Dante is the sum of natural contribution due to soil compaction and of hydrocarbon extraction activities during the periods of massive extraction.In order to better discriminate the factors affecting subsidence we build a Finite Element Model, by means of the software Comsol Multiphysics. The geometry of reservoir has been deduced by literature, while the pressure inside the reservoir is modulated by the GPS signals at ANGA between 1998 and 2018. The results show that the contraction of reservoir due to gas pumping produces measurable deformation along the coastline. The vertical and horizontal cumulative displacements between 1998 and 2018 reach the maximum values of 28 cm and 15-20 cm, respectively.

In this work we exploit X- and C-band InSAR data for detecting local deformation phenomena induced by the 2016–2017 Central Italy seismic sequence. Our goal is to highlight the usefulness of multi-band InSAR analysis for Hazard assessing and Rapid Mapping purposes when in-situ investigations are difficult or dangerous to be performed. Indeed, local seismic-induced effects (such as landslides, avalanches, subsidence, etc.) could severely impact the environment and the population in the surrounding of areas hit by earthquakes. We focused on four areas, named Monte Vettore, Podalla, Bolognola and Cicconi, where InSAR outcomes revealed how the main seismic events of the sequence activated several landslides and secondary faults interested by deformation of ~ 2–3 cm along the satellite Line-of-Sight (LoS). The use of multi-band InSAR data allows the observation of multi-scale deformation phenomena with both different spatial resolution and coverage, highlighting the limits and constraints of different SAR sensors. Moreover, it ensures the crosschecking of displacement patterns retrieved through different InSAR products, especially when no ground truth or in situ ancillary data are available for validation purposes. As a result, the retrieved InSAR information can support the Scientific Community and the Institutions in the management of crisis emergencies.

We investigate a large geodetic data set of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) and GPS measurements to determine the source parameters for the three main shocks of the 2016 Central Italy earthquake sequence on 24 August and 26 and 30 October (Mw 6.1, 5.9, and 6.5, respectively). Our preferred model is consistent with the activation of four main coseismic asperities belonging to the SW dipping normal fault system associated with the Mount Gorzano-Mount Vettore-Mount Bove alignment. Additional slip, equivalent to a Mw ~ 6.1–6.2 earthquake, on a secondary (1) NE dipping antithetic fault and/or (2) on a WNW dipping low-angle fault in the hanging wall of the main system is required to better reproduce the complex deformation pattern associated with the greatest seismic event (the Mw 6.5 earthquake). The recognition of ancillary faults involved in the sequence suggests a complex interaction in the activated crustal volume between the main normal faults and the secondary structures and a partitioning of strain release.

Campi Flegrei caldera (Italy) was affected by a new unrest phase during 2011–2013. We exploit two COSMO-SkyMed data sets to map the deformation field, obtaining displacement rates reaching 9 cm/yr in 2012 in the caldera center. The resulting data set is fitted in a geophysical inversion framework using finite element forward models to account for the 3-D heterogeneous medium. The best fit model is a north dipping mixed-mode dislocation source lying at ~5 km depth. The driving mechanism is ascribable to magma input into the source of the large 1982–1984 unrest (since similar source characteristics were inferred) that generates initial inflation followed by additional shear slip accompanying the extension of crack tips. The history and the current state of the system indicate that Campi Flegrei is able to erupt again, and the advanced techniques adopted provide useful information for short-term forecasting.

Como historic centre, located at the SW branch of Lake Como (northern Italy), is prone to subside because of a thick sequence of late Pleistocene to Holocene glacio-lacustrine, palustrine and alluvial sediments in the subsoil. After the 1950s, the combination of natural causes and anthropogenic activities amplified subsidence-induced differential settlements at building foundation depths, resulting in damage on the superstructures. This work presents the first subsidence vulnerability analysis of the historic buildings in Como city centre by combining hydrogeological and stratigraphic features, in situ damage investigations, and remote sensing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data acquired by Cosmo-SkyMed mission. First, the relationships between local hydrogeological features and vertical displacements retrieved by SAR Interferometry (InSAR) analysis were qualitatively assessed. This highlighted that cumulative vertical InSAR-derived settlements have a stronger linear correlation with the groundwater level rather than the thickness of compressible soil units at the city scale. The largest vertical displacements are located in the NW sector of the city centre and along the shore of Lake Como, where they remark the pre-Roman shoreline. Then, the cause-effect relationships between building damage severity and Subsidence-Related Intensity (SRI) parameters were investigated using a probabilistic approach based on empirical fragility curves. To this aim, two InSAR-derived SRI parameters were tested for both masonry and reinforced concrete buildings: differential settlements and relative rotations. The former resulted to relate better to distinct damage levels in Como historic centre. The analyses performed can contribute to the management of the inestimable architectural and cultural heritage of Como historic centre.

We present new 40Ar/39Ar data which allow us to refine the recurrence time for the most recent eruptive activity occurred at Colli Albani Volcanic District (CAVD) and constrain its geographic area. Time elapsed since the last eruption (36 kyr) overruns the recurrence time (31 kyr) in the last 100 kyr. New interferometric synthetic aperture radar data, covering the years 1993–2010, reveal ongoing inflation with maximum uplift rates (>2 mm/yr) in the area hosting the most recent (

This study focuses on testing the SAR coherence changes from Sentinel-1 data to detect burned areas and to compare the results with optical Sentinel-2 derived burned area product to be used as validation. Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) data at 350 m resolution was used to identify active fires locations. We focused on a sequence of wildfires that affected the Sila mountain area during the summer of the 2017. This area of the Calabria region (southern Italy) was interested by a range of fires for the second half of July and the whole month of August ([1], [2]) due also to an extremely dry and hot summer. We used a pair of optical images acquired from Sentinel- 2 satellites on 24 July 2017 (pre-events) and 23 August 2017 (post-events). Firstly, we computed the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for both images and calculated the difference between these two (dNDVI) at 10m resolution; the results put in evidence several areas characterized by vegetation reduction, with dNDVI values up to 0.3-0.4. Concerning the SAR data, we evaluated the coherence changes by exploiting two pairs of Sentinel-1 SAR data over the same area. Both pairs were acquired along descending orbit, respectively before (on July, 19th and 31st) and after (on September, 5th and 17th) the fires occurred in the Sila mountain area. The coherence was computed separately for the first (γpre) and the second pair (γpost) and the difference γpost - γpre was calculated. In this way, we evaluated the difference in coherence between September, i.e. post-fires, and July, i.e. pre-fires expecting a higher coherence after burning, due to the vegetation reduction. In several areas, the coherence seems to be consistent with the fire events showing increments up to 0.20-0.25. However, the increasing of coherence difference could also be due to other reasons such as the soil moisture variations in the proximity of lakes/rivers or the seasonal cultivation changes. Further analysis integrating more information such as the SAR amplitude signal and the cross-polarized backscattering coefficient will be conducted in order to better evaluate and discriminate any contributions.

In this work, we use X and C-band SAR data provided by the COSMO-SkyMed and ENVISAT missions to detect and measure some ground deformation phenomena along six coastal areas of Italy. In particular, we exploit multi-temporal interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR), i.e., small baseline subsets (SBAS) and interferometric point target analysis (IPTA) methods, to retrieve the deformation rate maps and time series for each investigated area. Multi-temporal InSAR analysis revealed local subsidence and uplifting effects in Ravenna Coastal Areas, Fiumicino, Campi Flegrei, Sibari Plain, Augusta Bay, and Taranto Gulf. Our work is meant as a demonstrator to show how InSAR-based analysis can provide a detailed understanding of the coastal hazards. Such analysis also opens up new monitoring scenarios such as the possibility of designing a near real-time surveillance service based on Sentinel-1 SAR data.

Uplift and subsidence alternate throughout the life cycle of a volcano mirroring magma accumulation, migration and/or gas pressurization, and magma cooling or depressurization, respectively. The unusual occurrence of coeval inflation and deflation is difficult to reconcile with the recharging or cooling of a single magma chamber, or hydrological processes. Here, we show a persistent flank uplift and central subsidence at Colli Albani volcano near Rome (Italy), by mapping about twenty years of deformation by InSAR data. The magmatic helium signature increases in correspondence with N-S faults along the western slope of Colli Albani, which are therefore interpreted as deep-seated structures directly or indirectly connected with an underlying magma reservoir. Deformation modelling shows that these faults are pathways for fresh magma intrusion, whereas a residual magma is cooling below the deflating caldera. Therefore, magma recharge at depth is controlled by major faults along which the vents of the most recent activity (< 200 ka ago) concentrate in the western side of the volcano and not by the caldera structures. We demonstrate that the Colli Albani magmatic system is slowly rejuvenating, posing a volcanic threat for Rome.

On 3 April 2017, a Mw 6.5 earthquake occurred in Botswana, representing the second-strongest earthquake registered since 1949. Such an intraplate event occurred in a low seismic hazard area and was suspected to be an artificial earthquake induced by nearby anthropogenic activities (gas extraction). The possible relation between anthropogenic activities and the earthquake occurrence has been qualitatively investigated. We estimated the geometric and kinematic characteristics of the causative fault from the modeling of Sentinel-1 InSAR interferograms. Our best-fit solution for the main shock is represented by a normal fault located at a depth greater than 20 km, dipping 65° northeast, with a right-lateral component, and a mean slip of 2.7 m. The retrieved fault geometry and mechanism are incompatible with the hypothetical stress perturbation caused by the anthropogenic activities performed in the area. Therefore, the 3 April 2017 Botswana earthquake can be classified as a natural intraplate earthquake.

We measured ground displacements before and after the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake using multi-temporal InSAR techniques to identify seismic precursor signals. We estimated the ground deformation and its temporal evolution by exploiting a large dataset of SAR imagery that spans seventy-two months before and sixteen months after the mainshock. These satellite data show that up to 15 mm of subsidence occurred beginning three years before the mainshock. This deformation occurred within two Quaternary basins that are located close to the epicentral area and are filled with sediments hosting multi-layer aquifers. After the earthquake, the same basins experienced up to 12 mm of uplift over approximately nine months. Before the earthquake, the rocks at depth dilated, and fractures opened. Consequently, fluids migrated into the dilated volume, thereby lowering the groundwater table in the carbonate hydrostructures and in the hydrologically connected multi-layer aquifers within the basins. This process caused the elastic consolidation of the fine-grained sediments within the basins, resulting in the detected subsidence. After the earthquake, the fractures closed, and the deep fluids were squeezed out. The pre-seismic ground displacements were then recovered because the groundwater table rose and natural recharge of the shallow multi-layer aquifers occurred, which caused the observed uplift.

We use X-band Cosmo-SkyMed InSAR data to highlight several subsidence phenomena resting on some railway and road infrastructures in Lombardia region, Northern Italy, mainly induced by anthropogenic activities. We show eight case studies, namely “Como,” Erba, Oggiono, Valmadrera, Olginate, Verduggio, Melzo, and San Giuliano M., where we detect local subsidence effects affecting several railway and highway lines with deformation rates of about 5 mm/year. The geological features of this part of Italy and the large presence of industrial areas in the surrounding of Milano, Lecco, and Como cities lead to such phenomena. The stability and security of the nested road and railway network could be affected by these surface deformation fields. To guarantee the safety of people, continuous maintenance of the condition of railways and roads together with the monitoring of the conditions of the lands on which they rest on should be done.