Conveners:
Francesca Pacor (INGV)
Laura Peruzza (OGS)
Lucia Margheriti (INGV)
Giuliana Rossi (OGS)
Nearly fifty years after the 1976 Friuli earthquake (Mw 6.5), this session aims to reflect on the scientific legacy of this seminal event and to discuss recent advances in understanding and preventing earthquakes in the Southern Alps. The Friuli sequence marked a turning point for Italian seismology, geodynamics, hazard and seismic risk mitigation, stimulating the development of modern seismic networks, multidisciplinary observations, and integrated approaches to hazard assessment.
The Southern Alps represent a key natural laboratory for studying earthquake processes in a complex tectonic setting characterized by the interaction between compressional and transpressional regimes, inherited structures, and strong lateral heterogeneities in crustal properties. Despite the moderate seismicity rates, the region hosts potentially damaging earthquakes and densely populated areas, making improved understanding and prevention strategies particularly relevant.
Contributions to this session are encouraged on a broad range of topics, including but not limited to: seismotectonics and fault mechanics; earthquake source processes and preparatory phases; microseismicity and seismic catalog analysis; geodetic and geophysical constraints on crustal deformation; innovative monitoring technologies (e.g., dense seismic arrays, DAS, GNSS, InSAR); seismic emergency preparedness and management, ground motion and earthquake scenario modeling and implications for seismic hazard, risk reduction, and civil protection practices.
By bringing together observational, theoretical, and applied perspectives, this session aims to foster discussion on how advances in Earth sciences can contribute to more effective earthquake prevention and resilience in the Southern Alps and comparable regions.