GEER findings – ground failure

We did not found evidence for surface fault rupture. Scott Kieffer, Teddy Button, and students looked in the area of the Pettino and Paganica faults. Both faults are very well expressed at the surface, but we did not find evidence of displacement from this earthquake. However, recent reports from others indicate some ground failure in vicinity of Paganica fault, and some geologists are going into the field to look more carefully at this. Therefore, it is too early to conclude that there was no surface rupture. Read more

GEER team – overview of activities

The GEER team deployed on April 10 and worked through April 18. Additional observations will continue to come in as additional teams go into the field. We have made every effort to provide our findings to the leadership of those teams to optimize their efficiency. Read more

Main Shock Time Histories from station AQV (provided by M.Celebi, USGS)

Largest peak accelerations of the main shock from station AQV  and their amplitude spectra :  Read more

EERI team members arrive in Italy

EERI team members John Price, Khalid Mosalam, Marko Schotanus, Filip Filipou, and Mersedeh Jorjani arrived in Italy on Friday. They will head to the earthquake affected areas on Saturday. John and Marko will visit the L’Aquila Hospital, while Filip will be visiting the historic center together with Prof. Monti.

Local report on new faults

The attached website reports pictures of new faults in the area:

It’s published in the local newspaper “Il Centro”

http://ilcentro.gelocal.it/multimedia/home/5466682/4

Silvio Calvi

Google map showing affected areas

Click here to visit the Google Map

GEER Update Apr 12 2009

Ground motions: uncorrected mainshock data obtained (56 triaxial recordings) & will be forwarded Brian Chiou shortly for processing at PEER.

Fault: No surface rupture found, but likely scarp of normal fault identified. Aftershock pattern suggests two-segment rupture in mainshock. Possible triggered second event several days after mainshock on separate fault with its own aftershock distribution.

Tentative evidence of site effects identified in LAquila, mapping forthcoming.

Ground failure around lake, mapping forthcoming.

Some rockfalls that damaged structures.

GEER Deployment

Scott Kieffer arrive last night and is in field today. Remaining team members (Giovanna Biscontin, Robert Kayen, and Jonathan Stewart) to arrive Sunday and will begin work immediately with Giuseppe Scasserra. Other Italian team members will join us on Tuesday.

Basic Earthquake Information

Epicenter 70 miles northeast of Rome and a few miles northeast of L’Aquila, population 70,000, Abruzzo’s provincial capital. Shaking felt in Rome, but no damage reported there
26 cities and towns reporting damage over 230 square miles as of Noon PDT 4/9/09.
283 officially declared dead and 1000+ estimated injured, and 10 still missing as of Noon PDT 4/9/09. 100 of the injured are in critical condition. 500 injured were treated in hospitals.

St. Salvatore Hospital in L’Aquila is overwhelmed with injured. Two of three operating rooms reportedly not functional. Part of L’Aquila’s main hospital was evacuated for fear of collapse. Cracks reported in hospital walls. Patients crowded in the courtyard of the hospital and being triaged. A field hospital has been erected nearby.

Reconnaissance teams forming

Several reconnaissance teams are forming and making plans to travel to the field in the next week:

EERI/PEER team, multidisciplinary. Team leader: Paolo Bazzurro

GEER team, geotechnical. Team leader: Jonathan Stewart

EEFIT team, multidisciplinary. Team leader: Tiziana Rosetto

Degenkolb team, structural engineering. Team leader: Chris Poland

ASCE Council on Disaster Reduction and Management. Team leader: Steven Bartlett

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