Increase in landslide activity after a low-magnitude earthquake as inferred from DInSAR interferometry

On August 16th, 2018, a Mw 5.1 earthquake struck the Molise region (central Italy), inducing 84 earthquake-triggered landslides that predominantly involved soil covers of clayey materials and flysch on gently dipping slopes. To quantify the spatiotemporal landslide activity in the months immediately...

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Published inScientific reports Vol. 12; no. 1; p. 2686
Main Authors Martino, S., Fiorucci, M., Marmoni, G. M., Casaburi, L., Antonielli, B., Mazzanti, P.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Nature Publishing Group UK 17.02.2022
Nature Publishing Group
Nature Portfolio
Subjects
704/172
704/4111
Earthquakes
Humanities and Social Sciences
Interferometry
Landslides
Landslides & mudslides
multidisciplinary
Rainfall
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Seismic activity
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Summary:On August 16th, 2018, a Mw 5.1 earthquake struck the Molise region (central Italy), inducing 84 earthquake-triggered landslides that predominantly involved soil covers of clayey materials and flysch on gently dipping slopes. To quantify the spatiotemporal landslide activity in the months immediately after the earthquake, a differential SAR interferometry (DInSAR) analysis was performed for a time span from 2 years before to one year after the earthquake, recognising both first-time and reactivated landslides. The results showed a clear increase in landslide activity following the low-magnitude earthquake with respect to the activities recorded in the same months of the previous years. Several coherent landslides (earth slides and earth flows) were observed following seasonally recurrent rainfall events. Such increases were observed for both reactivated and first-time landslides, showing decreases in inactive periods and activity over longer periods. Furthermore, the spatial density distribution of the landslides was investigated in the postseismic time interval along transects perpendicular and parallel to the direction of the tectonic element responsible for the seismic event. An asymmetrical distribution was deduced parallel to the fault strike with a higher number of landslides located inside the compressional sector according to a strike-slip faulting mechanism.
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ISSN:2045-2322
2045-2322
DOI:10.1038/s41598-022-06508-w