Claudia Sgambato

Solid Earth Dynamics

UCL

BBK

Fault locations and slip rates are the principal drivers of the geography and rates of seismic hazard. Previous studies have shown that the geometry of faults affects the long-term strain-rate across faults and hence the rate of seismic moment release in earthquakes.

This project will investigate the relationship between the variability in fault strike and the following parameters: fault orientation, fault length, fault dip, the configuration of a fault in relation to the surrounding faults and slip to length ratios. What drives the variability in slip-rates along faults need to be understood to improve fault-based seismic hazard assessments. To achieve this, faults in Southern Italy will be studied and compared to faults in Central Italy. Detailed measurements of fault geometry and slip-rates will be made across faults in the Central and Southern Apennines. Techniques adopted will increase ground-based fieldwork and structure from motion analyses. Detailed analyses of how strain-rates vary along faults and Coulomb Stress Transfer calculations will be performed. These calculations will be put in the context of seismic hazard calculations and their relevance for earthquake risk.

• Claudia Sgambato, Joanna P.Faure Walker, Gerald P.Roberts (2020) Uncertainty in strain-rate from field measurements of the geometry, rates and kinematics of active normal faults: Implications for seismic hazard assessment Journal of Structural Geology DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2019.103934
• Claudia Sgambato, Joanna Phoebe Faure Walker, Zoë Keiki Mildon & Gerald Patrick Roberts (2020) Stress loading history of earthquake faults influenced by fault/shear zone geometry and Coulomb pre-stress Scientific Reports DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-69681-w