Ground deformations in the northern Adriatic Sea

The study, resulting from the collaboration between the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV), the University of Bologna and the Ministry of Economic Development, shows the results coming from the analysis data collected at GPS permanent stations installed along the Adriatic coast and on the offshore oil platforms of ENI S.p.A. The study, Geopositioning time series from offshore platforms in the Adriatic Sea, published in Nature’s Scientific Data journal, allowed to measure the ground deformation pattern along the coastal belt and the seabed in the Northern Adriatic Sea and also provided a free access to the scientific community of data processing results. The research activities were carried out as part of the ‘Subsidences’ project of the “Clypea – Innovation Network for future Energy” program, funded by the Ministry of Economic Development. “The processed dataset” – explains Mimmo Palano, researcher at the INGV – Osservatorio Etneo and first author of the research – “can be considered as unique since a so extensive spatial and temporal off-shore dataset haven’t been publicly released until now. The data were analyzed using different scientific softwares in order to obtain the displacement time series for each station, highlighting a complex interaction between regional sources of deformation, such as the tectonics, and local causes, mainly related to anthropic activities”.The analyzed dataset was acquired from GPS stations operating continuously, installed in 13 “storage centers” located along the Adriatic coast and on 24 hydrocarbon platforms located in the northern Adriatic.“This dataset”, continues Giuseppe Pezzo, researcher at the INGV – Osservatorio Nazionale Terremoti (ONT) and project manager, “is fundamental to improve and promote further studies in coastal and marine contexts where both natural and anthropic processes contribute to the ground deformation. In particular, it will be fundamental to carry out further studies focused on the dynamics of the coastline and its impact on human activities and natural ecosystems. Furthermore, this dataset will allow us to carry out the monitoring of the subsidence process and to develop predictive ground deformation models. “Finally”, concludes the researcher,” the use of these data will contribute to studies related to the tectonics of the Adriatic area, also focusing on the seismic hazard evaluation”.