Seismicity of the Mediterranean region and mitigation of earthquake losses

Abstract

The assessment of seismic hazard is probably the most important contribution of seismology to modern society. In particular, the prediction of the earthquake ground motion and the risk reduction have always been of primary interest for seismologists and engineers. In recent years large and moderate earthquakes that have occurred in densely populated areas highlight the dramatic inadequacy of a massive portion of the buildings erected in and around the epicentral areas and it has been observed that many houses were unable to withstand the ground shaking. These events have also shown that can cause also heavy damage on strategic buildings and facilities and deeply affect a community, as well as produce lost of important cultural heritage sites (e.g. Izmit, Turkey, August 17, 1999; Duzce, Turkey, November 12, 1999; Chi-Chi, Taiwan, September 20, 1999; Bhuj, India, January 26, 2001; Sumatra, Indonesia, December 26, 2004; Wenchuan, China, May 12, 2008; L’Aquila, Italy, April 6, 2009; Haiti, January 2010; Turkey 2011; Japan, March 2011, Emilia, Italy May 2012). Therefore, building earthquake-resistant structures and retrofitting old buildings on a national scale is a very important task, although it can be extremely expensive and can represent an economic challenge even for developed Western countries. Moreover, in our modern and always more demanding societies, it is necessary to properly plan emergency responses and rescues taking into account any possible secondary effect in order to avoid even more casualties and damage. [excerpt]