The CARG project (Geological Cartography) represents a key tool for acquiring baseline geological knowledge of the territory and enables the systematic collection of data essential for understanding geologically relevant processes with direct implications for hazard assessment. In particular, CARG can play an important role in supporting the ITHACA project (ITaly HAzard from CApable faults), which compiles and organizes information on capable faults across Italy, thereby informing fault hazard analyses and supporting the development of effective risk mitigation strategies.The initial application of capable fault studies during a CARG survey is exemplified by Sheet 348 - Antrodoco. Increased attention to the coseismic faulting hazard following the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake fostered a greater awareness of active tectonics, highlighting the need to study Quaternary-active tectonic structures during CARG mapping. Consequently, the 2022 update of the Italian Geological Survey’s Notebook No. 15, regarding “previous data on active and capable faults and suggestions for their detection and survey”, explicitly refers to the ITHACA catalogue and its Guide to Consultation and Use (https://portalesgi.isprambiente.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Linee_Guida_ITHACA.pdf).

From the paleoseismological and seismotectonic point of view, the intermountain basins of the Central Apennines of Italy are one of the most studied areas worldwide. Within this context, however, the Rieti Basin, bounded at its sides by active normal faults and with its peculiar rhombohedral shape, is a relatively overlooked area, and its most recent paleoseismological studies date back to the 90s. This is a key area both for completing the paleoseismological history of this sector of the chain and for understanding how the present-day extensional regime is accommodated through time by the faults bounding the basin. With this aim in mind, we excavated 17 paleoseismological trenches along the normal faults bordering the Rieti Basin (Central Apennines, Italy) and unveiled at least 6 paleoearthquakes that ruptured the faults during the last ca. 20 kyr.Our analysis of the paleoearthquake succession along the basin-bounding faults suggests that a spatial pattern is followed during sequences of rupturing events, with a maximum credible earthquake of Mw 6.5, consistently within this sector of the Central Apennines.

Nel quadriennio 2022-2025, ISPRA ha fornito supporto tecnico-scientifico alla Segreteria Nazionale CCS, per l’autorizzazione del primo progetto sperimentale di stoccaggio geologico della CO2 in Italia. Lo stoccaggio è stato autorizzato per un quantitativo massimo di 50.000 t il 26/01/2023, mediante la procedura semplificata prevista dal D.Lgs. n. 162/2011 per progetti sperimentali con volumi inferiori a 100.000 t. Il progetto ha previsto la cattura di CO2 dai fumi del camino a servizio di un turbo-compressore di un impianto onshore, il trasporto tramite una condotta sottomarina e l’iniezione permanente in un giacimento di gas depleto, situato nel Mare Adriatico settentrionale. Il Gestore ha svolto una valutazione di sicurezza sui potenziali rischi per la salute umana e l’ambiente implementando un sistema di controllo che include il monitoraggio microsismico, la stima delle deformazioni del suolo, la verifica dell’integrità di pozzi e condotte e il monitoraggio ambientale marino. ISPRA ha contribuito alla valutazione tecnico-scientifica di tali attività, supportando la Segreteria tecnica CCS nell’analisi degli esiti del monitoraggio offshore e onshore e nella verifica degli impatti potenziali sull’uomo e sull’ambiente marino. L’esperienza acquisita costituisce un riferimento nazionale per la valutazione di futuri progetti CCS e un supporto operativo per il nuovo Comitato CCS, e la relativa Segreteria Tecnica, insediati nell’ottobre 2025.

Albania is located within the complex tectonic framework of the external Dinarides and Hellenides, where multiple active fault systems accommodate ongoing crustal shortening. However, significant uncertainties persist regarding fault segmentation, kinematics, and surface expression. This study integrates tectonic geomorphology, field observations, and historical data to reassess the relationships between active structures and destructive seismicity in southern and eastern Albania during the period 1851 to 1942. Remote sensing data, including satellite imagery and digital terrain models, high-resolution topographic data, and field surveys were combined with earthquake catalogues and focal-mechanism datasets to identify and evaluate seismogenic sources in two representative case studies. The first case concerns the Vlora–Elbasani Line and the southern frontal thrust system of the Ionian Zone, which produced a prolonged seismic sequence including more than twelve Mw > 6 earthquakes, culminating in the 1930 event. This sequence is interpreted as a migrating rupture process that facilitated the thrusting of the Ionian Zone over the Sazani Zone. Detailed analysis of the 1897 Dhiver earthquake reveals well-documented coseismic ruptures and highlights the persistence of oral traditions that preserve seismological memory. The second case study focuses on eastern Albania (1894–1942), where strike-slip deformation along the Peshkopi–Bilisht fault system is associated with pull-apart basins and major historical earthquakes within the Ohrid graben.

Summary In this study, a focal mechanism catalogue of earthquakes for the Albania zone is presented by using a few seismotectonic parameters. There are a total of 505 events in the time interval between 1948 and 2022 with ML3.5. Albania is one of the most seismically active countries with tens of destructive large earthquakes over the past twenty centuries as revealed from the historical sources. Albania is situated in the Alpine-Mediterranean seismic belt and accommodates part of the deformation due to the collision of the Adriatic microplate with the Eurasian plate. This continental collision not only directly influences the activation of longitudinal faults on the edges of the orogeny and on the segments of transversal faults cutting through this contact but has a tectonic implication even on the inner part of Albania. The main cause of Albanian seismicity is the collision of Adria with the Albanian orogeny. Thrust faulting and normal faults are dominant, with a significant presence of events with oblique and a minor presence of strike-slip-faults. This study collected and revised the focal mechanisms that were previously published in the literature and added many new focal mechanisms solutions recently. For each earthquake, we presented here all focal mechanisms obtained by different authors.

Satellite interferometry (InSAR) is a reliable and proven technique to monitor and map geohazards over wide areas. In the last years, InSAR is increasingly becoming an everyday tool for geoscientific and applicative analyses; many different users, ranging from academia to the industry, work and rely on InSAR products. The European Ground Motion Service (EGMS) was conceived and is being implemented as a direct response to growing user needs. The EGMS is implemented under the responsibility of the European Environment Agency in the frame of the Copernicus Programme. The EGMS products are part of the portfolio of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service. The EGMS provides consistent, regular, standardized, harmonized, and reliable information regarding natural and anthropogenic ground motion phenomena over the Copernicus Participating States and across national borders, with millimeter accuracy. The EGMS distributes three levels of products: (i) basic, i.e. line of sight (LOS) velocity maps in ascending and descending orbits referred to a local reference point; (ii) calibrated, i.e. LOS velocity maps calibrated with a geodetic reference network (a velocity model derived from thousands of global navigation satellite systems time series is used for calibration so that measurements are no longer relative to a local reference point) and (iii) ortho, i.e. components of motion (horizontal and vertical) anchored to the reference geodetic network. The products are generated from the multi-temporal interferometric analysis of Sentinel-1 images in ascending and descending orbit at full resolution. The data is available and accessible to all and free of charge through a dedicated viewer and download interface. The accessibility to EGMS accurate and validated interferometric data offers the geoscientific and professional communities the opportunity to study geohazards at the European level, including difficult-to-reach areas or where the availability of ground motion data has so far been scarce or null. The EGMS provides, for example, information useful for the identification and monitoring of slow-moving landslides, natural subsidence, or subsidence due to groundwater exploitation or underground mining activities and volcanic unrest. In addition, the Service establishes a baseline for studies dedicated to localized deformation affecting buildings and infrastructure in general. This presentation will offer a first evaluation of the EGMS products under geoscientific aspects. Case studies from different European environmental contexts will be shown to demonstrate how the EGMS products can be successfully used for geohazards-related studies.

The Copernicus European Ground Motion Service (EGMS) provides consistent, regular, standardised, harmonised and reliable information regarding natural and anthropogenic ground motion phenomena over the Copernicus Participating States and across national borders, with millimetre accuracy. The EGMS is based on the multitemporal interferometric analysis of Sentinel-l radar images at full resolution. Global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) data are used to calibrate the interferometric measurements. EGMS provides an unprecedent opportunity to study geohazards and human-induced deformation over Europe, such as slow-moving landslides, natural subsidence or due to groundwater exploitation or underground mining activities, volcanic unrests and many other phenomena. This paper offers a first look at the products distributed by EGMS through relevant case studies in different environmental contexts of Europe.

To improve safety in large cities, products and services exploiting Earth Observation (EO) technologies can be used to map vulnerable urban areas potentially affected by geohazards, with the aim of reducing human and economic losses caused by natural disasters. This work aims to increase the use of multi-mission EO derived products and services to assess urban vulnerability and geohazards, raising early awareness and training key users and decision makers on the use of EO derived products and services. Currently, the InSAR processing tools from Geohazards Exploitation Platform (GEP) funded by European Space Agency, provide massive and dense surface displacement information, and availability of such data is expected to be expanded soon with the upcoming European Ground Motion Service being developed by the European Environment Agency. As the main end users are not trained to understand and analyze this type of data, the EU founded e-Shape project, in collaboration with the national Geological Surveys, is introducing a methodology for the use of InSAR products and supporting them to co-design specific products useful for the dissemination of information to the users active in key societal sectors (local and regional administrations, and civil protection authorities). To this end, four products with different requirements have been developed, including the InSAR map, the InSAR validation report, the active geohazards report and the vulnerable urban areas report. These four products describe the displacements of the area, their accuracy, their relationship to triggers and the potential problems they could create, providing information for both technical staff and non-technical managers and decision-makers.

SUMMARY The Mw 6.4 26 November 2019, earthquake has been the strongest in the last decades in Albania, causing damages of intensity VIII to IX EMS in the epicentral region around Durres. The region north of Durres has experienced a maximum uplift of ca. 11 cm, based on SAR interferometry, which represents the main environmental effect induced by the earthquake. Other coseismic environmental effects were liquefaction mostly in the coastal area north and south of Durres, lateral spread in the Erzen river banks and possibly minor rock falls. As a whole, the observed effects are indicative of an intensity VIII to IX in the ESI scale. The rupture parameters that best fits the earthquake data (seismic moment, hypocentre depth, GPS data, deformation field from SAR interferometry), based on Coulomb modelling, show a reverse slip of 0.6 m on a NW–SE trending plane dipping 25° northeast, 20 km long and ca. 12 km wide, from 19.5 to ca. 15 km deep. The surface projection of the upper tip of the rupture is on the coast north of Durres. The inferred Coulomb stress change does not impose any significant load on the surrounding major faults, that is Kruja thrust, Lezha transfer fault, and the offshore thrust fault responsible for the 1979 Mw 7.1 Montenegro earthquake. The historical earthquakes and the regional tectonic setting, dominated by plate collision and important transfer fault zones suggest that the last earthquake might not be representative of the actual maximum seismic and surface faulting hazards in northwestern Albania, a region of fast industrial and touristic growth. This calls for detailed active tectonics studies with a palaeoseismological perspective in the region surrounding the epicentral area, where the two main towns in Albania lie.

Como historic centre, located at the SW branch of Lake Como (northern Italy), is prone to subside because of a thick sequence of late Pleistocene to Holocene glacio-lacustrine, palustrine and alluvial sediments in the subsoil. After the 1950s, the combination of natural causes and anthropogenic activities amplified subsidence-induced differential settlements at building foundation depths, resulting in damage on the superstructures.This work presents the first subsidence vulnerability analysis of the historic buildings in Como city centre by combining hydrogeological and stratigraphic features, in situ damage investigations, and remote sensing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data acquired by Cosmo-SkyMed mission. First, the relationships between local hydrogeological features and vertical displacements retrieved by SAR Interferometry (InSAR) analysis were qualitatively assessed. This highlighted that cumulative vertical InSAR-derived settlements have a stronger linear correlation with the groundwater level rather than the thickness of compressible soil units at the city scale. The largest vertical displacements are located in the NW sector of the city centre and along the shore of Lake Como, where they remark the pre-Roman shoreline. Then, the cause-effect relationships between building damage severity and Subsidence-Related Intensity (SRI) parameters were investigated using a probabilistic approach based on empirical fragility curves. To this aim, two InSAR-derived SRI parameters were tested for both masonry and reinforced concrete buildings: differential settlements and relative rotations. The former resulted to relate better to distinct damage levels in Como historic centre. The analyses performed can contribute to the management of the inestimable architectural and cultural heritage of Como historic centre.

EO4GEO is an Erasmus+ Project aiming at applying innovative solutions for education and training actions. EO4GEO will define a long-term and sustainable strategy to fill the gap between supply of and demand for space/geospatial education and training. The general project strategy will be implemented by: creating and maintaining an ontology-based Body of Knowledge for the space/geospatial sector; developing and integrating a dynamic collaborative platform; designing and developing a series of curricula and a rich portfolio of training modules directly usable in the context of Copernicus and other relevant EO programs; conducting a series of training actions, to test and validate the approach, for selected scenarios in three sub-sectors: 1) Integrated Applications, 2) Smart Cities, 3) Climate Change. ISPRA will contribute to the sub-sector Integrated Applications through the implementation of four case studies selected considering geo-hazard risk scenarios affecting different categories of exposed elements: i) landslide on linear infrastructure and transportation network (Petacciato village, CB); ii) instability events affecting Cultural Heritage, (Baia Archaeological Park, NA); iii) subsidence in urban area (Como city), iv) co-seismic ground deformation (Mt. Etna). The geo-hazard risk scenarios have been selected considering data availability and stakeholders interest; geo-hazard experts and final users (both public and private) will be involved during the scenario’s implementation. Here we present the preliminary results concerning one of the listed case studies, slope instability affecting Cultural Heritage site: the Baia Archaeological Park (Naples). This area is located close by the Phlegrean Fields caldera, representing a unique example of volcanic-related subsidence with unrest cycles characterized by intense ground uplift and down lift; it extends exactly along the inner side of the western sector of the volcanic building of Baia. The particular location of the site, along the steep internal slopes of the volcano, required a strong control over the area development with massive terracing works. The instability phenomena seem to be related to the very high acclivity values of top sector of the slope favoring the activation of modest collapse phenomena as well as by ordinary management and maintenance of the area (e.g. invasive vegetation, absence of drainage systems). Preliminary InSAR analysis were performed exploiting ERS and COSMO Sky-Med datasets; the fist dataset show ground lowering phenomena, highlighting that subsidence affected areas close Phlegrean Fields during that period (1993 – 2003). The deformation rates (5-10 mm/yr) recorded in the investigated time interval are consistent with the general down lift cycle, while time series show some small uplift events. Forthcoming InSAR data processing will take into consideration the most recent SENTINEL-1 data, allowing us to assess the instability phenomena evolution of the area in a recent time interval. In the general scope of the EO4GEO project ISPRA will develop all the case studies fostering the uptake of EO data, services and standardized methodologies of analysis. Available EO data provided from different satellite missions, both European and international (e.g. Sentinel from Copernicus program, COSMO-Sky-Med from ASI), will be tested to evaluate their effectiveness and efficiency in the field of geo-hazard monitoring and risk assessment.

The improved capabilities of Remote Sensing in data acquisition, analysis and implementation of standardized products lead decision makers and managers to a better understanding and assessment against geo-hazard. But since geo-hazard pose potential risks to people, assets and the environment the better knowledge to deal with the huge amount and the high quality of Earth Observation data is required. EO4GEO Project represents the latest challenge to define a standard methodology for the creation of integrated application using EO data and services to carry out geo-hazard risk monitoring, assessment and mitigation options.

This study is focused on wide-area deformation monitoring initiatives based on the differential interferometric SAR technique (DInSAR). In particular, it addresses the use of advanced DInSAR (A-DInSAR) techniques, which are based on large sets of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and Copernicus Sentinel-1 images. Such techniques have undergone a dramatic development in the last twenty years: they are now capable to process big sets of SAR images and can be exploited to realize a wide-area A-DInSAR monitoring. The study describes several initiatives to establish wide-area ground motion services (GMS), both at county- and region-level. In the second part of the study, some of the key technical aspects related to wide-area A-DInSAR monitoring are discussed. Finally, the last part of the study is devoted to the European ground motion service (EGMS), which is part of the Copernicus land monitoring service. It represents the most important wide-area A-DInSAR deformation monitoring system ever developed. The study describes its main characteristics and its main products. The end of the production of the first EGMS baseline product is foreseen for the last quarter of 2021.

In the framework of a bilateral cooperation project between the geological surveys of China and Italy, the geological effects of six strong to moderate earthquakes occurred in Sichuan, China (2008, 2013, 2017) and in Central Apennines, Italy (2009, 24 Aug. and 30 Oct 2016) were compared. The main aim was to test the applicability and effectiveness of the ESI intensity scale in areas characterized by different tectonic settings (compressive and strike-slip vs. extensional), and also by different local conditions (e.g., geomorphologic, lithologic and climatic) that can influence the occurrence and size of individual EEEs at a specific site. In general, for all these earthquakes the distribution and size of geological effects resulted proportional to the earthquake severity. However, notably, the earthquakes of moderate magnitude (i.e., between 6 and 7) showed i) well evident surface faulting only in the extensional domain of the Central Apennines, while poor or no evidence was found for reverse and strike-slip events (Sichuan); ii) a strong influence on the occurrence of secondary effects from site conditions (e.g., lithology, elevation, slope angle, soil cover, climate), those that typically control for example the susceptibility to landsliding. Based on the ESI intensity scale, epicentral and local intensities were estimated by means of the surface faulting extent and of the total area of secondary effects, mainly landslides. The comparison with the damage or PGA-based intensities has confirmed the efficacy of the ESI scale to improve the portrait of the earthquake and to pinpoint areas of enhanced hazard, especially those related to slope failures and liquefaction. This work is also a substantial contribution to the future revision of the ESI scale, in particular for reverse faulting earthquakes.

In the last years, the advanced synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry (InSAR) has proven its effectiveness in the assessment of ground gotion with millimetric accuracy. Its integrated use with traditional (in-situ) topographic height determination techniques, such as geometric leveling and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), is consolidated in underground fluids extraction areas for detecting and monitoring land subsidence. Nevertheless, the lack of a specific standardized methodology does not allow for evaluating different results obtained from different types of analysis. Starting from the description of two independent estimations of land subsidence in the Agosta (Comacchio, Italy) area, where an environmental impact assessment procedure was carried out following a request for gas exploitation, this paper points out the need for a standardized methodology, focused on the in-situ calibration of InSAR data. This last purpose requires an adequately dense and homogeneous reference GNSS network. The in progress initiatives, at European and national level, aiming at providing a Copernicus Ground Motion service could offer the opportunity to structure a reliable and dedicated GNSS network, starting from the large amount of stations run by different institutions already existing in Italy.

The distribution and type of slope failures and other geological effects of the 2013 earthquake, mapped through field and remote sensing surveys soon after the event, have been utilized to estimate the epicentral intensity and draw some isoseismals based on the ESI scale that is based only on the environmental effects of earthquakes, hence very helpful in sparsely inhabited regions to complement the macroseismic intensity field. The resulting epicentral ESI intensity for the Lushan 2013 event is X, therefore one degree higher than the Chinese macroseismic intensity. In general, the ESI isoseismals show an elliptical shape centered on the Shuangshi - Dachuan Fault, comparable to the macroseismic ones; a wide northeast lobe, likely due to local conditions, is under investigation.

We present a 1:25,000 scale map of the coseismic surface ruptures following the 30 October 2016 Mw 6.5 Norcia normal-faulting earthquake, central Italy. Detailed rupture mapping is based on almost 11,000 oblique photographs taken from helicopter flights, that has been verified and integrated with field data (>7000 measurements). Thanks to the common efforts of the Open EMERGEO Working Group (130 people, 25 research institutions and universities from Europe), we were able to document a complex surface faulting pattern with a dominant strike of N135°-160° (SW-dipping) and a subordinate strike of N320°-345° (NE-dipping) along about 28 km of the active Mt. Vettore–Mt. Bove fault system. Geometric and kinematic characteristics of the rupture were observed and recorded along closely spaced, parallel or subparallel, overlapping or step-like synthetic and antithetic fault splays of the activated fault systems, comprising a total surface rupture length of approximately 46 km when all ruptures were considered.