The hydrodynamic Response of the Sibillini Mts. carbonate hydrostructure before and after the Mw 6.5 Norcia Earthquake (Central Italy): hints from numerical Model.

Italian Apennines carbonate hydrostructures host impor tant aquifers, storing extensive amounts of groundwater and representing an important water resource. In seismi cally active areas, tectonic and structural features often influence the hydraulic properties of aquifers and the groundwater flow dynamics. During the 2016 Central Italy seismic sequence, the October 30th, 2016 Mw 6.5 Norcia earthquake produced important ground deformation with surface faulting and caused significant and long-lasting hydrogeological perturbations, observed at springs and along the main drainage systems of the Sibillini Mts. carbonate hydrostructure. In this work, we employ a numerical approach to characterise the complex behaviour of the Sibillini Mts. hydrogeological system and to assess the earthquake-induced hydrodynamic response at a regional scale. Following the principle of parsimony, we defined a hydrogeological conceptual model that we implemented in numerical analysis. We then simulate the groundwater flow under varying conditions, focusing on the role of seismogenic faults within the carbonate aquifer.