Recent advances in the comprehension of the central Apennine seismotectonics, by crosschecking Quaternary geology, paleoseismological and seismological data

Here we present the results of Quaternary geological field investigations, paleoseismological and seismological analyses performed over the past five years, aimed at obtaining an updated view of the seismotectonic features of the central Apennines. We investigated some of the major extensional tectonic structures of central Italy, and that are potentially responsible for large magnitude seismic events (M 6.5-7), namely the Fucino, the Middle Aterno Valley-Subequana Valley, the Mt. Marine and the Assergi faults. Moreover, the analysis of the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake sequence enabled to decrypt the complex structural setting of the area comprised between the Gran Sasso Range and the Middle Aterno Valley-Subequana Valley fault, where a high density of short (few km in plan view), closely spaced Quaternary normal faults occur.