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The Colfiorito Basin is a small intramountain depression in the southern section of the Northern Apennine chain that is filled with Quaternary alluvial deposits. The presence of soft alluvial deposits has significantly influenced the level of local damage that was caused by two major earthquakes (M L 5.6 and 5.8) belonging to the swarm that started in September 1997. To verify the effects of the basin structure on the predominant frequency of seismic motion, ambient noise measurements were carried out in the Colfiorito Basin during two experiments in May and July of 2002. The horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratios (HVSRs) were calculated for data collected at four profiles in the basin. Array techniques were applied to determine the wave types that composed the noise, to estimate their apparent velocity and azimuth of propagation, and to calculate a velocity-dispersion curve from which a velocity-depth structure was derived. The data analysis shows a high amplification in the HVSR at low frequency. This feature is common to most of the sites, including the reference site, and it is interpreted as being due to weather disturbances. The peak frequencies of the spectral ratio calculated at the sites located in the center of the basin coincide with the theoretically estimated resonance frequencies. The arrayaveraged HVSR calculated for the array located in the middle of the plain has a pronounced peak at 0.9 Hz. This corresponds to the peak of the amplification function calculated on the basis of the velocity model deduced from the dispersion analysis. The HVSR method is instead unsuitable for the prediction of the resonance frequencies of sediments in the sites where strong lateral variations of basement topography are present. We measured apparent velocities in the range of 0.3-0.8 km/sec by applying f-k methods to array recordings. These values are compatible with the predominance of surface waves in the noise, as also confirmed by polarization analysis. Both Rayleigh and Love waves are present in the background seismic noise. The results obtained by applying the spatial autocorrelation method to the vertical component of the ground motion recorded at a 240-m-wide circular array deployed in the middle of the basin revealed the presence of Rayleigh waves, and f-k methods combined with polarization techniques revealed the presence of polarized Love waves. The wave-field analysis indicates two main propagation directions: the first is around N100Њ E in the frequency band of 1.0-2.0 Hz; this radiation can be interpreted as being generated at the east-southeast step borders of the basin. The second main direction is around N300Њ E in the frequency band of 2.0-3.0 Hz; its source may be a 180-m-deep depression located at the southwest corner of the basin.

This paper presents the results of numerical analyses of ground motion in the Red Zone sector of Amatrice hill, violently struck by the 2016-2017 Central Italy seismic sequence. The methodologies used in processing the data to define the numerical model are firstly described. The results obtained from the computational analyses are then presented and discussed by comparing them with experimental data set of weak motion recordings. Computational analyses were performed via both a 2D-numerical FEM model and a pseudothree-dimensional hybrid model (SiSeRHMap) which develops multispectral maps taking into account topographic effects. Starting from available geological data and geophysical measurements, an original and specific subsoil GIS model was developed and utilised to perform the computational analyses. The preliminary map for fundamental periods computed from the subsoil model is in good agreement with the experimental data. A restricted set of weak ground motions acquired from an accelerometric station located in a reference site was used as input for the numerical analyses, while the signals of the corresponding events recorded at the top of the hill were used as targets in the reliability evaluation analysis of the outputs. In the area of Amatrice hill, which is characterized by a complex geological and topographical context, the reliability analysis shows a good performance of the hybrid model compared to the 2D-FEM model in the prediction of seismic response. Agreement generally was also good with regards to the experimental and computational results, both in relation to the amplitude and to the shape of the spectral amplification that change depending on the hill sector. Considering the predictive reliability of the models, a high amplification, due to topographic effects, was observed for the Red Zone by performing a back-simulation of the 24th August 2016 main shock. The analysis results highlight also that the maximum amplification factors, based on the definition of the Housner intensity, occur in the interval of periods 0-0.5 s covering the fundamental period range of the buildings in this area.

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