Implementing a dense accelerometer network in Veneto (NE Italy): a support for rapid earthquake impact assessment

Abstract

In 2022, the Italian National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics - OGS set up a dense accelerometer network for strong-motion monitoring in Veneto (an Italian region in the north-east of the country), covering 312 sites in over 50% of the region’s municipalities. The network is primarily focused on measurements for rapid damage assessment and the prompt organization of rescue operations. Based on the latest generation of MEMS accelerometers, it is cost-effective and sensitive enough to provide useful recordings (i.e. with a good signal-to-noise ratio) of earthquakes with a magnitude down to 2.5. This feature helps to tune the recording and processing system in less critical situations than a severe earthquake. This paper describes the technical characteristics of the network, the practical solutions for its construction, the management tools currently used and some initial results. The technical and economic sustainability of the network in the long term is a key issue that was taken into account during planning and implementation and is also constantly monitored during normal operation. The aim is to extend the life of the network well beyond the five years envisaged for the original project so that similar solutions can be proposed for other regions of Italy.