B5647 - COMPLEMENTI DI SISMOLOGIA

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course, the student knows the phenomenology and the main data that characterize the great earthquakes and seismic cycles and learns the methods of seismic hazard assessment.

Course contents

Module 1 – Paolo Gasperini
Seismic source: location and magnitude, focal mechanisms, macroseismology.
Statistical seismology: statistical properties of occurrence, maximum likelihood methods.
Earthquake prediction: deterministic prediction, seismic hazard and risk.

Module 2 - Luca de Siena
Mechanics of fault systems: Fault systems, faults as dynamic systems, discrete models of fault systems.
Seismological data processing: Advanced seismological data processing through open access software, seismic interferometry, distributed acoustic sensing.
Computational seismology: collaborative coding, visualization of geophysical data in 3D and 4D environments.

Readings/Bibliography

Each lesson is accompanied by the projection of a PowerPoint file. The set of files, divided into chapters, contains a comprehensive exposition of the program and can act as a text for the study of the subject. The files in PowerPoint format are available during the course and can be accessed from the teaching web page.
If they wish to delve deeper into the topics covered in the course, students can consult the following texts available in the Library of the Department of Physics and Astronomy:
- K. Aki and P. G. Richards, Quantitative Seismology, 2nd edition, University Science Books, Sausalito CA, 2002.
- F. A. Dahlen and J. Tromp, Theoretical Global Seismology, Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ, 1998.
- E. Boschi and M. Dragoni, Seismologia, UTET, Turin, 2000.
- T. Lay and T. M. Wallace, Modern Global Seismology, Academic Press, S. Diego CA, 1995
- Stein S., Wysession M., An introduction to seismology, Earthquakes, and Earth structure, Blackwell Pub., 2003.
The following texts are available for consultation upon student request:
- D. Gubbins, Time Series Analysis and Inverse Theory, Cambride University Press, Cambridge UK, 2004.
- H. Igel, Computational Seismology, A Practical Introduction, Oxford University Press Books, Oxford UK, 2017.

Teaching methods

The course is presented in the form of a "frontal lesson" accompanied by visual documentation in PowerPoint.
The course includes computer exercises with programming in Julia, Matlab, and Python; with respect to these methods, active participation is expected from the attending students.

Assessment methods

The exam will be oral and will generally last approximately 45 minutes.
The student will be asked in succession to illustrate three topics among those covered in the course. For each topic, they will first be asked to explain the general framework, then specific aspects will be explored in detail.
The depth and correctness of the answers will also be evaluated in light of practical and computational learning.
The mark will be an arithmetic average of the marks for each of the questions.

Teaching tools

The course uses presentations that will have connections to online resources, such as seismological databases and codes, which will contribute to the student's computational and data training.
The exercises include instructions given in advance for installing codes and downloading datasets on a personal computer, for in-class exercises and, optionally, outside of course time.

Office hours

See the website of Paolo Gasperini

See the website of Luca De Siena