Common features and peculiarities of the seismic activity at Phlegraean Fields, Long Valley, and Vesuvius

Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America
By: , and 

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Abstract

We analyzed and compared the seismic activity that has occurred in the last two to three decades in three distinct volcanic areas: Phlegraean Fields, Italy; Vesuvius, Italy; and Long Valley, California. Our main goal is to identify and discuss common features and peculiarities in the temporal evolution of earthquake sequences that may reflect similarities and differences in the generating processes between these volcanic systems. In particular, we tried to characterize the time series of the number of events and of the seismic energy release in terms of stochastic, deterministic, and chaotic components. The time sequences from each area consist of thousands of earthquakes that allow a detailed quantitative analysis and comparison. The results obtained showed no evidence for either deterministic or chaotic components in the earthquake sequences in Long Valley caldera, which appears to be dominated by stochastic behavior. In contrast, earthquake sequences at Phlegrean Fields and Mount Vesuvius show a deterministic signal mainly consisting of a 24-hour periodicity. Our analysis suggests that the modulation in seismicity is in some way related to thermal diurnal processes, rather than luni-solar tidal effects. Independently from the process that generates these periodicities on the seismicity., it is suggested that the lack (or presence) of diurnal cycles is seismic swarms of volcanic areas could be closely linked to the presence (or lack) of magma motion.
Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Common features and peculiarities of the seismic activity at Phlegraean Fields, Long Valley, and Vesuvius
Series title Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America
DOI 10.1785/0120000045
Volume 91
Issue 2
Year Published 2001
Language English
Publisher Seismological Society of America
Description 15 p.
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America
First page 191
Last page 205
Country Italy;United States
State California
City Long Valley;Phlegraean Fields;Vesuvius
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