Connecting seismically active normal faults with Quaternary geological structures in a complex extensional environment: The Colfiorito 1997 case history (northern Apennines, Italy)

Abstract

The northern Apennines of Italy are characterized by a complex Tertiary tectonic history, where superposed compressional and extensional deformation occurred. In such regions, characterized by low active extensional strain rate, the coseismic surface ruptures are rare and often a matter of much debate resulting in a difficult connection between " geological" faults (i.e. faults which can be mapped at the surface) and "seismological" faults (i.e., faults which actually generate earthquakes). The availability of detailed geological mapping and high-resolution seismological data for the Colfiorito area, struck in 1997 by a sequence of six 5