Macroseismic Attenuation in the Campanian Area, Southern
Italy

M. Secomandi^a, S. D’Amico^b,*, V. Paoletti^c, and A. Rapolla^c,d,e

^a Geological Assistance and Services, G.A.S., Zola Predosa (BO), Italy

^b Physics Department, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

^c Earth Sciences Department, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy

^d University Centre for Research on Major Hazards, C.U.G.RI., Salerno, Italy

^e Territorial Town Planning Research Center, L.U.P.T., Naples, Italy

* Corresponding Author Dr. Sebastiano D’Amico

e-mail: sebdamico@gmail.com

Received April 25, 2011

Abstract—The main objective of the present study is to evaluate seismic attenuation relationships for the Cam-
panian area (southern Italy) using the felt intensity report data obtained from comprehensive historical data-
bases (DOM 4.1). We focused our attention on the Campania region because it is characterized by a high seis-
mic hazard and risk, particularly in the Naples area and its suburbs. In order to derive an attenuation relationship
for the area, we fitted the observed data by using several functions. We found that a linear plus logarithmic
model gives the best fits for the data in the Campanian region. Most of the attenuation relationships proposed
up to now for the Italian Peninsula have an isotropic behavior and do not always properly describe the mac-
roseismic attenuation. Therefore, in order to check the possible dependence of the attenuation on the azimuth
of the seismic rays, we divided our data set in octants and performed for each of them the same analysis we
carried out for the whole data set. The obtained results differ from octant to octant and the differences, besides
being associated with the source effects, could be interpreted as probably due to the existence of lateral varia-
tions in the lithological and physical features of the crust at different depths, which could affect the patterns of
attenuation.

Keywords: seismicity, macroseismic intensity, Campania

DOI: 10.1134/S1069351313020079

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