Integrated geophysical approaches for geo-hazards evaluation in urban areas: activities in urban sites of Basilicata and Campania region (southern Italy)

The WP7 - GEOSPHERE-LANDSURFACE of the ITINERIS project (Italian Integrated Environmental Research Infrastructures System, PNRR M4C2 Inv.3.1 IR), funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU, aims to provide openly accessible digital data on the solid Earth to the scientific community, the public, and decision-makers in line with the Digital Earth concept.

Specifically, Activity 7.4 is dedicated to developing an integrated multi-scale, multi-resolution, and multi-sensor approach for characterizing the surface, subsurface, and built environment in urban areas, as well as monitoring civil infrastructure of strategic importance to mitigate the impacts of natural and anthropogenic hazards.

After an initial phase of geophysical equipment upgrades, the advanced instruments have been tested at the project’s pilot sites: the urban area of Potenza, which faces high seismic risk, and the peri-urban area in the municipality of Tito (PZ), affected by a slow-moving landslide. Furthermore, ITINERIS geophysical equipment is contributing to the scientific activities of the project NEW AGE (funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU), aimed at the seismic protection and valorisation of cultural heritage buildings in the historical centre of Benevento (Campania, Italy). Joint seismic noise and deep electrical resistivity studies are also underway in the municipality of Contursi Terme (SA) as part of the project TOGETHER, also funded by the European Union – Next Generation EU, focused on the sustainable exploitation of geothermal resources. Finally, ITINERIS geophysical equipment will be utilized in the Seismic Microzonation studies of the Campi Flegrei area for the Italian Civil Protection Department.

The study areas, characterized by high levels of seismic and hydrogeological risk, will benefit from the joint geophysical analyses conducted using the innovative equipment provided by the infrastructure. It is expected that the multi-geophysical approach developed within the framework of the ITINERIS project will contribute to the definition of a more accurate subsurface model, which, in turn, will be highly advantageous for the assessment of the actual hazards in the study areas. Furthermore, in certain specific locations, the approach may also support a more reliable evaluation of geothermal resources.