Site effect studies following the 2016 Mw 6.0 Amatrice earthquake (Italy): the Emersito Task Force activities

On August 24, 2016, at 01:36 UTC a M W 6.0 earthquake struck an extensive area of the central Apennines (Italy). It was followed by a large aftershock (M W 5.3, August 24, 02:33 UTC) and about 20 earthquakes with magnitude greater than 4.0, located between the towns of Norcia and Amatrice. Due to the mainshock magnitude and the widespread damaging level of buildings in the epicentral area, the Emersito task force has been mobilized by the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV). The aim of Emersito is to carry out and coordinate the monitoring of local site effects, caused by geological and geomorphological settings. During the first days of the seismic emergency, Emersito installed a temporary seismic network for site effect studies at 4 municipalities close to the epicentral area (Amandola, Civitella del Tronto, Montereale and Capitignano), using 22 stations equipped with both velocimetric and accelerometric sensors. The selection of the sites where stations have been installed was mainly driven by the proximity to the epicentral area (without interfere with the rescue operation) and by peculiar geologic and geomorphologic settings (topographic irregularities, fault zones, alluvial plains).