Studying active and capable faults in the CARG sheets

Anna Maria Blumetti¹, Pio Di Manna¹, Deborah Maceroni¹, Valerio Comerci¹, Edy Chiarini¹, Felicia Papasodaro¹ & Giuseppe Nirta^1
1ISPRA, Geological Survey of Italy, Via Vitaliano Brancati 48, 00144 Roma, Italy.
Corresponding author e-mail: annamaria.blumetti@isprambiente.it

The CARG project (Geological Cartography) represents a key tool for acquiring baseline geological knowledge of the territory and enables the systematic collection of data essential for understanding geologically relevant processes with direct implications for hazard assessment. In particular, CARG can play an important role in supporting the ITHACA project (ITaly HAzard from CApable faults), which compiles and organizes information on capable faults across Italy, thereby informing fault hazard analyses and supporting the development of effective risk mitigation strategies.
The initial application of capable fault studies during a CARG survey is exemplified by Sheet 348 - Antrodoco. Increased attention to the coseismic faulting hazard following the 2009 L’Aquila earthquake fostered a greater awareness of active tectonics, highlighting the need to study Quaternary-active tectonic structures during CARG mapping. Consequently, the 2022 update of the Italian Geological Survey’s Notebook No. 15 (https://progetto-carg.isprambiente.it/quaderno15&oggettidigitali/), regarding “previous data on active and capable faults and suggestions for their detection and survey”, explicitly refers to the ITHACA catalogue and its Guide to Consultation and Use (https://portalesgi.isprambiente.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Linee_Guida_ITHACA.pdf).

active tectonics, geological mapping, quaternary geology, paleoseismology, seismic hazard, faulting hazard, coseismic ruptures.