Earthquake and Tsunami-Induced Damage to Seaport Structures in Italy: Application of GIS for Risk Reduction and Monitoring

Abstract eng:
The presence of a seaport represents a remarkable, at times decisive, factor of development of a region and a fundamental element of politics for the sustainable mobility, able to produce a series of direct and indirect effects on the economy and on the social and environmental growth of the interested area. This consideration justifies the necessity of a high level of protection for the seaport structures. Experiences gained from some recent earthquakes (e.g. 1989 Loma Prieta in USA, 1995 Hyogoken-Nanbu and 2003 Tokachi-Oki in Japan, 1999 Kocaeli and Duzce in Turkey) have dramatically demonstrated the seismic vulnerability of these infrastructures and the severe damage that can be caused by ground shaking and tsunamis. In Italy, a country with an extensive coastline’s length, a research project aimed at assessing the seismic vulnerability of Italian wharf structures was funded by the Italian Department of Civil Protection in areas characterized by medium and high seismicity. This paper shows part of the obtained results, with particular reference to the seismic risk management through an interactive, geographically referenced database (GIS). The impact of tsunamis on the shorelines will also be shown at the seaports of Ancona, Gioia Tauro and Messina in Central and Southern Italy.

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