Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303

Short communication

The Italian CMT dataset from 1977 to the present

S. Pondrellia,∗ , S. Salimbenia , G. Ekströmb , A. Morellia ,
P. Gasperinic , G. Vannuccia
a Sezione di Bologna, Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Via D. Creti 12, 40128 Bologna, Italy
b Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
c Dip. di Fisica, Universitá di Bologna, 40128 Bologna, Italy

Received 10 March 2006; received in revised form 25 July 2006; accepted 27 July 2006

Abstract
The INGV-Harvard European-Mediterranean Regional Centroid Moment Tensor (RCMT) Catalog collects solutions routinely
computed since 1997 for earthquakes with moderate magnitude (4.5 ≤ M ≤ 5.5) in the Mediterranean region. The database rep-
resents an extension to smaller magnitudes of the Harvard global CMT catalog, based on analysis of seismograms recorded at
regional distance, and modeling of intermediate period surface waves. The catalog includes about 600 events, 200 of which in the
Italian region. This study extends the catalog back in time, for the Italian region, as long as made possible by available digital
data – i.e. since 1977 – with the same analysis and inversion method used for current seismicity. As a result, we present here 65
new moment tensors, for years between 1977 and 1997. These solutions represent 45% of the total number of events analyzed,
the existing seismograms being often too scarce to allow a stable solution. The new dataset includes events in many seismic zones
where moderate seismicity had previously been scarcely documented, e.g., the Po Plain, the Central to Southern Apennines and the
Adriatic Sea. The complete dataset, including previously determined RCMTs and CMTs, represents the seismic deformation in the
Italian area during the last 25 years.
© 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Seismicity; Moment tensors; Seismic deformation; Italian region

1. Introduction 1986; Faccenna et al., 2003), and now dominate the

The Mediterranean region represents the western
termination of the Alpine-Himalayan tectonic system,
shaped during the last 100 My by collision of Africa
and Arabia with Eurasia, in a process also involving
some minor plates, such as Adria, Anatolia and Iberia.
The Tyrrhenian basin and the Apennines mountain
belt formed within this geodynamic framework, by
the 35 My-long slab roll back process that opened the
Western Mediterranean Sea (Malinverno and Ryan,
∗ Corresponding author.
E-mail address: pondrelli@bo.ingv.it (S. Pondrelli).
present-day picture of the Central Mediterranean. The
subducting system, that migrated eastward during this
process, is considered still active beneath the Calabrian
Arc (Chiarabba et al., 2005). The present day defor-
mation pattern of the Central Mediterranean is very
complex, with compressive, extensional and transcurrent
tectonic structures coexisting in a restricted area. The
seismic activity is widespread and frequent. Some large
magnitude events hit this region in the last decades, such
as the 1976 Friuli seismic sequence (Pondrelli et al.,
2001 and reference therein), the Irpinia 1980, MS = 6.9
earthquake and the 1997–1998 Umbria-Marche seismic
sequence (Ekström et al., 1998; Chiaraluce et al., 2004

0031-9201/$ – see front matter © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.pepi.2006.07.008
 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303 287

and references therein). However, in this densely popu-
lated region, even moderate magnitude events can cause
extensive damage, as for 2002 Molise seismic sequence
(Pondrelli et al., 2003; Di Luccio et al., 2005a), and there-
fore contribute to seismic risk. A deeper knowledge of
their source parameters is then an important contribution.
Focal mechanisms of earthquakes are always relevant
data because provide essential information for mapping
active tectonic regimes and seismic hazard (e.g., Jackson
and McKenzie, 1988; Zoback, 1992; Pondrelli et al.,
1995; Montone et al., 1999, 2004; Faenza et al., 2003;
Vannucci et al., 2004). Added to geodetic data, that them-
selves only determine the motion and velocities of crustal
blocks, contribute to imaging the ongoing deformation
regimes (Serpelloni et al., 2005 and references therein).
With these purposes, the most popular seismic
moment tensor database is the Harvard Centroid
Moment Tensor (CMT) Catalog (Dziewonski et al.,

Fig. 1. Seismicity and tectonic setting of the Italian region and surroundings. All earthquakes with M ≥ 3 occurred between 1973 and present are
mapped and data are from NEIC. Green dots are for events shallower than 30 km, blue for depth between 30 and 100 km, and yellow for depths
larger than 100 km. Tectonic features are taken from the Geodynamic Map of the Mediterranean, which has been compiled in the frame of the
Commission for the Geological Map of the World. AI: Aeolian Islands; GA: Gargano promontory; PTS: Porto San Giorgio.
288 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303

1981; Ekström et al., 2005), that lists solutions for Italian region with latitude between 36◦ N and 48◦ N,
events worldwide with Mw > 5.5 and from 1977 to and longitude from 6◦ E to 20◦ E for which a CMT solu-
the present. As they fit intermediate and long period tion was unavailable. This preliminary dataset includes
seismograms, using a three-dimensional Earth model, 148 candidate events. We use hypocentral data and
CMTs have shown to be robust, stable, and reliable magnitudes from the catalog of the USGS National
determinations of seismic source mechanisms. The Earthquake Information Center (http://wwwneic.cr.
European-Mediterranean Regional CMT (RCMT) usgs.gov/neis/epic/). Only the Porto San Giorgio earth-
Catalog represents a regional extension of the global quakes of July 3rd and September 4th, 1987 (PTS, Fig.
CMT data set to earthquakes with 4.5 < Mw < 5.5, that 1), occurred offshore, had a low quality location given by
also hold importance for understanding the geodynamic NEIC; we thus preferred to use parameters from the bul-
regime, and for mapping seismic hazard, in this region. letin of Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia
The RCMT catalog however only spans years from 1997 (http://waves.ingv.it). We consider preliminary magni-
to the present (Pondrelli et al., 2002, 2004a; http://www. tudes as reported by the NEIC: most of them are mb
ingv.it/seismoglo/RCMT/), therefore representing the and ML , but Ms and MD (the signal duration magnitude)
last of the three decades covered by the CMT set. sometimes appear. We also found a couple of unknown
Seismic source mechanisms for moderate magnitude (UKN) types of magnitude. Long period waveforms for
events before 1997 can indeed be found in the lite-
rature, but they have mostly been computed by fitting
first pulse polarities. Vannucci and Gasperini (2003,
2004) collected most of the mechanisms available for the
Euro-Mediterranean region in a comprehensive database
(EMMA Version 2.2) allowing easy access to these data.
It is well known that P first arrival focal solutions suffer
from the strong uncertainties on velocity models needed
to reconstruct the wave path, a problem that becomes
even stronger for old and distant recorded earthquakes.
Waveform modeling requires digital seismograms and
a robust inversion method, that can deal with possi-
bly low signal-to-noise ratio, as we can expect from
records of moderate magnitude events occurred in the
past three decades. Availability of long period digital
seismograms since 1977, and the proven performance
of the RCMT approach in modeling older seismograms
(Arvidsson and Ekström, 1998; Pondrelli et al., 1999,
2001, 2004b; Cucci et al., 2004) convinced us to start
this study. Here we backward-extend the existing RCMT
Catalog for Italy, back to 1977, in an effort motivated by
the purpose of completing a homogeneous dataset for
this region for at least 25 years.
Altogether, we considered 148 candidate earth-
quakes, chosen in the Italian region and surroundings,
with reported bulletin magnitude between 4.7 and 5.5.
The new solutions, added to the existing CMTs and
RCMTs, make a more complete moment tensor dataset
for the Central Mediterranean. In the following, we
present the new solutions and briefly describe the com-
plete dataset.

2. Data and method

Fig. 2. Map of stations for which data are available at IRIS for different
We selected earthquakes from 1977 to 1996, with a time spans: (a) 1977–1980; (b) 1981–1990; (c) 1991 to present (note
bulletin magnitude between 4.7 and 5.5, in the extended different scale).
 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303 289

all these earthquakes were retrieved from the IRIS Data

Management Center.
The number of operating digital seismographs, and
hence availability of seismograms, varies considerably
from 1977 to 1996 (Fig. 2). For a magnitude 5.0 event
in 1977 we typically have data from as few as seven
stations, the closest being at about 1800 km; while a
similar earthquake 18 years later has data from as many
as 50 stations, 50% of which are located at regional
distance. We compute seismic moment tensors follow-
ing the same method that is used to analyze current
seismicity for the European-Mediterranean RCMT Cat-
alog (Pondrelli et al., 2002, 2004a). It is an extension
of the centroid moment tensor method (Dziewonski
et al., 1981; Ekström et al., 2005). Both CMT and
RCMT exploit the linear relationship between ground
displacement and the six independent components of
the moment tensor, and also find the best source cen-
troid location. RCMT is based on fitting intermediate
and long period surface waves recorded at regional dis-
tance (Ekström et al., 1998), rather than long period
body and mantle waves as CMT. Synthetic seismo-
grams are computed using high-resolution fundamen-
tal mode Love and Rayleigh wave dispersion models
(Ekström et al., 1997), consisting of phase velocity maps
expressed with a spherical harmonics expansion up to
degree 40, with maximum resolution corresponding to
about 500 km.
The best fitting centroid location and the moment ten-
sor are found at the end of an iterative inverse procedure
that minimizes the misfit between the synthetic and the
observed seismograms. Observed and synthetic seismo-
grams are matched after a low-pass filtering with a cut-
off period generally set at 35 s—for events with larger
magnitude (M ≥ 5.5) the cut-off period is increased,
and can reach 60 s. Although only stations located at
regional distance are usually considered in the calcu-
lation of RCMT for current seismicity, in this work,
when closer stations alone were insufficient for a sta-
Fig. 3. Data and synthetic seismograms. Panel A: example of compar-
ble inversion and for several events before 1990, we also
ison for stations at regional distance for the S112480A event; panels
used stations at teleseismic distances. This procedure has B and C: example of comparison for stations at teleseismic distances
shown to produce good quality synthetic seismograms for the S090390A event.
and likely moment tensor solutions also with this kind
of data (Fig. 3; see also Pondrelli et al., 1999, 2001).

Table 1
Quality factors (decreasing from A to D)
A Moment tensor stable as present day RCMTs
B Moment tensor with 0.3 ≤ δepic < 0.5 (difference between preliminary and final centroid cooordinates)
C Moment tensor obtained with fixed coordinates
D Moment tensor with a high no-double-couple component due to low signal-to-noise ratio
290 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303

Table 2
Centroid coordinates and parameters for new moment tensor solutions
ID Time δt0 Latitude δlat0 Longitude δlon0 δepic Depth δdep0 M MW w
S011377A 9:19:08.8 ± 0.3 −2.7 43.50 ± 0.02 0.05 17.39 ± 0.02 −0.29 0.22 15.0 5.0 5.3mb 4.9 A
S073078A 5:19:29.7 ± 0.6 −5.4 42.61 ± 0.30 0.04 12.43 ± 0.07 0.03 0.05 10.0 0.0 4.7mb 4.3 A
S120578A 15:39:06.1 ± 1.3 −2.1 44.29 ± 0.06 0.17 12.07 ± 0.08 −0.08 0.18 15.0 20.0 4.6ML 4.6 A
S041779A 5:40:68.1 ± 0.6 −10.4 42.85 ± 0.03 −0.33 18.93 ± 0.04 −0.35 0.42 15.0 −5.0 5.4ML 4.9 B
S051279A 3:30:42.5 ± 0.7 −7.7 42.68 ± 0.04 −0.35 19.02 ± 0.04 −0.26 0.40 18.5 −8.5 5.2ML 4.8 B
S100379A 22:57:48.7 ± 0.2 3.3 43.22 ± 0.02 0.31 18.11 ± 0.04 −0.03 0.31 15.0 −5.0 5.1MS 5.2 B
S010580A 14:32:32.5 ± 0.7 −6.3 45.11 ± 0.03 −0.08 7.31 ± 0.03 0.15 0.13 17.8 −5.8 4.8mb 4.8 D
S022880A 21:04:36.1 ± 1.0 4.7 42.67 ± 0.06 0.15 12.73 ± 0.07 0.26 0.24 10.0 0.0 5.1ML 5.0 A
S030980A 12:03:42.8 ± 0.7 −2.8 40.04 ± 0.04 −0.10 16.05 ± 0.04 0.07 0.11 15.0 4.0 4.6mb 4.7 A
S060780A 18:35:05.8 ± 1.2 −4.0 43.90 ± 0.05 0.19 10.56 ± 0.05 0.16 0.22 15.0 1.0 4.6mb 4.6 A
S060980A 16:02:52.7 ± 0.5 −4.0 42.08 ± 0.04 0.21 13.65 ± 0.08 0.23 0.40 ≥31.2 11.2 4.6mb 4.6 B
S061480A 20:56:54.5 ± 0.2 −4.2 41.77 ± 0.01 0.08 13.63 ± 0.02 0.10 0.11 ≥19.8 11.8 5.0ML 5.0 A
S061680A 14:44:36.1 ± 0.9 −1.6 41.69 ± 0.05 0.19 13.72 ± 0.10 −0.02 0.19 15.0 −5.0 4.5ML 4.4 D
S062280A 19:14:31.6 ± 0.5 2.1 42.94 ± 0.03 0.16 17.21 ± 0.03 0.21 0.22 17.1 −7.1 5.1UKN 4.6 A
S110780A 11:08:36.4 ± 0.8 4.4 42.44 ± 0.05 0.33 18.46 ± 0.05 0.23 0.37 15.0 −5.0 4.9UKN 4.3 B
S112480A 3:03:57.2 ± 0.4 −3.5 40.75 ± 0.02 0.15 15.25 ± 0.03 0.08 0.16 15.0 −5.0 4.9ML 5.0 A
S120380A 23:54:22.0 ± 0.8 2.2 40.57 ± 0.04 0.17 15.20 ± 0.07 0.28 0.27 19.3 −9.3 4.9ML 4.8 A
S122380A 12:01:10.6 ± 1.6 −7.5 44.80 ± 0.13 −0.09 9.80 ± 0.13 0.14 0.13 15.0 −5.0 5.0ML 4.6 A
S021481A 17:27:50.3 ± 1.2 −6.0 41.23 ± 0.05 −0.18 14.94 ± 0.05 −0.34 0.31 15.0 −5.0 4.9ML 4.9 B
S042281A 4:26:24.0 ± 1.9 −3.9 43.25 ± 0.07 0.12 8.11 ± 0.10 0.12 0.15 17.1 1.9 4.7ML 4.4 A
S031682A 13:52:26.6 ± 1.5 −3.0 45.97 ± 0.15 0.20 16.05 ± 0.19 0.21 0.25 18.2 −4.2 5.0ML 4.7 D
S101782A 6:45:43.7 ± 0.9 −6.6 43.19 ± 0.05 −0.07 12.85 ± 0.06 −0.26 0.20 15.0 −2.0 4.6ML 4.6 A
S101782C 10:56:48.8 ± 0.9 −1.1 42.97 ± 0.04 0.19 12.58 ± 0.06 0.01 0.19 16.1 −0.1 4.7ML 4.6 A
S101882A 15:29:25.8 ± 0.9 −2.0 42.97 ± 0.05 0.16 12.66 ± 0.06 −0.03 0.16 15.4 3.6 4.6ML 4.6 A
S081283A 19:36:39.6 ± 1.2 −8.8 41.83 ± 0.06 −0.08 13.99 ± 0.13 −0.14 0.13 ≥21.4 11.4 4.8ML 4.8 D
S042284A 17:39:27.1 ± 0.6 −4.0 43.62 ± 0.00 0.00 10.19 ± 0.00 0.00 0.00 15.0 0.0 4.7ML 4.6 C
S051184A 13:15:66.2 ± 0.6 −9.4 42.01 ± 0.03 −0.18 13.99 ± 0.04 −0.05 0.18 15.0 2.0 4.8ML 4.8 A
S112585A 16:43:56.0 ± 0.8 0.4 42.14 ± 0.05 0.16 18.76 ± 0.06 −0.01 0.16 18.1 −1.1 4.9MD 4.6 A
S010886A 0:27:17.7 ± 0.4 3.2 42.47 ± 0.02 0.12 15.12 ± 0.07 0.19 0.18 15.0 12.0 4.8ML 4.7 A
S012686A 7:33:57.2 ± 1.2 −1.0 42.63 ± 0.00 0.00 15.33 ± 0.00 0.00 0.00 15.9 −5.9 4.8ML 4.3 C
S082986A 14:57:03.0 ± 0.4 −0.2 46.33 ± 0.03 0.01 12.67 ± 0.08 −0.20 0.14 15.0 −5.0 4.8mb 4.7 A
S100186A 19:53:41.1 ± 0.6 0.1 44.23 ± 0.03 0.11 10.11 ± 0.05 0.08 0.12 16.8 11.2 4.7ML 4.5 A
S121686A 6:22:48.3 ± 0.7 2.8 44.90 ± 0.04 0.16 14.58 ± 0.08 0.22 0.22 15.0 −5.0 5.0ML 4.5 A
S122486A 16:48:01.8 ± 0.5 3.9 43.85 ± 0.04 0.24 16.38 ± 0.04 −0.03 0.24 28.3 2.7 4.9MD 4.7 A
S050287B 20:44:62.9 ± 1.1 −9.9 45.08 ± 0.05 −0.26 10.90 ± 0.04 −0.18 0.29 ≥26.0 16.0 5.2ML 4.7 A
S070387A 10:22:61.5 ± 0.7 −2.6 43.00 ± 0.03 0.25 13.92 ± 0.05 0.02 0.25 15.0 −3.0 5.1MD 5.1 A
S070587A 13:12:39.7 ± 1.3 −2.8 43.76 ± 0.07 0.02 12.09 ± 0.07 0.14 0.10 15.0 −4.0 4.5mb 4.4 A
S090487A 16:42:09.1 ± 1.1 −9.1 43.15 ± 0.05 0.10 14.02 ± 0.07 −0.14 0.14 18.2 −7.2 5.1mb 4.7 A
S042688B 19:17:58.4 ± 2.0 −2.0 42.32 ± 0.08 −0.11 16.34 ± 0.11 0.14 0.15 15.0 0.0 4.5mb 4.4 A
S082388A 17:38:49.9 ± 1.1 −2.4 43.69 ± 0.05 0.01 17.56 ± 0.03 −0.12 0.09 19.2 −9.2 5.0mb 4.6 A
S091389B 21:54:63.8 ± 0.3 −4.3 45.86 ± 0.03 −0.06 11.18 ± 0.02 0.03 0.06 ≥25.5 15.5 5.1ML 4.9 A
S122289A 6:48:15.3 ± 0.5 −1.6 42.91 ± 0.02 0.15 12.74 ± 0.03 0.02 0.15 22.6 10.4 4.7ML 4.4 A
S012490A 4:45:07.6 ± 2.2 −2.4 39.36 ± 0.08 −0.19 16.79 ± 0.12 0.13 0.21 ≥99.1 52.1 4.5mb 4.4 A
S020190A 6:24:15.6 ± 0.4 −0.8 41.85 ± 0.05 0.35 15.53 ± 0.04 0.04 0.35 15.0 −5.0 4.7MD 4.4 B
S021890A 20:10:52.5 ± 0.6 −3.7 42.01 ± 0.09 0.17 16.39 ± 0.05 0.05 0.17 15.0 −5.0 4.7ML 4.2 A
S073190A 15:50:57.2 ± 0.5 −4.4 43.04 ± 0.02 −0.02 17.82 ± 0.03 −0.01 0.02 ≥21.8 11.8 4.9mb 4.6 A
S090390A 10:48:32.0 ± 0.2 1.1 45.75 ± 0.01 0.17 16.29 ± 0.03 −0.42 0.34 15.0 5.0 5.1ML 4.8 B
S021191A 15:43:45.1 ± 0.8 −1.5 44.79 ± 0.07 0.08 6.74 ± 0.14 −0.04 0.08 15.0 −1.0 5.1ML 4.3 A
S090891A 19:45:25.5 ± 0.2 −3.2 42.12 ± 0.02 0.04 18.86 ± 0.01 −0.11 0.09 15.0 −5.0 4.9MD 4.4 A
S050892A 6:44:39.6 ± 0.4 −0.6 47.24 ± 0.06 0.03 9.54 ± 0.05 −0.04 0.04 ≥21.4 16.4 5.0ML 4.4 A
S060792A 11:46:63.3 ± 1.1 −3.8 43.79 ± 0.03 0.05 18.73 ± 0.07 0.08 0.08 ≥24.1 13.1 4.8ML 4.3 A
S071692A 5:39:60.6 ± 0.3 −7.1 42.59 ± 0.04 −0.16 14.26 ± 0.04 0.04 0.16 ≥15.0 10.0 4.5ML 4.2 A
S060193A 19:51:13.0 ± 0.3 −2.1 46.18 ± 0.01 −0.01 16.67 ± 0.04 −0.20 0.14 15.0 15.0 5.0ML 4.7 A
S060593A 19:16:20.2 ± 0.2 −3.4 43.04 ± 0.02 0.08 12.82 ± 0.02 −0.14 0.13 15.0 −7.0 4.9mb 4.7 A
S042094A 21:25:28.2 ± 0.5 −2.8 46.32 ± 0.05 −0.02 12.64 ± 0.11 −0.07 0.05 17.7 −7.7 4.8ML 4.1 A
S052295A 12:50:34.8 ± 0.3 −2.9 45.68 ± 0.01 −0.06 14.40 ± 0.02 −0.17 0.13 25.1 1.9 4.9ML 4.5 A
S071595A 6:45:28.1 ± 0.2 −5.5 42.84 ± 0.01 −0.09 17.41 ± 0.01 0.00 0.09 16.6 −6.6 4.9MD 4.9 A
 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303 291

Table 2 (Continued )

ID Time δ t0 Latitude δlat0 Longitude δlon0 δepic Depth δdep0 M MW w

S082495A 17:27:36.4 ± 0.5 −1.9 44.12 ± 0.03 0.01 10.77 ± 0.03 −0.01 0.01 18.5 15.5 4.7ML 4.5 A
S082595A 9:27:23.1 ± 0.2 −1.7 45.29 ± 0.01 0.08 17.68 ± 0.02 −0.04 0.08 15.6 7.4 4.9mb 4.7 A
S101095A 6:54:25.1 ± 0.2 −3.0 44.10 ± 0.01 0.08 10.19 ± 0.01 −0.18 0.15 17.9 −7.9 5.3ML 4.8 D
S123195A 21:29:48.4 ± 0.3 −0.9 44.32 ± 0.02 0.15 10.47 ± 0.04 0.18 0.20 24.2 2.8 4.8ML 4.5 A
S090596A 21:43:34.6 ± 0.2 −3.5 42.74 ± 0.02 0.09 17.89 ± 0.02 −0.05 0.10 15.0 −5.0 4.9mb 4.7 A
S101596E 12:18:28.2 ± 0.3 −4.1 44.82 ± 0.02 −0.04 11.01 ± 0.03 −0.28 0.20 17.8 −7.8 4.7ML 4.4 A
S102096A 19:06:59.6 ± 0.6 −4.3 42.52 ± 0.04 0.08 13.23 ± 0.03 0.05 0.09 10.0 0.0 4.7ML 4.4 A
S122196A 8:46:05.0 ± 0.3 −4.0 39.92 ± 0.02 0.12 13.04 ± 0.03 −0.02 0.12 477.8 9.2 4.9mb 5.3 A
See text for ID and magnitude explanation.

3. New RCMT solutions for 1977–1996
To maintain consistence with the other European-
Mediterranean RCMTs, we apply the same quality cri-
teria used for the Catalog (Pondrelli et al., 2002) to the
new solutions presented here. A solution is therefore
considered reliable when: (1) a minimum of data from
three stations azimuthally well distributed are available
(we require stations spread across about 120◦ in source
azimuth); (2) the focal mechanism remains stable during
iterations (3–5 usually) needed to determine the centroid
location; (3) the root mean square of the misfit between
seismograms and synthetics, computed in relation to
all station used, is lower than 0.4; (4) the difference
between initial and final coordinates δepic is lower than
0.3◦ ; (5) the moment tensor has a non-double-couple
component (ε = −(λ2 /(max(|λ1 |), (|λ3 |)))) smaller, in
absolute value, than 0.33, value arbitrarily used to define
a no-double-couple moment tensor (Ekström, 1994a).
In fact, we choose to not always strictly adhere to all
these criteria. In critical areas, with scarce seismicity,
we choose to relax the quality criteria (points 1, 4, and 5
above) not to discard earthquakes holding a special inter-
est because of their location. However, we track solution
reliability by using a quality flag (Table 1); reported in
the last column, w, in Table 2where A identifies full com-
pliance to all criteria, while following letters (up to D)
correspond to decreasing levels of quality. B flag is given
to those moment tensors that have a difference between
preliminary and final coordinates, δepic (see Table 2),
greater than 0.3◦ and lower 0.5◦ . If δepic ≥ 0.5◦ the coor-
dinates are kept fixed along the inversions and the flag
becomes C. Usually these coordinates variation are due
to a low quality of azimuthal distribution of stations. Flag
D is given only when the resulting moment tensor has
a high no-double component due to low signal-to-noise
ratio. Changes in δepic and a large non-double-couple
component can be considered indicators of a complex
seismic source for large magnitude events. On the con-
trary, for moderate magnitude earthquakes, such as those
studied here, they are commonly related to low quality
of seismographic data. Introducing the use of quality
factors, about 20% more events could be retrieved. The
quality flag frequency distribution results in 77% in A
class, 12% in B class, 3% in C class and 8% in D class.
All together, we determined RCMTs for 65 earth-
quakes. The computed source parameters are listed in
Tables 2–4 and related focal mechanisms are mapped in
Fig. 4. Each moment tensor has an ID (Table 2), of the
same format used in the Harvard CMT Catalog, com-
posed by: a first letter that changes with the Catalog (A,
B, C, Z for Harvard CMTs; T for tsunamigenic sources,
see Pondrelli et al., 1999; R for Regional CMTs, S for
data from this work); the date of the event follows; at the
end another letter distinguishes between solutions for
earthquakes on the same day. For each event, we give
the centroid location, its distance from the initial loca-
tion (δepic in Table 2), and single changes in latitude and
longitude (δlat and δlon ). Zero values for these δ’s indicate
that that coordinates have kept fixed during inversions.
We also list the resulting correction to the initial depth,
with a zero values when the depth is held fixed during the
inversion. We fix hypocentral depth to minimize insta-
bilities in moment tensor components Mrθ and Mrφ –
which usually increase at shallow depth (Dziewonski et
al., 1981) – when the preliminary value is 10 km or less
or, otherwise, when during the inversion the centroid
depth becomes less than 15 km. The new moment tensor
solutions correspond to the 45% of the attempts. This
compares with the success rate resulting from the rou-
tine processing of current seismicity, that is about 65%
(Pondrelli et al., 2002, 2004a). Many failures to compute
a stable mechanism for an earthquake within the target
magnitude interval were due to the small number of sta-
tions operating at the time, and hence a corresponding
bad azimuthal distribution. For this reason, the success
rate shows a general increase with time: for the period
before 1990 it is about 35%, while after the nineties it
292 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303

Table 3
Elements of moment tensors for new solutions (in N m)
ID M0 10xx Mrr Mθθ Mφφ Mrθ Mrφ Mθφ
S011377A 2.62 16 1.23 ± 0.14 −0.87 ± 0.09 −0.35 ± 0.12 −0.19 ± 0.15 2.39 ± 0.15 0.50 ± 0.04
S073078A 3.85 15 −3.34 ± 1.63 0.09 ± 1.94 3.25 ± 0.36 1.72 ± 0.90 −1.11 ± 1.81 0.49 ± 0.19
S120578A 1.04 16 0.21 ± 0.69 1.74 ± 0.61 −1.95 ± 0.58 −7.57 ± 0.96 −2.38 ± 1.21 −6.52 ± 0.22
S041779A 2.45 16 0.94 ± 0.05 −0.39 ± 0.04 −0.55 ± 0.04 1.35 ± 0.09 −1.74 ± 0.08 0.76 ± 0.03
S051279A 2.28 16 0.92 ± 0.26 1.31 ± 0.13 −2.24 ± 0.22 0.67 ± 0.15 −0.60 ± 0.26 −0.86 ± 0.07
S100379A 7.10 16 −6.48 ± 0.35 3.40 ± 0.21 3.08 ± 0.28 1.39 ± 0.85 2.63 ± 0.67 3.17 ± 0.13
S010580A 2.16 16 1.03 ± 0.37 0.06 ± 0.22 −1.09 ± 0.20 −1.27 ± 0.71 −1.15 ± 0.42 1.03 ± 0.07
S022880A 3.57 16 −0.30 ± 0.18 −0.85 ± 0.18 1.15 ± 0.17 −2.37 ± 0.34 −2.43 ± 0.35 −0.81 ± 0.08
S030980A 1.44 16 −1.45 ± 0.08 0.45 ± 0.06 0.99 ± 0.07 0.42 ± 0.07 −0.35 ± 0.10 −0.42 ± 0.02
S060780A 1.13 16 −5.93 ± 1.34 3.61 ± 1.38 2.31 ± 0.35 −8.44 ± 1.71 2.86 ± 0.68 −4.81 ± 0.49
S060980A 1.16 16 −1.19 ± 0.11 1.04 ± 0.06 0.15 ± 0.12 −0.33 ± 0.04 −0.05 ± 0.06 0.08 ± 0.02
S061480A 3.44 16 −3.51 ± 0.17 2.59 ± 0.10 0.92 ± 0.10 −0.85 ± 0.09 0.43 ± 0.13 −1.06 ± 0.03
S061680A 5.75 15 −4.86 ± 0.47 3.11 ± 0.28 1.76 ± 0.42 −4.02 ± 0.96 −0.66 ± 0.93 −0.79 ± 0.18
S062280A 9.29 15 0.80 ± 0.43 −0.52 ± 0.30 −0.28 ± 0.25 7.58 ± 0.64 −5.32 ± 0.60 0.23 ± 0.19
S110780A 3.56 15 0.93 ± 0.56 −1.43 ± 0.34 0.50 ± 0.36 1.92 ± 1.18 0.20 ± 1.19 2.76 ± 0.18
S112480A 3.80 16 −3.28 ± 0.12 1.59 ± 0.08 1.69 ± 0.09 −0.81 ± 0.20 −1.71 ± 0.29 −1.78 ± 0.05
S120380A 2.20 16 −2.01 ± 1.07 0.85 ± 0.64 1.16 ± 0.57 0.70 ± 0.56 −0.31 ± 0.41 −1.11 ± 0.09
S122380A 9.12 15 −3.07 ± 0.60 −6.10 ± 0.47 9.17 ± 0.53 −3.84 ± 4.25 1.17 ± 1.72 −1.46 ± 0.44
S021481A 2.59 16 0.93 ± 0.14 −0.23 ± 0.06 −0.69 ± 0.15 −0.93 ± 0.26 1.71 ± 0.33 −1.59 ± 0.06
S042281A 5.66 15 4.72 ± 1.54 0.29 ± 0.69 −5.01 ± 0.97 −2.55 ± 0.92 1.34 ± 0.50 −0.71 ± 0.17
S031682A 1.32 16 1.49 ± 0.25 −1.07 ± 0.18 −0.42 ± 0.11 0.33 ± 0.14 0.00 ± 0.22 −0.03 ± 0.08
S101782A 1.17 16 −9.90 ± 0.72 2.18 ± 0.52 7.72 ± 0.51 −2.84 ± 1.10 −5.61 ± 1.37 −4.35 ± 0.26
S101782C 1.08 16 −8.31 ± 1.61 1.04 ± 0.71 7.27 ± 1.06 −2.49 ± 0.95 −6.22 ± 1.53 −3.34 ± 0.22
S101882A 8.55 15 −5.82 ± 0.85 0.81 ± 0.45 5.02 ± 0.55 −2.50 ± 0.72 −5.98 ± 1.12 −1.82 ± 0.17
S081283A 1.71 16 −1.75 ± 0.23 1.14 ± 0.11 0.61 ± 0.22 −0.31 ± 0.06 −0.68 ± 0.19 −0.48 ± 0.06
S042284A 1.03 16 −9.78 ± 1.61 2.14 ± 0.44 7.64 ± 1.89 −4.11 ± 1.10 1.49 ± 1.68 −3.05 ± 0.34
S051184A 1.97 16 −1.75 ± 0.12 1.68 ± 0.03 0.06 ± 0.12 −0.97 ± 0.10 0.14 ± 0.11 −0.08 ± 0.03
S112585A 1.08 16 −0.62 ± 0.18 1.00 ± 0.12 −0.38 ± 0.09 −0.09 ± 0.12 −0.53 ± 0.16 0.32 ± 0.04
S010886A 1.28 16 1.29 ± 0.07 −0.78 ± 0.05 −0.50 ± 0.05 0.12 ± 0.18 0.00 ± 0.24 0.61 ± 0.03
S012686A 3.63 15 3.26 ± 1.40 −2.36 ± 0.74 −0.90 ± 0.77 1.66 ± 0.86 −0.14 ± 1.24 1.38 ± 0.19
S082986A 1.57 16 1.46 ± 0.17 −1.04 ± 0.05 −0.42 ± 0.18 0.38 ± 0.31 −0.50 ± 0.22 −0.64 ± 0.05
S100186A 6.28 15 −5.93 ± 0.80 2.92 ± 0.41 3.00 ± 0.62 0.28 ± 0.49 −0.33 ± 0.84 −3.64 ± 0.15
S121686A 6.32 15 6.01 ± 0.47 −5.30 ± 0.35 −0.71 ± 0.33 −1.50 ± 1.53 1.39 ± 1.03 −1.90 ± 0.19
S122486A 1.63 16 1.34 ± 0.20 −1.66 ± 0.13 0.31 ± 0.11 0.60 ± 0.10 0.13 ± 0.09 −0.10 ± 0.03
S050287B 1.45 16 0.25 ± 0.36 −1.51 ± 0.19 1.26 ± 0.22 −0.22 ± 0.09 0.34 ± 0.13 −0.07 ± 0.04
S070387A 4.97 16 3.30 ± 0.34 −1.50 ± 0.29 −1.80 ± 0.18 2.03 ± 0.55 2.18 ± 0.38 2.87 ± 0.12
S070587A 5.69 15 −6.00 ± 0.29 4.60 ± 0.17 1.40 ± 0.32 −0.65 ± 1.32 −0.38 ± 1.15 −1.63 ± 0.16
S090487A 1.23 16 6.53 ± 2.31 0.12 ± 0.99 −6.65 ± 1.86 5.59 ± 3.22 6.19 ± 1.26 6.59 ± 0.62
S042688B 5.36 15 4.77 ± 0.34 −3.73 ± 0.28 −1.03 ± 0.33 −3.18 ± 1.74 −0.64 ± 1.16 0.45 ± 0.21
S082388A 1.16 16 6.62 ± 0.95 −6.13 ± 0.53 −0.49 ± 0.54 −5.20 ± 0.55 7.81 ± 0.87 2.67 ± 0.28
S091389B 2.36 16 0.27 ± 0.27 −2.31 ± 0.23 2.04 ± 0.14 −0.03 ± 0.19 0.02 ± 0.10 0.92 ± 0.05
S122289A 5.73 15 1.32 ± 1.00 −0.92 ± 0.69 −0.39 ± 0.54 3.74 ± 0.68 −0.02 ± 0.34 −4.21 ± 0.19
S012490A 5.49 15 −2.80 ± 0.64 3.56 ± 1.06 −0.75 ± 0.59 −3.30 ± 0.60 −0.65 ± 0.23 −2.97 ± 0.40
S020190A 5.49 15 4.34 ± 0.25 −3.32 ± 0.31 −1.02 ± 0.17 3.30 ± 1.03 0.32 ± 0.62 −1.93 ± 0.15
S021890A 2.86 15 0.52 ± 0.18 −0.22 ± 0.22 −0.30 ± 0.10 2.26 ± 0.53 1.66 ± 0.56 −0.27 ± 0.09
S073190A 9.90 15 9.84 ± 1.20 −8.25 ± 0.73 −1.58 ± 0.60 −1.99 ± 0.49 −0.30 ± 0.34 3.23 ± 0.18
S090390A 2.17 16 2.08 ± 0.05 −2.14 ± 0.05 0.06 ± 0.05 0.16 ± 0.17 0.12 ± 0.12 −0.46 ± 0.03
S021191A 3.88 15 −1.60 ± 0.34 −3.00 ± 0.36 4.60 ± 0.51 0.49 ± 1.18 −0.26 ± 0.75 −0.03 ± 0.21
S090891A 4.88 15 4.33 ± 0.17 −1.96 ± 0.20 −2.37 ± 0.10 −0.42 ± 0.49 1.87 ± 0.29 2.47 ± 0.08
S050892A 5.14 15 −0.52 ± 0.48 −0.16 ± 0.68 0.69 ± 0.53 −0.29 ± 0.31 −4.12 ± 0.74 −2.99 ± 0.43
S060792A 3.97 15 0.57 ± 0.92 −3.27 ± 1.21 2.70 ± 0.50 0.10 ± 0.53 0.46 ± 0.24 2.57 ± 0.44
S071692A 2.73 15 1.41 ± 0.42 −1.47 ± 0.60 0.06 ± 0.42 −1.14 ± 0.70 −1.61 ± 0.38 −1.29 ± 0.11
S060193A 1.31 16 1.30 ± 0.04 −1.09 ± 0.03 −0.20 ± 0.03 −0.28 ± 0.08 0.40 ± 0.08 0.22 ± 0.02
S060593A 1.49 16 −1.40 ± 0.05 0.38 ± 0.04 1.02 ± 0.03 −0.04 ± 0.15 −0.56 ± 0.10 −0.58 ± 0.03
S042094A 1.91 15 0.84 ± 0.37 −1.24 ± 0.23 0.40 ± 0.23 0.85 ± 0.42 −0.38 ± 0.45 −1.29 ± 0.12
S052295A 6.55 15 −0.49 ± 0.42 −4.22 ± 0.31 4.70 ± 0.34 −1.18 ± 0.30 0.33 ± 0.28 4.62 ± 0.25
S071595A 2.58 16 2.50 ± 0.14 −1.79 ± 0.07 −0.71 ± 0.08 −0.23 ± 0.08 0.30 ± 0.11 1.24 ± 0.04
 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303 293

Table 3 (Continued )

ID M0 10xx Mrr Mθθ Mφφ Mrθ Mrφ Mθφ

S082495A 5.94 15 −5.20 ± 1.07 3.01 ± 0.63 2.19 ± 0.54 −0.79 ± 0.50 −0.89 ± 0.34 −3.73 ± 0.18
S082595A 1.57 16 1.05 ± 0.07 −1.17 ± 0.05 0.12 ± 0.04 −0.94 ± 0.06 0.55 ± 0.06 0.18 ± 0.02
S101095A 2.13 16 −0.43 ± 0.07 0.17 ± 0.06 0.25 ± 0.05 0.38 ± 0.09 −0.83 ± 0.11 −1.96 ± 0.05
S123195A 7.24 15 −1.75 ± 0.59 −5.65 ± 0.41 7.40 ± 0.62 −1.76 ± 0.25 −1.44 ± 0.32 2.05 ± 0.22
S090596A 1.61 16 1.14 ± 0.05 −0.67 ± 0.04 −0.46 ± 0.06 −0.59 ± 0.17 0.86 ± 0.18 0.73 ± 0.04
S101596E 4.64 15 3.03 ± 0.47 −3.42 ± 0.29 0.39 ± 0.26 0.14 ± 0.40 2.58 ± 0.51 −2.09 ± 0.15
S102096A 4.40 15 −3.44 ± 0.16 1.09 ± 0.13 2.35 ± 0.16 0.27 ± 0.57 −2.53 ± 0.48 −1.91 ± 0.11
S122196A 1.23 17 5.03 ± 0.38 −9.41 ± 0.41 4.38 ± 0.56 5.11 ± 0.37 −5.23 ± 0.69 −5.65 ± 0.38

increases up to more than 70% because of the larger
number of waveforms available (Figs. 2 and 5). Another
reason for failure is overestimated bulletin magnitudes:
several events are actually less energetic than reported
by NEIC, and turn out to be too small for our analysis.
Many larger events also revealed a magnitude signifi-
cantly smaller than the bulletin estimate, as the 1992,
May 8, event that was reported by NEIC with ML = 5.0
and shows Mw = 4.4; and the 1994, April 20, event with
ML = 4.8 and final Mw = 4.1. Apart from these extreme
cases, the difference between bulletin magnitude (ML ,
mb , or MS ) and MW is generally about ±0.4 (Table 2).
The rate and patterns of seismicity influence this trend,
as shown by the peak of year 1980 (with a success rate
larger than 80%, Fig. 5), corresponding to the aftershocks
of MS = 6.9 Irpinia earthquake, the largest event in the
study area in this time span, with fairly large and pre-
cisely estimated bulletin magnitudes.
We match our new moment tensors with data from the
EMMA2.2 Database (Vannucci and Gasperini, 2004) by
computing the angles between P and T axes as well as
the angle between the diedrals (couples of planes) repre-
senting best double-couples of focal solutions common
to both dataset (Fig. 6). Following Kagan (1991), the
latter (the Kagan angle in Fig. 6) measures the rotation
that should be applied to one double-couple to make
it coincident with the other one. It may vary from 0◦
(perfect agreement) to 120◦ (total disagreement), thus
values well below 60◦ indicate a good correspondence
while above 60◦ a mismatch. The comparison is possible
for 30 events. For about 50% of them the difference is
well above 60◦ indicating a strong mismatch. However,
several focal mechanisms computed after the nineties
(e.g., data from Frepoli and Amato, 1997, 2000;
Eva and Solarino, 1998; Sue et al., 1999) are mostly
similar to ours. For instance, the two events S101095A
and S123195A, occurred in the Northern Apennines,
show the same strike-slip focal mechanism from
waveform modeling and from P first arrival deter-
mination (Frepoli and Amato, 1997). However, also
extreme examples exist, such as events S042688A and
S012686A, for which the angle between the the first
pulse solution and ours almost reaches the maximum
value – 120◦ (Table 2) corresponding to a circular swap
of the three major axes: P to T, T to N and N to P – that
cannot be attributed only to experimental uncertainties,
but is likely be due to wrong estimates of polarities.
Older fault plane solutions, based on first motion polari-
ties, show therefore to be affected by larger uncertainty,
possibly due to the intrinsic large sensitivity of the
method to a single or few wrong reports when data are
scarce.
4. The CMT Italian dataset
We merge results of this work with global CMT and
European-Mediterranean RCMT catalogs for the Italian
region, to obtain a comprehensive dataset dating back
from 1977, and representing more than 25 years of seis-
mic activity (Fig. 4). Altogether the dataset lists 338 cen-
troid moment tensors, for shallow and intermediate depth
earthquakes, and magnitude between 4.0 and 6.9. Sixty
solutions come from the Harvard CMT Catalog, 170
from the European-Mediterranean Catalog, 43 from pre-
vious papers (Pondrelli et al., 1999, 2001, 2004b; Cucci
et al., 2004) and 65 from this study. All data included in
this Italian dataset are available on the web at the address
http://www.ingv.it/seismoglo/RCMT/Italydataset. Here
all technical characteristics for each moment tensor solu-
tion, as the number of used stations, low period cut-off
and azimuthal gap are described.
Solutions for some of the earthquakes, subject of this
study, also appear on the Harvard CMT Catalog—mainly
events after 1997. Surface waves at regional distance
have a better signal-to-noise ratio than long period body
or mantle waves at global distance, and the RCMT
method appears more appropriate in modeling smaller
magnitude seismic sources. Therefore, when both solu-
294 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303

Fig. 4. Map of all moment tensor solutions included in the Italian CMT dataset. Harvard CMT Catalog solutions are in red, European-Mediterranean
RCMT solutions are in blue, RCMT from previous papers (see text for references) are in green and new RCMTs from this work are in yellow.
 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303 295

Table 4
Principal axes and best double-couple for new moment tensor solutions
ID T-axes N-axes P-axes Plane 1 Plane 2 

σ δ ξ σ δ ξ σ δ ξ φs θ λ φs θ λ
S011377A 2.96 54 274 −0.69 14 164 −2.27 33 66 115 17 39 347 79 104 0.23
S073078A 3.45 8 94 0.80 23 1 −4.25 66 203 209 42 −55 345 57 −117 −0.19
S120578A 0.97 33 203 0.13 41 79 −1.10 32 317 350 41 0 260 90 131 −0.12
S041779A 2.31 58 55 0.28 2 321 −2.60 32 230 311 13 79 142 77 93 −0.11
S051279A 2.07 35 17 0.43 54 181 −2.49 8 281 53 60 159 154 72 32 −0.17
S100379A 7.01 12 315 0.18 7 223 −7.19 76 104 54 34 −78 219 57 −98 −0.03
S010580A 2.55 48 144 −0.78 39 347 −1.77 12 248 300 48 31 187 67 133 0.31
S022880A 3.16 42 110 0.82 19 218 −3.98 42 326 128 19 −179 38 90 −71 −0.21
S030980A 1.32 11 59 0.24 6 328 −1.56 78 210 157 35 −80 324 56 −97 −0.15
S060780A 1.18 26 214 −0.10 15 117 −1.09 60 0 334 23 −50 112 72 −105 0.08
S060980A 1.09 8 175 0.14 1 85 −1.24 82 347 266 37 −88 84 53 −91 −0.11
S061480A 3.24 8 206 0.40 0 296 −3.64 82 28 296 37 −90 116 53 −90 −0.11
S061680A 4.86 22 190 1.78 9 96 −6.64 66 344 296 25 −68 92 67 −100 −0.27
S062280A 9.36 47 35 −0.14 0 305 −9.22 43 215 300 2 85 125 88 90 0.01
S110780A 3.26 32 313 0.59 52 97 −3.85 18 212 348 54 169 85 81 37 −0.15
S112480A 3.49 6 49 0.63 23 142 −4.12 66 305 115 44 −125 339 56 −61 −0.15
S120380A 2.24 9 48 −0.07 8 316 −2.17 77 185 148 36 −76 310 55 −100 0.03
S122380A 9.51 7 263 −0.78 55 162 −8.74 34 358 35 61 −20 135 72 −149 0.08
S021481A 2.90 44 228 −0.62 41 16 −2.28 17 122 254 46 157 1 73 46 0.21
S042281A 6.09 64 198 −0.88 25 1 −5.22 7 94 210 44 127 343 56 60 0.14
S031682A 1.53 83 2 −0.42 0 268 −1.11 7 178 267 38 89 88 52 91 0.27
S101782A 1.08 11 66 0.18 21 161 −1.26 66 311 132 39 −125 354 59 −65 −0.14
S101782C 1.01 16 74 0.14 20 170 −1.15 64 308 137 34 −128 0 64 −68 −0.12
S101882A 7.73 23 84 1.64 18 181 −9.37 61 306 143 27 −131 8 70 −71 −0.18
S081283A 1.42 2 32 0.57 18 122 −1.99 72 297 104 46 −115 318 49 −66 −0.29
S042284A 0.95 9 243 0.16 14 150 −1.11 73 6 349 38 −67 141 56 −107 −0.14
S051184A 1.94 15 184 0.06 2 274 −2.01 75 12 271 30 −94 95 60 −88 −0.03
S112585A 1.10 8 165 −0.04 39 69 −1.06 50 264 291 50 −36 45 63 −134 0.04
S010886A 1.30 86 342 −0.02 3 128 −1.27 2 218 312 43 95 125 47 86 0.02
S012686A 3.73 74 349 −0.20 10 116 −3.53 13 208 311 33 108 110 58 78 0.05
S082986A 1.69 70 55 −0.24 20 239 −1.45 1 149 219 47 62 77 50 117 0.14
S100186A 6.62 2 45 −0.68 0 135 −5.94 88 235 135 43 −91 316 47 −90 0.10
S121686A 6.58 74 235 −0.51 15 73 −6.06 5 342 56 42 67 265 52 110 0.08
S122486A 1.47 78 334 0.31 5 86 −1.78 11 177 273 34 98 83 56 84 −0.17
S050287B 1.37 18 267 0.17 71 110 −1.54 7 0 45 73 8 312 83 163 −0.11
S070387A 5.41 55 315 −0.88 35 139 −4.53 2 47 107 53 44 347 56 134 0.16
S070587A 5.30 2 202 0.77 5 112 −6.07 84 317 298 43 −83 108 48 −97 −0.13
S090487A 1.36 49 322 −0.25 39 162 −1.11 10 64 117 49 34 4 65 133 0.18
S042688B 5.91 70 161 −1.10 7 271 −4.81 18 4 105 28 105 268 63 82 0.19
S082388A 1.22 59 251 −0.11 16 133 −1.11 26 35 92 24 47 318 73 107 0.09
S091389B 2.23 0 281 0.27 89 157 −2.50 1 11 56 89 0 146 90 −179 −0.11
S122289A 5.48 36 36 0.50 46 258 −5.99 22 143 185 47 12 87 81 136 −0.08
S012490A 5.93 18 202 −0.88 33 100 −5.05 52 316 331 40 −32 87 70 −125 0.15
S020190A 5.59 69 9 −0.20 11 249 −5.39 18 155 227 29 66 74 64 103 0.04
S021890A 2.87 50 326 −0.01 2 233 −2.85 40 141 209 6 66 53 85 92 0.00
S073190A 10.09 82 154 −0.38 6 291 −9.72 5 21 118 40 99 286 50 83 0.04
S090390A 2.09 86 302 0.15 3 78 −2.24 2 169 261 43 94 76 47 87 −0.07
S021191A 4.61 2 90 −1.46 72 352 −3.16 17 180 224 76 −11 316 79 −166 0.32
S090891A 4.82 75 278 0.12 11 141 −4.95 10 49 125 36 70 329 56 104 −0.02
S050892A 5.15 32 62 −0.01 36 179 −5.14 38 303 96 36 −174 1 86 −54 0.00
S060792A 3.72 8 290 0.50 82 116 −4.22 1 20 66 84 5 335 85 173 −0.12
S071692A 2.50 58 98 0.47 21 226 −2.97 23 325 89 29 138 218 71 68 −0.16
S060193A 1.42 76 249 −0.22 11 108 −1.20 9 16 93 38 71 296 55 104 0.15
S060593A 1.44 9 62 0.10 11 153 −1.54 76 291 139 37 −108 341 55 −77 −0.06
S042094A 1.76 41 54 0.30 47 256 −2.06 12 154 203 53 24 97 71 140 −0.15
S052295A 6.67 1 113 −0.24 78 209 −6.43 12 23 159 81 −173 67 83 −9 0.04
296 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303

Table 4 (Continued )

ID T-axes N-axes P-axes Plane 1 Plane 2 

σ δ ξ σ δ ξ σ δ ξ φs θ λ φs θ λ
S071595A 2.53 85 250 0.10 3 124 −2.62 4 33 120 41 86 306 49 94 −0.04
S082495A 6.36 0 42 −0.83 15 132 −5.53 75 312 117 47 −111 327 47 −69 0.13
S082595A 1.55 65 227 0.04 13 108 −1.59 21 13 81 26 60 294 68 104 −0.03
S101095A 2.44 17 47 −0.61 68 184 −1.83 14 312 89 68 178 180 88 22 0.25
S123195A 8.01 10 100 −1.54 69 217 −6.47 19 6 144 70 −174 52 84 −20 0.19
S090596A 1.55 68 250 0.12 9 137 −1.67 20 44 119 26 70 321 66 100 −0.07
S101596E 4.73 56 257 −0.18 33 56 −4.55 10 152 275 45 139 36 63 53 0.04
S102096A 4.38 16 59 0.04 15 153 −4.42 68 283 128 31 −119 341 63 −74 −0.01
S122196A 1.26 43 64 −0.05 45 267 −1.21 12 165 214 51 25 107 70 139 0.04

tions exist for an earthquake, we chose the RCMT when
Mw ≤ 5.5, and the CMT otherwise.
Of all RCMT solutions in the new, merged, Italian
dataset, 50% of the events ocurred before 1997, but
they account for 90% of the seismic moment (Figs. 7
and 8). The events previously included in the European-
Mediterranean Catalog contribute about 1.4 × 1018 N m
to the seismic moment, while the total moment for
pre-1997 RCMT is 1.0 × 1019 N m. All RCMTs repre-
sent only a small fraction of the total released seismic
moment, the largest part of which is represented by
larger-magnitude events included in the Harvard CMT
Catalog. The new events, however, greatly improve the
characterization of some areas and to the reduction of
the magnitude completeness threshold for the dataset
(Fig. 4).
The importance of RCMTs and of the compilation
of this dataset can be mainly found in the increase of
data available for seismotectonic studies. Indeed, data
included in this catalog are important to characterize the
active tectonic of structures, mainly where seismicity is
mostly of moderate magnitude, as in the Northern Apen-
nines, in the transition between Central and Southern
Apennines and in the Adriatic Sea (Fig. 4).
In the northern sector (Fig. 9), the contribution of
mechanisms computed in the present work confirms
the presence of extensional styles in the eastern part
of the Apenninic ridge (e.g., S060780A, S100186A
and S082495A). Some new mechanisms indicate also
a prevailing strike-slip style in some areas previously
not well documented like the northernmost part of
the Apennines and the central to southern Po plain

Fig. 5. Ratio between successful and failed attempts of computing RCMT solutions for events with bulletin magnitude 4.7 ≤ M ≤ 5.5, as a function
of time. The number of events for which the attempt was successfull is reported over each column. Dotted line indicates the average of the success
ratio: it rises up from 35% before the 1990 to 70% after, thanks to the increase of available seismograms.
 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303 297

Fig. 6. Sketch of comparison between new solutions from this work and P first polarities solutions included in EMMA2.2 Database (Vannucci and
Gasperini, 2004). The Kagan angle (see text), the difference between T and P axes of the two focal solutions and the focal mechanims are shown.
(Augliera et al., 1994; Baroux et al., 2001; Delacou et al., 2004; Eva and Solarino, 1992; Eva and Pastore, 1993; Eva et al., 1997; Gasparini et al.,
1985; Herak et al., 1995; Muço, 1994; Nicolas et al., 1990; Renner and Slejko, 1986; Selvaggi, 2001)
298 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303
Fig. 7. Number of earthquakes vs. Mw for regional RCMT solutions in
the updated Italian CMT dataset. Squares are for post-1997 events, tri-
angles are for all RCMTs of events before 1997 from this and previous
papers.
(S050287B, S123195A and S101596E), the NWestern
Alps (S010580A and S021191A) and the Garfagnana-
Lunigiana (S101095A). Merging all moment tensors
available, we can note that in the Western and Cen-
tral Alps the moment tensor solutions are sparse and
of variable kind so that a clear prevailing style cannot
be assessed (Fig. 9). In the Eastern Alps, the moment
Fig. 8. Number of events vs. Mw for the Italian CMT dataset. Cir-
cles are from the Harvard CMT Catalog, squares are from all RCMT
solutions (this work, the European-Mediterranean Catalog and other
previous papers). The grey background shows the entire Italian dataset,
merging the RCMT and CMT subsets.
tensor solutions mainly belong to events occurred dur-
ing the 1976 Friuli seismic sequence (Pondrelli et al.,
2001 and reference therein), but a pair of new solu-
tions are also added (S082986A and S042094A). Most of
them show thrust behavior with a mainly NNE compres-
sion direction and only minor events show a strike-slip
component, that is however always in agreement with
the compressive deformation pattern that characterizes
this still seismically active portion of the Alps. Moving
toward the east, in Slovenia, seismic deformation is also
compressional but with a NE–SW P axis direction and
with a large strike-slip component for most of available
moment tensors, as for the Bovec 1998, April 12 (Bajc
et al., 2001; Fig. 9). This thrust to strike-slip transition
toward the east is in agreement with geodetic strain mea-
surements and modeling of the Adria plate kinematics
(Battaglia et al., 2004; Serpelloni et al., 2005).
In the Northern Apennines, moment tensors show
prevailing strike-slip to thrust solutions along the outer
part of the chain, with extensional focal mechanisms in
the inner part (Fig. 9). This pattern has been already
described in previous studies (Frepoli and Amato, 1997;
Montone et al., 1999, 2004), but here two seismotectonic
features are evidenced by the new dataset. The first is that
strike-slip and thrust events in the outer part of the chain
have deeper hypocentral location, often between 20 and
30 km (grey background focal mechanisms of Fig. 9).
The second, more evident here with respect to any pre-
vious studies, is a prevalent strike-slip deformation in the
northernmost termination of the Apennines and around
the buried thrusts below the Po Plain. These arcuate
structures are the outermost part of Northern Apennines.
Their shapes probably promote strike-slip motions due
to the prevailing NE–SW trending compression applied
on the several tectonic structures striking perpendicular
to the chain (Figs. 4 and 9). Pure thrust mechanisms, on
the contrary, seem to prevail mainly in the rest of outer
chain, south of 44.5◦ N, where thrust structures are more
linear and parallel to the chain. All these moment tensor
solutions show a good agreement in the direction of the
compressional P axes, N to NE trending, always perpen-
dicular to the chain.
In the central part of the Italian region (Fig. 10), the
principal contribution of the new solutions is to char-
acterize well the compressional nature of the seismic-
ity inside the Adriatic region (S010886A, S012686A,
S042688B and S020190A) that was somehow misunder-
stood in previous analyses (Renner and Slejko, 1994).
From a global view of all available data, we can say
that most of moment tensor solutions localized along
the backbone of the Apenninic chain are pure exten-
sional with a constant NE–SW directions of the T axis.
 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303 299

Fig. 9. Map of moment tensor solutions in the northern sector from the Italian CMT dataset. Grey background indicates hypocentral depth larger
than 20 km. Blue mechanisms are those computed for this paper. Inset 1 shows mostly thrust focal mechanisms of earthquakes occurred in the
Southern Alps (e.g., 1976 Friuli seismic sequence). The green line along the Northern Apennines crest separates the inner from the outer part of the
chain. Tectonic features reference as in Fig. 1.

They confirm the trend clearly defined by the focal mech-
anisms of large magnitude earthquakes, as the 1997–
1998 Umbria-Marche seismic sequence (Ekström et al.,
1998; Chiaraluce et al., 2004 and references therein)
or the Irpinia 1980 seismic sequence (Westaway and
Jackson, 1987; Bernard and Zollo, 1989; Pantosti and
Valensise, 1990; Giardini, 1993). However, it is worth
noting that, in the transition between the Central and
the Southern Apennines (between 41.5◦ and 42.5◦ in
latitude), several moment tensors appear quite different
from the extensional trend (Fig. 10). In correspondence
of the southern termination of the Northern Apenninic
arc, seismicity is indeed more sparse and character-
ized mostly by moderate magnitude events, without a
well defined trend. A strike-slip and a couple of low
angle thrust moment tensors are also mapped. Some
moment tensors of this zone have an extensional mech-
anism but with a T axis generally N–S, rotated with
respect to the NE–SW direction, common to the exten-
sional regions north and south of this one (boxes in
Fig. 10). Moving to the outer part of the chain, toward
the Adriatic Sea, few deeper events (grey background
focal mechanisms in Fig. 10) are here concentrated, as
in the Northern Apennines. Strike-slip moment tensors
are clustered close to the Gargano zone (GA in Fig.
1), and belong to the 2002 Molise seismic sequence
(Pondrelli et al., 2003; Di Luccio et al., 2005a). South-
ward some more strike-slip moment tensors are related
300 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303

Fig. 10. Map of moment tensor solutions in the central sector from the Italian CMT dataset. Grey background indicates hypocentral depth larger
than 20 km. Blue mechanisms are those computed for this paper. Box 1 maps moment tensors of events in the northern green box, located about
in the Umbria-Marche 1997–1998 seismic sequence region. Box 2 shows moment tensors for events in the region bounded by the southern green
box, located nearly in the Irpinia 1980 earthquake region. Box 3 shows the focal mechanisms of earthquakes in the Central Adriatic Sea. Tectonic
features reference as in Fig. 1.

to the 1990 and 1991 Potenza earthquakes (Ekström,
1994b; Di Luccio et al., 2005b). Out of these events,
some thrust moment tensors are present in the outer
Central Apennines, but most of thrust focal mechanisms
belong to earthquakes located in the Adriatic Sea, from
Central Apennines to the Montenegro coasts and Dinar-
ides chain. We added five solutions, all homogeneously
thrusts, to the available moment tensors for to the seis-
mic sequence started in 2003 and located close to the
Montenegro coasts. Diffuse compressive seismic defor-
mation is evident in the Adriatic foreland, and it is
located in the only narrow zone of the inner Adriatic
 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303 301

Fig. 11. Map of moment tensor solutions in the southern sector from the Italian CMT dataset. Grey background indicates hypocentral depth larger
than 50 km. The upper green box shows moment tensors of events off the northern Sicilian shore. Tectonic features reference as in Fig. 1.

Sea where occurrence of seismicity is well documented.
This occurs at the same latitude where extensional
seismic deformation in the Apennines is interrupted
(Figs. 4 and 10).
In the southernmost part of Italy, few new mecha-
nisms are added to the moment tensor dataset as most
of the RCMT solution were reported by previous papers
(Pondrelli et al., 2004b; Vannucci et al., 2004 and ref-
erence therein). However, a quick look at Fig. 11 shows
the presence of numerous deep events belonging to sub-
duction of the Southern Tyrrhenian-Calabrian Arc sys-
tem (grey background focal mechanisms, deeper than
50 km, in Fig. 11). Shallow seismicity of Calabrian Arc
is instead sparse and related moment tensors are often
extensional, with T axes perpendicular to the chain, but
with inhomogeneous distribution (Frepoli and Amato,
2000; Montone et al., 1999).
West of the Aeolian archipelago, seismicity and
moment tensor characteristics change abruptly: earth-
quakes are only shallow (within 15–20 km of depth),
deep seismicity disappears, and focal mechanisms are
uniformly thrust, mostly quite pure, with P axes con-
stantly trending NW–SE (Fig. 11). This feature is main-
tained all along the E–W trending front located offshore
the northern coast of Sicily. In correspondence of the
Aeolian Islands, another zone of deformation striking
about N–S seems to separate the compressive front to
the west and the region influenced by the subduction to
the east. Here, the seismic deformation is mainly strike-
slip, again shallow, close to the Aeolian archipelago up to
offshore eastern Sicily (Fig. 11). Few extensional focal
mechanisms are located along the northern mountain
chain in Sicily, but represent a minor feature.
5. Conclusions
We assembled a new Italian moment tensor dataset,
adding 65 new solutions – for earthquakes occurred from
1977 to 1997, and with magnitude as small as to 4.7
– to RCMTs of the European-Mediterranean Catalog
and to Harvard CMTs (available for event with a mag-
nitude greater than 5.5). The newly studied events are
mainly located in the Northern Apennines, in the transi-
tion zone between Central and Southern Apennines and
302 S. Pondrelli et al. / Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors 159 (2006) 286–303
in the Adriatic Sea. The updated dataset, that includes
338 moment tensor solutions, well represents the seis-
mic deformation released in Italy in the last 25 years.
The contribution of pre-1997 solutions, presented here,
is relevant for the areas where moderate magnitude seis-
micity prevails. An interesting case is in the Northern
Apennines, where events occurring in the outer part of
the chain appear to be deeper. A few of them are strike-
slip, in the northernmost termination of the Apennines,
and the others have almost pure thrust focal mechanisms,
where thrust structures are more parallel to the chain.
This dataset also highlights that extension, characteriz-
ing most of the Apennines, is interrupted by a less intense
and more inhomogeneous seismicity in the transition
between Central to Southern parts of the chain. At the
same latitude, eastward, in the foreland, a clearly defined
seismic deformation is present in the Adriatic Sea, aseis-
mic everywhere else. The compressive front located off
the northern coast of Sicily, probably related to Nubia-
Eurasia motion, is also highlighted, with presence of
deep seismicity related to the Southern Tyrrhenian sub-
duction.
Acknowledgments
Thanks to IRIS for waveform collection and thanks
to people taking care of following seismographic net-
works that recorded data we used: Mednet, Geoscope,
GEOFON, GSN. Their attention made possible this
work. We thank Jeffrey Park for a critical reading
of the manuscript. Maps have been prepared using
GMT tools (Wessel and Smith, 1998). The entire Ital-
ian CMT Dataset can be downloaded from the site
http://www.ingv.it/seismoglo/RCMT/Italydataset.
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