Spatial analysis of the Italian seismic network and seismicity

Seismic networks are powerful tools for understanding active tectonic processes in a monitored region. Their numerous applications, from monitoring seismicity to characterizing seismogenic volumes and generated seismicity, make seismic networks essential tools for assessing seismic hazard in active regions. The ability to locate earthquakes hypocenters requires a seismic network with a sufficient number of optimally distributed, stations. It is important to assess existing network geometry, to identify seismogenic volumes that are not adequately monitored, and to quantify measures that will allow network improvement. In this work we have studied the spatial arrangement of the stations of the Italian National Seismic Network by means of several Point Pattern techniques The results of the point patter analysis were compare with the spatial distribution of the historical and instrument seismicity and with the distribution of the well know seismogenetic sources of the Italian peninsula. Some considerations have also been made on some models of seismic hazard of the Italian territory. Our analysis allowed us to identify some critical areas that could require an optimization of the monitoring network.