 |
|
The management of data relating to the Marche and Umbria Earthquake (1997-1998)
The GIS of the "Risk Map" proved to be extremely useful during the critical moments of the emergency resulting from the earthquake that struck the Marche and Umbria regions on 26 September 1997.
Less than two hours after the most violent tremor, the GIS of the Risk Map - by tracing a circumference with a radius of 30 Km from the epicentre - identified the most seriously affected municipalities and supplied all the information on the consistency, distribution type and location of items present in those areas of the territory.
Superintendents and Deputy Commissioners from the two regions had all the elements they needed at their disposal, in sufficient quantities and in “record time” in order to organise and mobilise the survey and inspection teams. At the same time it was possible to provide the card file model for the detection of damage to monuments, placing the teams in a position to operate at as efficiently as possible, quickly and with the same methodological criteria.
The card used for inputting and processing of data into the system envisaged the acquiring of the major measurements of the structures, the type and gravity of the damage and the associated pictures.
The information in its entirety, gathered thanks to the convention drawn up between the ICR and the National Seismic Service, has provided a basis for the statistical management of the entire phenomenon. Data concerning damage to the cultural heritage of the Umbria-Marche regions was acquired by the GIS Risk Map in three phases:
1. The acquiring of data concerning all of the approximately 3,500 monuments
affected by the quake, beginning with the most seriously affected municipalities.
2. The geo-referencing of all the items on the base digital maps already in the
system and acquisition of further detailed base maps of the areas affected.
3. The starting of experimental activities for processing the information, cross
referencing of damage data, the constructional characteristics of the items, etc.,
with those concerning the geological characteristics of the single sites and nature
of the seismic wave, in collaboration with the National Seismic Institute, the
National Group for Defence against Earthquakes, the National Geophysics Institute etc.
The availability of point measurements and the metric assessments of the maximum damage resulted in the authorities responsible for designing, planning, setting priorities, assessing of costs etc, being able to work pro-actively together in their combined activities.
In its actual form the data bank allows the acquisition and processing of information, the linking of the card to the graphic and photographic attachments, the development of simplified procedures for the use of final users (Offices of Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents and other agencies of the MBAC (Ministry of Cultural Properties and Activities) who can search through the data contained, accessing both the alphanumeric and cartography data bases.
