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SAND - Structure and Non-Linear Dynamics of the Earth

Secretariat:

The Structure and Non-Linear Dynamics of the Earth of ICTP is located on the first floor of the Galileo Guest House.

The postal address is:

ICTP, Structure and Non-Linear Dynamics of the Earth (SAND)
Strada Costiera 11
I-34151 Trieste (Italy)

For any further information, please contact the group's secretary:

Ms. Gabriella De Meo (EFB room 124)
Phone: (+39) 040 2240 355
Fax: (+39) 040 2241 63
E-mail: de_meo@ictp.it

Head:

ICTP's SAND head is Giuliano F. Panza.

SAND Website:

Up to date information on all SAND research, job opportunities as well as visiting scientists, post-docs and external consultants of the Structure and Non-Linear Dynamics of the Earth Section can be obtained from http://www.ictp.trieste.it/www_users/sand.

Research activities:

The research activities are divided into two main areas:

• Non-Linear Dynamics of the Earth's Lithosphere
  (led by Prof. V.I. Keilis-Borok, International Institute of Earthquake Prediction Theory and Mathematical Geophysics, IIEPT, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation).
  These activities aim at the development of a theoretical base for the study of critical phenomena in the Earth's lithosphere with special attention to earthquake prediction. They include: numerical modelling of the lithosphere dynamics for different time scales: millions of years (solving the inverse problem of mantle convection with temperature-dependent viscosity) and hundreds of years (modelling of block-and-fault dynamics for Italy, California, and Tibet); study of mathematical models of non-linear systems and prediction of critical transitions in them: numerical simulation of integral fractional Brownian motion with the purpose to study the statistics of large deviations; development of a method for reconstruction of the dissipation coefficient in some cellular models; earthquake prediction studies: development of new algorithms for short-term earthquake prediction, launching experiments aimed at earthquake prediction for different regions, determination of earthquake-prone areas.
• Structure of the Earth with Application to Seismic and Volcanic Risk Mitigation
  (led by Prof. G.F. Panza, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Trieste, DST-UNITS, Italy).
  These activities aim at the development of theoretical grounds for seismic and volcanic risk mitigation on the basis of 3D modelling of Earth structure and earthquake sources through the study of wave propagation in three-dimensionally heterogeneous, inelastic, and anisotropic media.
  The activities for this year include: simulation of earthquake source radiation and tsunamis induced by inland/coastal earthquakes, and studies of empirical isoseismals; calculation of synthetic seismograms in 3D laterally heteregenous media with the modal summation technique and numerical modelling of surface wave focussing effects; multiscale tomography of the earth interior and related volcanism that allowed to proceed with a multiscale modelling of the dynamics behind some long-standing enigmatic earth kinematics issues and earthquake faulting behavior and constrain crustal and upper mantle viscosity profiles.

The funding sources of the SAND Group are: ICTP, EU, NATO, UNESCO-IUGS-IGCP, ISTC, ANPA, Regione Umbria and the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The SAND group organizes a number of yearly workshops (lists available on ICTP web site) and training of several visiting scientists, TRIL Fellows and Associates.
The SAND Group has signed a number of Memorandum of Agreements with Research institutions in Thirld World and entertains a number of governmental bilateral agreements as well through the University of Trieste.

The developed methodologies are transferred to scientists of the Third World through joint research, with special attention to training the potential leaders, and combining the workshops with subsequent individual projects.