2D seismic exploration of the Ancona landslide (Adriatic Coast, Italy)

We have used on- and offshore seismic reflection profiles to determine the extension of a historic landslide at depth and toward the sea. The subsurface landslide structure was delineated by using four separate data sets produced by the combined use of geophone and hydrophone spreads, and of explosive and air-gun sources which also illuminated, through an undershooting configuration, the subsurface below the coastal road and railway. Many noise problems related to the source and environment were overcome and alleviated with several signal-processing routines. The resulting stack and depth-migrated sections reveal the deep geometry of the main landslide body and indicate the emergence location, at the landslide foot, of a deep, potential detachment surface, which previous investigations failed to evidence.