DI LORENZO CINZIA

My research project addresses the design of geodetic networks, framed as an optimization
problem: identifying the station configuration that best resolves fault-slip distribution from
geodetic data. I focus on the Rionero Sannitico and Castel di Sangro normal-fault systems in
the Central Apennines, Italy. This tectonically active area currently lacks sufficient permanent
GNSS infrastructure and clear surface evidence of the ongoing extensional regime, yet it is of
particular interest for the study of crustal deformation (Figure 1). The project develops a
method combining model resolution matrix analysis under a truncated SVD inversion scheme
with empirical field validation, integrating mathematical optimization with practical siteselection
constraints - accessibility, signal quality, and geological stability - since a
mathematically optimal location is not necessarily suitable for a reliable, permanent
installation. Beyond the theoretical framework, six new GNSS stations have been installed in
the study area as part of this project (Figure 2), with further network expansion planned to
improve fault-slip resolution across both structures progressively.

Figure 1: Figure 1: Study area (red box) in the Central Apennines, Italy, with traces of the
Rionero Sannitico (RS) and Castel di Sangro (CaS) fault systems.

Figure 2:Existing regional GNSS network (grey dots) and the six newly installed stations
(green dots) within the study area, relative to the traces of the RS and CaS fault systems.