Stability analysis of apparent resistivity measurement in the seismically active area of Val d'Agri (southern Italy)

A magnetotelluric monitoring station has been installed in the Val d’Agri area (southern Italy), to investigate the physics underlying the generation mechanisms of the electrokinetic effect, due to rapid pore pressure changes and fluid flows near the focal area of incoming earthquakes. It is well known that the magnetotelluric method reveals variations in electrical resistivity within the Earth at large depths, reaching within appropriate frequency bands the Earth’s mantle. Depth sounding is performed by measuring the ratio between the mutually perpendicular horizontal electric and magnetic fields at the earth’s surface, furnishing the apparent resistivity, which describes the electrical properties of subsoil as function of depth. The selected site of Val d’Agri has been struck by strong seismic events in past and recent years, this suggesting the investigation of possible changes in apparent resistivity correlated with the local tectonic activity. We analyzed the stability of the measurement of apparent resistivity and phase of the impedance tensor Z(ω) during time. Our findings suggest that the measure of apparent resistivity during night-time is more stable. Therefore, we identified the characteristic apparent resistivity curve of the subsoil of the Val d’Agri site, which could be considered as a reference.