Seismicity in Italy: DISS database online with updated sources

A fundamental tool for understanding seismogenesis and estimating seismic hazard in Italy and the central Mediterranean, now enriched with the most recent scientific data

The National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) has announced, through an official note, a significant update for the Database of Individual Seismogenic Sources (DISS), the Italian reference tool for mapping seismogenic sources . The new version, 3.3.1, is now available online and represents a crucial step forward to improve the understanding of seismogenesis in Italy and to refine the estimate of the hazard associated with seismic events .

The DISS, originally conceived in 1997 by researchers at the then National Institute of Geophysics (ING) and subsequently refined over nearly three decades, is a unique resource that collects, organizes and processes the results of the research conducted by its authors and the knowledge published in the specialist literature. Through an in-depth systematization of information relating to the geology, active tectonics and historical and current seismicity of the national territory, the creators of the DISS are able to identify the seismogenic sources, i.e. the faults responsible for strong earthquakes, estimating their seismic potential .

These sources are defined in a three-dimensional manner within the Earth's crust, with a detailed description of both their geometric (size and spatial positioning of each fault) and kinematic (mode and speed of fault movement) properties .

With the latest release, the Database is enriched with the main scientific results published between December 2021 and March 2025. This includes not only the integration of new seismogenic sources, but also the updating and revision of existing ones, reflecting the most recent acquisitions in the field of seismological research .

The new version of DISS represents an important step forward in improving the seismogenic model of Italy and a large portion of the central Mediterranean. Its continuous evolution confirms DISS as a modern and effective tool, indispensable for countless research in the seismological field. Furthermore, it establishes itself as a fundamental point of reference for the assessment of seismic hazard, applicable at different scales and through different methodological approaches.