A preliminary study of the subsoil of the Roman Amphitheatre of Catania (Sicily) through integrated geophysical and stratigraphic data

To reconstruct the stratigraphy of the subsoil and the geometry of the lava deposits beneath the Roman Amphitheatre located within the city of Catania (Sicily) we performed non-invasive geophysical prospections (seismic and electric tomography). In urbanized contexts this kind of surveys represents the best support to following more specific studies aimed at the conservation of monuments. Seismic tomography allowed us to reconstruct seismostratigraphic sections by imaging the distribution of seismic waves velocity in the internal ambulatory wall and its substrate and outside the Amphitheatre. Electric tomography allowed us to image the resistivity distribution outside the Amphitheatre and to locate anomalies related to the possible presence of cavities, water table and waste waters. The stratigraphic data obtained from mechanical drillings carried out in the study area were used to calibrate the information obtained from the geophysical surveys.