Earthquake recurrence and seismic hazard assessment: a comparative analysis over the Italian territory.

Rigorous and objective testing of seismic hazard assessments against real seismic activity are a necessary precondition for any responsible seismic risk assessment. The reference hazard maps for the Italian seismic code, obtained with the classical probabilistic approach (PSHA) and the alternative ground shaking maps based on the neo­deterministic approach (NDSHA) are cross-­ compared and tested against the real seismicity for the territory of Italy. NDSHA is a methodology that allows for the sound definition of credible scenario events, based on the realistic physical modelling of ground motion from a wide set of possible earthquakes. The flexibility of NDSHA permits to account for earthquake recurrence and allows for the generation of ground motion maps at specified return periods that permits a straightforward comparison between the NDSHA and the PSHA maps.