Lorenzo MARCHI

Research personnel
Director of Research
+39 049 8295825
+39 049 8295827
lorenzo.marchi (at) irpi.cnr.it
Corso Stati Uniti, 4 35127, Padova
Padova


hydrogeomorphology

Selected papers (since 2000)

Brenna, A., Marchi, L., Borga, M., Zaramella, M., Surian, N., 2023. What drives major channel widening in mountain rivers during floods? The role of debris floods during a high-magnitude event. Geomorphology, 430, 108650, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2023.108650

Scorpio, V., Cavalli. M., Steger, S., Crema, S., Marra, F., Zaramella, M., Borga, M., Marchi, L., Comiti, F., 2022. Storm characteristics dictate sediment dynamics and geomorphic changes in mountain channels: A case study in the Italian Alps, Geomorphology, 108173, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2022.108173

Amponsah, W., Marra, F., Zoccatelli, D., Marchi, L., Crema, S., Pirastru, M., Borga,M., 2022. Scale-dependence of observational and modelling uncertainties in forensic flash flood analysis. Journal of Hydrology, 607, 127502, doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2022.127502

Brenna, A. Marchi, L., Borga, M., Ghinassi, M., Zaramella, M., Surian, M., 2021. Sediment–water flows in mountain catchments: Insights into transport mechanisms as responses to high-magnitude hydrological events. Journal of Hydrology, 602, 126716, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126716

Marchi, Cazorzi, Arattano, Cucchiaro, Cavalli, Crema, S., 2021. Debris flows recorded in the Moscardo catchment (Italian Alps) between 1990 and 2019. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 87–97, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-87-2021

Brenna, A., Surian, N., Ghinassi, M., Marchi, L., 2020. Sediment–water flows in mountain streams: Recognition and classification based on field evidence. Geomorphology, 371, 107413, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2020.107413

Crema, S., Llena, M., Calsamiglia, A., Estrany, J., Marchi, L., Vericat, D., Cavalli, M., 2020. Can inpainting improve digital terrain analysis? Comparing techniques for void filling, surface reconstruction and geomorphometric analyses. Earth Surface processes and Landforms, 45(3), 736-755, doi: 10.1002/esp.4739

Cucchiaro, S., Cazorzi,F., Marchi, L., Crema, S., Beinat, A., Cavalli, M., 2019. Multi-temporal analysis of the role of check dams in a debris-flow channel: Linking structural and functional connectivity. Geomorphology, 345, 1-12, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.106844

Coviello, V., Arattano, M., Comiti, F., Macconi, P., Marchi, L., 2019. Seismic characterization of debris flows: Insights into energy radiation and implications for warning. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 124, 6, 1440-1463, https://doi.org/10.1029/2018JF004683

Marchi, L., Comiti, F., Crema S., Cavalli, M., 2019. Channel control works and sediment connectivity in the European Alps. Science of the Total Environment, 668, 389–399, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.416

Cucchiaro, S., Cavalli, M., Vericat, D., Crema, S., Llena, M., Beinat, A., Marchi, L., Cazorzi, F., 2019. Geomorphic effectiveness of check dams in a debris-flow catchment using multi-temporal topographic surveys. CATENA, 174, 73-83, doi: 10.1016/j.catena.2018.11.004

Marchi, L., Brunetti, M.T., Cavalli, M., Crema, S., 2019. Debris-flow volumes in northeastern Italy: relationship with drainage area and size probability. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 44(4), 933-943, doi: 10.1002/esp.4546

Amponsah, W., Ayral, P.-A., Boudevillain, B., Bouvier, C., Braud, I., Brunet, P., Delrieu, G., Didon-Lescot, J.-F., Gaume, E., Lebouc, L., Marchi, L., Marra, F., Morin, E., Nord, G., Payrastre, O., Zoccatelli, D., Borga, M., 2018. Integrated high-resolution dataset of high-intensity European and Mediterranean flash floods. Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 10, 1783–1794, doi: 10.5194/essd-10-1783-2018

Cucchiaro, S., Cavalli, M., Vericat, D., Crema, S., Llena, M., Beinat, A., Marchi, L., Cazorzi, F., 2018. Monitoring topographic changes through 4D-structure-from-motion photogrammetry: application to a debris-flow channel. Environmental Earth Sciences, 77:632, doi: 10.1007/s12665-018-7817-4

De Finis, E., Gattinoni, P., Marchi, L., Scesi, L., 2018. Anomalous Alpine fans: from the genesis to the present hazard. Landslides, 15(4), 683-694, DOI: 10.1007/s10346-017-0894-8

Theule, J.I., Crema, S., Marchi, L., Cavalli, M., Comiti, F., 2018. Exploiting LSPIV to assess debris-flow velocities in the field. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 1-13, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-18-1-2018

Destro, E., Amponsah, W., Nikolopoulos, E.I., Marchi, L., Marra, F., Zoccatelli, D., Borga, M. 2018. Coupled prediction of flash flood response and debris flow occurrence: application on an alpine extreme flood event. Journal of Hydrology, 558, 225-237, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.01.021

Scorpio, V., Crema, S., Marra, F., Righini, M., Ciccarese, G., Borga, M., Cavalli, M., Corsini, A., Marchi, L., Surian, N., Comiti, F., 2018. Basin-scale analysis of the geomorphic effectiveness of flash floods: A study in the northern Apennines (Italy), Science of The Total Environment, 640–641, 337-351.

Mazzorana, B. , Ruiz-Villanueva, V., Marchi, L., Cavalli, M., Gems, B., Gschnitzer, T., Mao, L., Iroumé, A., Valdebenito,G., 2018. Assessing and mitigating large wood-related hazards in mountain streams: recent approaches. Journal of flood risk management, 11, 207-222, DOI: 10.1111/jfr3.12316

Cavalli, M., Crema, S., Trevisani, S., Marchi, L., 2017. GIS tools for preliminary debris-flow assessment at regional scale. Journal of Mountain Science. 14(12), 2498-2510, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-017-4573-y

Marchi, L., 2017. Comment on ‘The influence of geological–morphological and land-use settings on shallow landslides in the Pogliaschina T. basin (northern Apennines, Italy)’ by Bartelletti et al. (2017), Journal of Maps, 13(2), 866-867, doi: 10.1080/17445647.2017.1376227

Marchi, L., 2017. Linking Debris Flows and Landslides to Large Floods in Gravel-Bed Rivers. In: Gravel-Bed Rivers: Processes and Disasters. Edited by Daizo Tsutsumi and Jonathan B. Laronne, John Wiley & Sons Ltd., 467-495.

Righini, M., Surian, N., Wohl, E., Marchi, L., Comiti, F., Amponsah, W., Borga, M., 2017. Geomorphic response to an extreme flood in two Mediterranean rivers (northeastern Sardinia, Italy): Analysis of controlling factors. Geomorphology, in press, doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2017.04.014

Penna, D., Zuecco, G., Crema S., Trevisani, S., Cavalli, M., Pianezzola, L., Marchi, L., Borga, M., 2017. Response time and water origin in a steep nested catchment in the Italian Dolomites. Hydrological processes, 31, 768-782, doi: 10.1002/hyp.11050

Cavalli, M., Goldin. B:, Comiti, F., Brardinoni, F., Marchi, L., 2016. Assessment of erosion and deposition in steep mountain basins by differencing sequential digital terrain models. Geomorphology, in press, doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2016.04.009

Surian, N., Righini, M., Lucía, A., Nardi, L., Amponsah, W., Benvenuti, M., Marco Borga, M., Cavalli, M., Comiti, F., Marchi, L., Rinaldi, M., Viero, A., 2016. Channel response to extreme floods: Insights on controlling factors from six mountain rivers in northern Apennines, Italy. Geomorphology, in press, doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2016.02.002

Rinaldi, M., Amponsah, W., Benvenuti, M., Borga, M., Comiti, F., Lucía, A., Marchi, L., Nardi, L., Righini, M., Surian, N., 2016. An integrated approach for investigating geomorphic response to extreme events: methodological framework and application to the October 2011 flood in the Magra River catchment, Italy. Earth Surface processes and Landforms, article available online, doi:10.1002/esp.3902

Marchi L., Cavalli M., Amponsah W., Borga M., Crema S., 2015. Upper limits of flash flood stream power in Europe. Geomorphology, in Press, doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2015.11.005

Lucía, A., Comiti, F. Borga, M., Cavalli, M., Marchi, L. 2015. Dynamics of large wood during a flash flood in two mountain catchments. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 1741–1755, doi:10.5194/nhess-15-1741-2015

Nikolopoulos E.I., Borga M., Marra F., Crema S., Marchi L., 2015. Debris flows in the eastern Italian Alps: seasonality and atmospheric circulation patterns. Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 647–656, doi:10.5194/nhess-15-647-2015

Marchi L., Cavalli M., Trevisani S., 2015. Hypsometric analysis of headwater rock basins in the Dolomites (Eastern Alps) using high-resolution topography. Geografiska Annaler: Series A, Physical Geography, 97, 317-335, doi: 10.1111/geoa.12067

Blasone, G., Cavalli, M., Marchi, L., Cazorzi, F., 2014. Monitoring sediment source areas in a debris-flow catchment using terrestrial laser scanning. Catena, 123, 23-36, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2014.07.001

Borga, M., Stoffel, M., Marchi, L., Marra, F., Jakob, M., 2014. Hydrogeomorphic response to extreme rainfall in headwater systems: Flash floods and debris flows. Journal of Hydrology, 518, 194-205, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.05.022

Nikolopoulos E.I., Crema S., Marchi L., Marra F., Guzzetti F., Borga M., 2014. Impact of uncertainty in rainfall estimation on the identification of rainfall thresholds for debris flow occurrence. Geomorphology, 221, 286-297, doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2014.06.015

Comiti F., Marchi L., Macconi P., Arattano M., Bertoldi G., Borga M., Brardinoni F., Cavalli M., D’Agostino V., Penna D., 2014. A new monitoring station for debris flows in the European Alps: first observations in the Gadria basin. Natural Hazards, 23, 1175-1198, doi: 10.1007/s11069-014-1088-5     

Cavalli M., Trevisani S., Comiti F., Marchi L., 2013. Geomorphometric assessment of spatial sediment connectivity in small alpine catchments. Geomorphology, 188, 31-41.

Trevisani S., Cavalli M., Marchi L., 2012. Surface texture analysis of a high-resolution DTM: interpreting an alpine basin. Geomorphology, 161-162, 26-39.

Trevisani S., Cavalli M., Marchi L., 2010. Reading the bed morphology of a mountain stream: a geomorphometric study on high- resolution topographic data. Hydrology and Earth System Science, 14,393–405.

Marchi L., Borga M., Preciso E., Gaume E., 2010. Characterisation of selected extreme flash floods in Europe and implications for flood risk management, Journal of Hydrology, 394(1-2), 118-133, doi: 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2010.07.017

D'Agostino V., Cesca M., Marchi L., 2010. Field and laboratory investigations of runout distances of debris flows in the Dolomites (Eastern Italian Alps). Geomorphology, 115(3-4), 294-304 doi: 10.1016/j.geomorph.2009.06.032.

Marchi, L., Borga, M., Preciso, E., Sangati, M., Gaume, E., Bain, V., Delrieu, G., Bonnifait, L., Pogačnik, N., 2009. Comprehensive post-event survey of a flash flood in Western Slovenia: observation strategy and lessons learned. Hydrological Processes, 23(26), 3761-3770, doi: 10.1002/hyp.7542

Marchi, L., Cavalli, M., Sangati, M., Borga, M. 2009. Hydrometeorological controls and erosive response of an extreme alpine debris flow. Hydrological Processes, 23(19), 2714-2727. doi: 10.1002/hyp.7362

Trevisani, S., Cavalli, M., Marchi, L., 2009. Variogram maps from LiDAR data as fingerprints of surface morphology on scree slopes. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 9 (1), 129-133.

Mao, M., Cavalli, M., Comiti, F., Marchi, L., Lenzi M.A., Arattano, M. 2009. Sediment transfer processes in two Alpine catchments of contrasting morphological settings. Journal of Hydrology, 364 (1-2), 88-98.

Marchi, L., Dalla Fontana, G., Cavalli, M., Tagliavini, F., 2008. Rocky headwaters in the Dolomites, Italy: field observations and topographic analysis. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, 40 (4), 685-694.

Borga, M., Gaume, E., Creutin, J. D., Marchi, L., 2008. Surveying flash floods: gauging the ungauged extremes. Hydrological Processes, 22(18), 3883-3885, doi: 10.1002/hyp.7111.

Cavalli, M., Tarolli, P., Marchi, L., Dalla Fontana, G., 2008. The effectiveness of airborne LiDAR data in the recognition of channel-bed morphology. Catena, 73(3), 249-260.

Cavalli, M., Marchi, L., 2008. Characterisation of the surface morphology of an alpine alluvial fan using airborne LiDAR. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 8 (2), 323-333.

Arattano, M., Marchi, L., 2008. Systems and sensors for debris-flow monitoring and warning. Sensors, 8, 2436-2452.

Marchi, L., Cavalli, M., 2007. Procedures for the Documentation of Historical Debris Flows: Application to the Chieppena Torrent (Italian Alps). Environmental Management, 40, 493-503.

Marchi, L., Tecca P.R., 2006. Some observations on the use of data from historical documents in debris-flow studies. Natural Hazards, 38(3), 301-320.

Arattano, M., Marchi, L., 2005. Measurements of debris flow velocity through cross-correlation of instrumentation data. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 5, 1, 137-142.

Marchi, L., D'Agostino, V., 2004. Estimation of debris-flow magnitude in the Eastern Italian Alps. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 29 (2), 207-220.

Dalla Fontana, G., Marchi, L., 2003. Slope-area relationships and sediment dynamics in two alpine streams. Hydrological Processes, 17(1), 73-87.

Marchi, L., Arattano, M., Deganutti, A.M., 2002. Ten years of debris-flow monitoring in the Moscardo Torrent (Italian Alps). Geomorphology, 46(1/2), 1-17.

Borga, M., Dalla Fontana, G., Gregoretti, C., Marchi, L., 2002. Assessment of shallow landsliding by using a physically based model of hillslope stability. Hydrological Processes, 16(14), 2833-2851.

D'Agostino, V., Marchi, L., 2001. Debris flow magnitude in the Eastern Italian Alps: data collection and analysis. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Part C, 26(9), 657-663.

Lenzi M.A., Marchi L., 2000. Suspended sediment load during floods in a small stream of the Dolomites (northeastern Italy). Catena, 39(4), 267-282.


Research interests

-   Debris-flow monitoring and warning
-   Assessment of debris-flow magnitude
-   Documentation and analysis of flash floods
-   Sediment sources and sediment connectivity
-   Geomorphometry of mountainous catchments

Personal information

Born in Padova (Italy), 11.03.1958

Nationality: Italian

ORCID: 0000-0003-0499-2556

Education and training

University of Padova, Laurea in Scienze Forestali (Degree in Forest Sciences) (1982)

University of Padova, Dottorato di Ricerca in Idronomia (Ph.D. in Mountain Watershed Management) (1987)

Work experience

Researcher from 01.04.1988 to 31.12.2001

Senior Researcher from 01.01.2002 to 31.12.2020

Director of research since 01.01.2021

Scientist in charge of the Hydrogeomorphology Research Group at CNR IRPI (2015-2021)

Visiting Professor at Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile – Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal (2013)

Visiting Scientist presso Ben Gurion University of the Negev - Geomorphology and Fluvial Research Group (2018).

Participation in research projects

- Participant in EU-funded projects: Eroslope (Environment Programme); Debris Flow (Environment Programme); Eroslope 2 (Fourth Framework Programme); Debris Flow Risk (Fourth Framework Programme); Tharmit (Fifth Framework Programme); Team Leader – Project HYDRATE (Sixth Framework Programme, 2006-2010).

- Responsible of research agreements between CNR IRPI and the Autonomous Province of Trento. Topic: debris-flow hazards assessment (2006-2010).

- SedAlp (Alpine Space Programme) (2012-2015)

- Co-leader of TTO2d (Post-event surveys), Project HYMEX (www.hymex.org), 2010-2020.

Editorial Activities

Reviewer for the journals: Earth Surface Dynamics, Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences (European Geosciences Union), Computers and Geosciences, Engineering Geology, Environmental Modelling and Software, Global and Planetary Change, Geomorphology, Journal of Hydrology, Land Use Policy, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Science of Total Environment, Scientific African (Elsevier), Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, Land Degradation & Development (Wiley), Environmental Earth Sciences, Environmental Management, Journal of Mountain Science, Landslides, Natural Hazards, (Springer), Geology (The Geological Society of America); Water Resources Research (American Geophysical Union).

Member of the editorial board of Geomorphology (since 2015)

Associate Editor of Journal of Hydrology (since 2020)

 

Students Supervision

Supervised three and co-supervised six PhD students.

Member of the Doctoral Course Land Environment Resources and Health, University of Padova (since 2006).

 

Qualification as Professor

Italian National Qualification as Full Professor 2017-2023 (Agricultural, Forest and Biosystem Engineering)