Theme: Hydrology

Sediment management in Alpine basins

The understanding of the changing equilibrium between sediment supply from upstream and sediment transport capability of a river is important for the success of integrated water resource management. In Alpine river basins, intensive sediment transport processes and sediment continuity have a notable impact on several water management issues posing multiple use conflicts related to hydropower, ecology, flood control ...

Management of sediment transport in small mountain catchments

Sediment transport in small mountain catchments (drainage area < 10-20 km2) is a fundamental process for the equilibrium and the dynamics of the whole channel network. At the same time, sediment transport can create high-risk conditions due to the occurrence of extreme phenomena such as debris flow, hyperconcentrated flow, and flood with intense bedload, usually triggered by intense and short duration rainfall. In order to properly manage ...

Register of the caves and artificial cavities of Apulia

FSP_sfondata- Within the framework of the project “Register of the Caves and Artificial Cavities of Apulia Region” (PO FESR 2007-2016), committed by the Ecology Service to the Apulian Speleological Federation (FSP), this latter involved CNR-IRPI to guarantee high scientific value to the documents to be produced, and to work with the cavers in the different phases of the ...

Decision matrices for the assessment of fluvial processes in mountain streams

Decision matrices may contribute to mountain watershed management by defining coherent event scenarios that take into account the type of flow processes (e.g., water floods with bedload, debris flows), their geomorphic effects, and the interactions with hydraulic control ...

Investigations of the Ianò and Maierato landslides, Calabria, southern Italy

In the winter of 2009-2010, after the previous winter 2008-2009 when widespread hydrogeological instabilities had affected the whole of Calabria, the same area was still hardly hit by numerous and heavier instability phenomena, punctual and areal. In the context outlined it was ordered by the Italian Government to draft a "Plan excerpt for urgent action" which covered, in particular, the main city of the region, Catanzaro (Ianò district), and ...

Evaluating the geothermal potential in the Southern Regions of Italy

VIGOR contributed to increasing knowledge in exploitation of geothermal resources. It was aimed at providing information useful to start exploration and utilization of geothermal energy, through reconnaissance, analyses and studies, valorise geothermal resources in Calabria, Campania, Puglia and Sicily. In particular, geological and geothermal characterization were carried both at regional scale (i.e. maps of geothermal potential) and at the ...

DInSAR techniques for the assessment of sinkhole hazard

Sinkholes occur as sudden collapses of the ground, related to natural cavities produced by karst processes in soluble rocks, or to man-made cavities deriving from different types of human activities in different historical ages. Sinkholes are widespread all over the world, and the related hazard is extremely high, with very severe damage to built-up areas and human infrastructures, and heavy losses to the ...

Identification of the channel network in the Autonomous Province of Trento

The accurate representation of the channel network is fundamental in cartography. The increasing availability of high-resolution, LiDAR-derived DTMs provides an excellent topographic basis for the representation of the channel network, but requires innovative techniques for managing and processing ...

GIS technologies for managing sinkhole hazard

GIS_sinkhole- The widespread sinkholes that involve large sectors of the Apulian territory are related to natural cavities produced by karst processes in soluble rocks, or to man-made cavities deriving from different types of human activities in different historical ages. The related hazard is extremely high, with very severe damage to built-up areas and human infrastructures, and heavy losses to the ...

Hazards in karst areas and mitigation strategies

The high fragility of karst terrains, and the deriving vulnerability to a number of possible events, together with the presence of significant natural (first and foremost, groundwater), landscape and historical resources, are at the origin of the project activities, aimed at the safeguard of karst environments and the mitigation of the related ...

Long-term Permafrost Monitoring Network

Permafrost is very sensitive to climate change and the risks associated with its degradation affect traffic routes, settlements and infrastructure. Data on the distribution of permafrost are inconsistent and there is no common strategy to tackle this problem. Local administrators should have the means to manage the risks associated with the degradation of the ...

Database of post-wildfire debris-flow activity in Mediterranean ecosystems

Wildfires_SanBernardino- Wildfires can have profound effects on the hydrologic response of watersheds, and debris-flow activity is among the most destructive consequences of these effects. The continued high likelihood of catastrophic wildfires in Mediterranean climates has created the need to develop methods to identify and quantify potential debris flow hazards from burned ...

Mountain Risks: from prediction to management and governance

The observed increase in disastrous events over the last decades, associated with a low perception of risk by the communities involved, along with the lack of efficient, socially accepted and environmentally sound remedial measures are amongst the motivation behind this research project. The adaptation of a combined multi-risk-oriented analysis, in which the investigations focus more on the interdependence of events rather than on single event, ...

Hydrometeorological data resources and technologies for effective flash flood forecasting

Flash-floods develop at space and time scales that conventional observation systems for rainfall and river discharge are not able to monitor. Consequently, the atmospheric and hydrological generating mechanisms of flash-floods are poorly understood, leading to highly uncertain forecasts of these ...

Vulnerability maps for monitoring and management of groundwater resources in the Archimed area

The project considered the strong demand of local institutions to select the best existing practices, in relation to different national and local characteristics, considering the regulatory ...

Monitoring of the Castellana Caves

Evolution of cave and karst system occurs also by means of successive detachments of blocks from both the vault and the walls of the underground spaces. In show caves, this poses problems for the safety of visitors, and the issue must be carefully ...

Monitoring, Forecasting and Best Practices for FLOOD Mitigation & Prevention in the CADSES Region

Hydrometeorological monitoring and flood forecasting are indispensable in preventing hydraulic hazard and ensuring civil protection. Implementing a sustainable plan to combat floods requires further activities, such as best practices for agricultural, forestry and land use management in flood risk areas. Methodologies must be developped within a transnational context, transending local ...

Karst sinkholes in urban areas in Florida

Florida_spring- Sinkholes are among the main features of karst areas, and are extremely widespread in Florida, one of the sites most known for their occurrence and the likely interaction with the built-up environment. The Tampa area, in turn, shows an high frequency of events, which origin derives from different types of ...

Study of the riverbeds morphological evolution through the digital terrain models multi-temporal analysis

The study of the evolution of the watercourses is traditionally based on the use of historical maps and aerial photographs for the comprehension of the planimetric changes and on the use of topographical sections in order to have also the measure of the altimetric change occurred in the considered time interval. Through this approach it is possible, for the Po basin, to have the first indications of the main watercourses evolution starting ...

Preliminary analysis of the stability conditions in some sectors of the Castellana Caves

Evolution of cave and karst system occurs also by means of successive detachments of blocks from both the vault and the walls of the underground spaces. In show caves, this poses problems for the safety of visitors, and the issue must be carefully ...

Karst ecosystems in Albania

About 25% of Albania is interested by karst landscapes in both carbonates and evaporite rocks, with a variety of surface and subsurface landforms worth to be exploited. Despite their high value in terms of natural heritage, in the past years these areas suffered from degradation and pollution problems, that were further exacerbated by the difficult social and economical situation of the Balkans in the ...