Background

In Italy rainfall are among the main causes of trigger of shallow landslides, that yearly cause fatalities, damage, and severe economic losses. Identification of the amount of rainfall needed to trigger landslides, and the forecasting of rainfall-induced landslides, are of interest for the scientific community, as well as for the whole population.

Purpose

Collect, organize and analysis of metereologic and geomorphological informations on rainfall-induced landslides in Apulia. Definition of empirical pluviometric thresholds for the forecast of the likely trigger of landslides. Validation of the forecasts of the national alert system for the forecast of rainfall-induced landslides. Educational activity and support for reconnaissance activities of freelance geologists.

Methods

The rainfall data associated to the landslide occurrence will be used to define new pluviometric thresholds for the likely onset of instability processes in Apulia; the thresholds will be of the type cumulate-duration (ED) and/or intensity-duration (ID). Methods and procedures established by CNR IRPI will be used to compute the pluviometric thresholds.

Results

The activities so far carried out allowed to define preliminary pluviometric thresholds for the Apulia region; the data on which these have been built are not sufficient to guarantee statistical robustness to the thresholds, and the collection of data is therefore still on going. At the same time, the catalogue of rainfall events responsible for landslide occurrence has been built.

Products

Catalogue of rainfall events that caused landslides in Apulia. Pluviometric thresholds for the likely trigger of landslides. Sub-regional pluviometric thresholds. Educational activity on the definition and use of the pluviometric thresholds.

Conclusions

Definition of pluviometric thresholds, even though preliminary, for the trigger of landslides in Apulia represents an important step for the management of the territory addressed toward the mitigation of the geological risks. Continuation of the on going activities of the project will likely result in improvements of the outcomes so far obtained.