COSCARELLI R; CALOIERO T, 2012, Trend nelle precipitazioni giornaliere in Calabria.,
TECNICHE PER LA DIFESA DALL'INQUINAMENTO, edited by FREGA G, pp. 457–478. Castrolibero_ Bios, 2012,
Abstract
Il presente contributo sintetizza i risultati ottenuti nell'analisi del trend, per diverse
aggregazioni temporali, con le ...
Il presente contributo sintetizza i risultati ottenuti nell'analisi del trend, per diverse
aggregazioni temporali, con le lunghe serie di dati giornalieri di pioggia registrati in Calabria.
La banca dati è stata preliminarmente oggetto di un test di omogeneità. I risultati
evidenziano una generale tendenza alla diminuzione delle precipitazioni, unitamente,
però, ad un trend verso una maggiore uniformità della distribuzione delle piogge
nell'anno.
Luino F., Turconi L., Petrea C., Nigrelli G, 2012, Uncorrected land-use planning highlighted by flooding_ the Alba case study (Piedmont, Italy),
Natural hazards and earth system sciences (Print) 12 (2012): 2329–2346. doi_10.5194/nhess-12-2329-2012,
DOI: 10.5194%2Fnhess-12-2329-2012
M. Polemio, V. Dragone, 2012, Recurrence of damaging floods and role of population number in a karstic area (Bari, southern Italy),
EGU Leonardo Topical Conference Series on the hydrological cycle 2012 - Hydrology and Society, pp. 65, Torino, Italy, 14/16 novembre 2012,
Abstract
In karstic areas cases floods are rare, short, and sudden but the effects are often ...
In karstic areas cases floods are rare, short, and sudden but the effects are often very dramatic. Flash floods (local floods of great volume and short duration, defined by the USA National Weather Service as floods caused by heavy rainfall in a short period of time, generally less than 6 hours) are extremely dangerous. Recent years have seen several flood-related casualties in Italy, in 2003, 2005 (when the last catastrophic flood happened in the karstic area of Bari), and 2007. Flash flood warnings are intrinsically difficult due to the short time available to warn people living next to the river. Our goal in this study was to contribute to the understanding of the relationship between flood events in karstic areas, in terms of recurrence, exceptionality and/or intensity, anthropogenic effects, mainly in terms of population number variations, and damages. Some authors have shown that urbanisation, land use changes, and hydraulics works must be taken into account to really understand the effects of past flood events. A comparative analysis of these data can thus allow us to understand if the trend of flood damage is steady or increasing and to determine whether it is affected by the growing density of population and facilities in flood-prone areas.The approach was based on three types of analyses_ the historical analysis, based on historical data, the hydrological and the geomorphological analysis, both based on recent monitored or measured data. The historical analysis was focused on identifying and comparing two kinds of data_ the series of past flood events over a period sufficiently wide to define the flood recurrence period and the main steps of anthropogenic development, called the anthropogenic role. This role was expressed using the population number and needs and considering the facilities in flood-prone areas. The hydro-geomorphological analyses were based on two types of data. Long time series of the annual maximum rainfalls of short duration were used to assess the return period of high intensity rainfall that caused studied flood event(s) for which rainfall measurements were available. The geomorphological analysis considered rainfall, hydrogeological characteristics of outcropping rocks and soils, and geomorphological data on the drainage basin to calculate net rainfall and peak flow characteristics. The historical analysis of floods and damages highlighted four flood periods, distinguished on the basis of the recurrence period and the level of damages. The hydro-geomorphological analyses showed the peculiarities of the 2005 flood event. The maximum rainfall return period for the 2005 event was due to exceptional three-hour cumulative rainfall. The study case was a sub-catchment where very high rainfall intensities were observed. The rainfall return period was found to be roughly in the range of 50-100 years, considering a cumulative rainfall duration (3-hour) about equal to the concentration time. This study shows that main modifications of flood recurrence and level of damages can be justified considering the variation of population number.
Trevisani S, Cavalli M, Marchi L, 2012, Reading alpine morphology according to surface texture_ two approaches compared.,
EGU General Assembly 2012, Vienna, 2012,
Abstract
The availability of high resolution digital terrain models (HR-DTM) opens the possibility to characterize quantitatively ...
The availability of high resolution digital terrain models (HR-DTM) opens the possibility to characterize quantitatively the solid earth surface morphology at high level of spatial detail. From this perspective, surface texture
characterization can be intended in an analogous way to what performed for the analysis of artificial surfaces.
The characterization of surface texture plays a pivotal role in the context of geo-structural and geomorphological
interpretation and mapping, and offers interesting prospects from the side of hydrogeological and geo-engineering
issues. In this work, we explore two methodologies for surface texture analysis. The study area is a small alpine
basin (Missiaga basin, North-Eastern Italy), characterized by a complex surface morphology. The two methodologies, one based on geostatistical indexes and the other on local binary patterns, are applied to a 2 m pixel
size HR-DTM. The results of this exploratory analysis are discussed from the perspective of the potentialities in
information retrieval and applicability
Cavalli M, Trevisani S, Marchi L, Penna D, Borga M, Dalla Fontana G, 2012, Monitoring the runoff response of an ephemeral rocky basin_ a case study in the Dolomites (North-Eastern Italy),
EGU General Assembly 2012, Vienna, 2012,
Abstract
In high elevation alpine catchments, first-order streams are often constituted by steep and narrow channels ...
In high elevation alpine catchments, first-order streams are often constituted by steep and narrow channels bound by
cliffs. These channels frequently have a structural control imposed by fractures and faults in bedrock and typically
constitute temporary streams where snowmelt processes strongly influence runoff. Rocky headwater basins show a
different hydrological response with respect to soil-mantled basins and their hydrology is poorly known due to the
lack of widespread monitoring sites. Herein we present the preliminary results achieved through an experimental
hydro-meteorological monitoring network setup in a 0.1 km2
rocky headwater basin located on the southern flank
of the Sella Group in the Dolomites (North-Eastern Italy). Elevation ranges between 2700 m, at the outlet, and
3174 m, with an average value of 2950 m. Geology is constituted mainly by the Norian "Dolomia Principale"
(Dolomite) featuring a complex structural setting. The monitoring network, active since 2009, is designed with
three rain gauges with a time rate of 5 minutes. Two are located at 2609 and 2597 m (close to the outlet), and
the third is located on the divide in the central part of the basin (2911 m). Runoff at the outlet is monitored by a
pressure transducer. The time interval was set at 5 minutes in the summer months in order to capture the stream
response due to intense and spatially-concentrated rainfall events. In winter the pressure transducer is maintained
active with a time rate of 30 minutes so as to be ready to register in spring the stream response due to snowmelt.
In the summer 2011, some precipitation, runoff, snow and spring water samples for isotopic analysis (
18
O and
2
H) were collected aiming to better characterize the origin of subsurface water and the main sources to runoff.
Preliminary results show ephemeral presence of runoff, mostly occurring during snowmelt (from May to early
July) and after intense summer rainstorms. The lag-time from precipitation centroid to runoff peak (on the order
of about 1 hour) is rather long for a very small and steep basin. This is likely due to the presence of fractured
bedrock that creates a shallow, subsurface reservoir and increases the catchment response time. Isotopic data of
water samples well reflect the precipitation signal indicating reduced evaporation processes during the transfer of
the water input to the outlet. Moreover, the isotopic composition of streamflow is close to that of the sampled
springs but less depleted than snowmelt samples, revealing a possible contribution to runoff of snowmelt water
mixed with subsurface water previously stored in the system.
Guzzetti, F.
Polemio, M., 2012, Il rischio idrogeologico in Italia e il ruolo della ricerca scientifica,
Geologia dell'ambiente Suppl. n. 2 (2012).,
Abstract
In Italia, le frane e le inondazioni sono fenomeni diffusi, ricorrenti e pericolosi. Fra il ...
In Italia, le frane e le inondazioni sono fenomeni diffusi, ricorrenti e pericolosi. Fra il 1960 e il 2011 ci sono stati almeno 789 eventi di frana che hanno prodotto oltre 5000 vittime (di cui 3417 morti e 15 dispersi) in 522 comuni (6,4% del totale). Nello stesso periodo si sono verificati almeno 505 eventi d'inondazione che hanno prodotto più di 1700 vittime (di 753 morti e 68 dispersi), in 372 comuni (4,6% del totale). Fra il 2005 e il 2011, si sono avuti 82 eventi di frana che hanno prodotto oltre 480 vittime (101 morti, 6 dispersi, 374 feriti) in 70 comuni, e 39 inondazioni in altrettanti comuni con 89 vittime (59 morti, 1 disperso, 29 feriti). Nel periodo 2005-2011 tutte le Regioni hanno sofferto almeno un evento di frana o d'inondazione con vittime, a conferma della diffusione geografica del rischio geo-idrologico. Le cifre dimostrano inequivocabilmente come l'impatto che gli eventi geo-idrologici hanno sulla popolazione sia un problema prioritariamente di rilevanza sociale che enfatizza la rilevanza delle attività scientifiche che possano conseguire risultati utili a ridurre gli effetti negativi.
Petrucci, O.
Pasqua, A.A.
Polemio, M., 2012, L’influenza della piovosità e dell’antropizzazione sulla serie storica delle piene catastrofiche (Calabria sud-occidentale),
Geologia dell'ambiente Suppl. n. 2 (2012): 46–49.,
Abstract
E' stata effettuata una ricerca per ricostruire la serie storica delle piene verificatesi a partire ...
E' stata effettuata una ricerca per ricostruire la serie storica delle piene verificatesi a partire dal XVII secolo in un settore della Calabria sud-occidentale coincidente con il comune di Reggio Calabria. Dei 150 eventi di piena costituenti la serie, il 4% è responsabile di danni alla popolazione, mentre nei restanti casi i danneggiamenti sono a carico di infrastrutture, opere idrauliche ed edilizia. La serie storica è stata analizzata congiuntamente ai dati di pioggia (per il periodo in cui essi sono disponibili) e alle principali modificazioni legate all'incremento demografico dell'area analizzata. Lo scopo è di valutare se la frequenza delle piene responsabili di danni è cambiata durante il periodo analizzato e il ruolo esercitato su tale frequenza dalle piogge e dalle modificazioni antropiche del territorio. L'analisi evidenzia che il trend delle piene in grado di generare danni è in crescita, mentre il trend delle piogge, come osservato anche a scala regionale, è in diminuzione. Al contrario, i trend della popolazione e dell'espansione urbanistica mostrano una crescita, molto marcata negli ultimi decenni. L'incremento delle piene catastrofiche appare, dunque, connesso più alla progressiva urbanizzazione delle aree inondabili che alle modificazioni della piovosità.
Petrucci, O.
Pasqua, A.A.
Polemio, M., 2012, Flash Flood Occurrences Since the 17th Century in Steep Drainage Basins in Southern Italy,
Environmental management (N. Y.) 50 (2012): 807–818. doi_10.1007/s00267-012-9935-1,
DOI: 10.1007%2Fs00267-012-9935-1
Abstract
The historical floods that have occurred since the seventeenth century were collected for a study ...
The historical floods that have occurred since the seventeenth century were collected for a study area in southern Italy. Damages caused by floods, rainfall and the main anthropogenic modifications are discussed all together. The aim was to assess whether the frequency of floods is changing and, if so, whether these changes can be attributed to either rainfall and/or anthropogenic modifications. In 4 % of cases, mainly occurred in past centuries, floods damaged people. Hydraulic works, roads and private buildings were the more frequently damaged elements (25, 18 and 14 % of the cases, respectively). The annual variability of rainfall was discussed using an annual index. Short duration-high intensity rainfalls were characterized considering time series of annual maxima of 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h and daily rainfall. The rainfall shows a decreasing trend, in terms of both the annual maximum of short duration and the annual amount. The population has been progressively increasing since the sixteenth century, except during the years following the catastrophic 1908 earthquake. The rate of population growth has been very high since the second half of the twentieth century; the urbanized areas greatly increased, especially following the second half of the twentieth century. At the same time, the trend of damaging floods has been increasing, especially since the seventies. The analysis indicates that, despite a rainfall trend favourable towards a reduction in flood occurrence, floods damage has not decreased. This seems to be mainly the effect of mismanagement of land use modification
Polemio, M.
Dragone, V.
Limoni, P. P.
Romanazzi, A., 2012, Metodologie speditive per la valutazione del rischio di degrado quantitativo e qualitativo delle acque sotterranee della Puglia,
Geologi e territorio 1 (2012): 3–14.,
Abstract
La prevalente natura carsica del territorio limita la disponibilità di risorse idriche superficiali e conferisce ...
La prevalente natura carsica del territorio limita la disponibilità di risorse idriche superficiali e conferisce valore particolare alle acque sotterranee della Puglia. Pregevoli per qualità, le acque sotterranee degli acquiferi pugliesi sono state prelevate in misura crescente a partire dai primi decenni del secolo scorso. La crescita dei prelievi ha sottoposto a notevoli "sollecitazioni" il sistema idrogeologico pugliese, dando concretezza ai rischi di degrado sia quantitativo sia qualitativo, rischi tra loro legati nel caso degli acquiferi costieri, quali sono quelli principali pugliesi.
L'articolo descrive, con intenzionale brevità, i principali antefatti normativi che hanno regolamentato e regolamentano l'utilizzo delle acque sotterranee pugliesi, ponendo l'attenzione sugli obiettivi che occorre perseguire per coniugare il massimo soddisfacimento della domanda idrica con la duratura tutela di tali preziose risorse naturali e degli equilibri ecologici connessi.
Per dare forza agli strumenti di gestione e di controllo e definire chiari obiettivi di tutela è necessario conoscere in modo quantitativo ed accurato quali siano i rischi reali. A questo fine si descrivono brevemente alcuni approcci metodologici accomunati dalla semplicità e dalla ripetibilità delle procedure in contesti non prioritariamente scientifici.
L'articolo descrive la variazione della disponibilità della acque sotterranee pugliesi, fondamentalmente discutendo l'andamento dei trend piezometrici e delle portate delle sorgenti (minore attenzione è data al Gargano, per la scarsa disponibilità di dati, e al Tavoliere, per la minore qualità delle acque sotterranee). In sintesi, si osserva una tendenza alla riduzione della disponibilità spiccata ma, per fortuna, non monotona. Tale tendenza è solo in parte giustificabile in relazione alle modificazioni climatiche, che di certo hanno causato un calo della ricarica a partire dagli anni ottanta. Gli effetti più macroscopici riguardano la Murgia e il Tavoliere; rilevanti gli effetti in Salento, in particolare in relazione all'enfatizzazione dei rischi connessi all'intrusione marina.
Per la valutazione dell'evoluzione del fenomeno dell'intrusione marina si descrive il criterio a soglia, che persegue l'individuazione del valore di soglia della salinità tra le acque sotterranee dolci e le acque sotterranee contenenti sia pure minime aliquote di acque saline di intrusione marina. Per le acque sotterranee degli acquiferi carbonatici pugliesi detta soglia è risultata pari a circa 0,5 g/l. A partire da tale soglia, si effettua un'analisi spazio-temporale, che permette di individuare le aree soggette a diversa vulnerabilità all'intrusione marina e di discriminare dove i rischi di degrado qualitativo sono più gravi.
In ogni caso emerge la drammaticità degli effetti dell'intrusione marina nel Salento e la presenza di estese porzioni del territorio della Murgia e del Salento a rischio di degrado qualitativo per intrusione marina.
L'articolo si conclude con alcune considerazioni sulla possibile implementazione delle conoscenze descritte in criteri di gestione delle acque sotterranee pugliesi.
Polemio, M.
Limoni, P. P.
Zuffiano', L. E.
Santaloia, F., 2012, Santa Cesarea coastal thermal springs (southern Italy),
22nd SWIM, pp. 101–104, Armacao dos Buzios (Brazil), 17-22/06/2012,
Abstract
The coastal carbonate Apulian aquifers, located in southern Italy, feed numerous coastal cold springs and ...
The coastal carbonate Apulian aquifers, located in southern Italy, feed numerous coastal cold springs and constitute the main local source of high quality water. The group of Santa Cesarea springs constitutes the unique occurrence of thermal groundwater outflow, observed in partially submerged coastal caves. The spring water is rich of hydrogen sulfide; temperature ranges from 25 to 33 C°. For their properties, spring waters are used for spa activities from several decades. Hydrogeological spring conceptualisations proposed up now were not able to justify water geochemical peculiarities or were not completely confirmed up now. To reduce these uncertainties, a complex hydrogeological survey has been defined. Geological and structural surveys, chemical and isotopic groundwater analyses, spring and well discharge measurements, well loggings, multi-parameters spring automatized measurements, and cave explorations are ongoing. All available data have been used to improve the knowledge of groundwater flow system, including the valuable deep aquifer, the origin of the thermal waters, and to investigate the possibility of using low-enthalpy geothermal fluids to fulfil the thermal needs of the town of Santa Cesarea Terme.
Polemio, M.
Lonigro, T., 2012, Variabilita’ climatica e ricorrenza delle calamita’ idrogeologiche in Puglia,
Geologia dell'ambiente suppl. n. 2 (2012): 262–266.,
Abstract
Il contributo si basa sull'analisi di diversi tipi di dati, elaborati fino a costituire serie ...
Il contributo si basa sull'analisi di diversi tipi di dati, elaborati fino a costituire serie storiche mensili inerenti il clima (pioggia, temperatura, giorni piovosi e intensità di pioggia) dal 1877 al 2008. Nonostante la tendenza al calo della piovosità e dell'intensità di pioggia e all'incremento della temperatura e dei giorni piovosi, si osserva la crescente ricorrenza di piene e frane, a conferma della crescente antropizzazione di aree a pericolosità idrogeologica. La discussione delle relazioni clima-frane ha evidenziato delle limitazioni ragionevolmente dovute al concentrarsi delle frane in parte del territorio e alla minore qualità del dato storico.
Polemio, M.
Romanazzi, A., 2012, Modelling and groundwater management of a karstic coastal aquifer_ the case of Salento (Apulia, Italy),
22nd SWIM, pp. 20–24, Armacao dos Buzios (Brazil), 17-22/06/2012,
Abstract
The coastal karst aquifers are known to be highly vulnerable to anthropogenic and natural changes, ...
The coastal karst aquifers are known to be highly vulnerable to anthropogenic and natural changes, and in particular to the overexploitation of groundwater resources. The high degree of vulnerability is due to their intrinsic characteristics, anthropogenic pollution, and the effects seawater intrusion. The progressive population concentration in coastal areas and the increasing discharge overlapped to peculiarities of karstic coastal aquifers constitute a huge worldwide problem, particularly relevant for coastal aquifers of the Mediterranean basin. In Italy, Apulia, with its coastline extending over 800 km, is the region with the largest coastal karst aquifers. The predominant karstic Apulian features make the region extremely poor of surface water resources and rich of high quality groundwater resources. These resources still allow the social and economic development of population, improving agricultural and tourist opportunities. The continuous increasing well discharge causes or contributes to the groundwater quality degradation, often making the groundwater unusable for irrigation and drinking (Polemio et al. 2009). The strategic importance of groundwater resources and its wise management for Apulian population is due to these risks (Cotecchia and Polemio 1998, Margiotta and Negri 2005). The aim of this study is to define the efficacy of existing management tools and to develop predictive scenarios to identify the best way to reconcile irrigation and drinking water demands with enduring availability of high quality groundwater. The Salento (Salentine Peninsula), was selected being the Apulian aquifer portion exposed to the highest risk of quality degradation due to seawater intrusion.
Voudouris, K.
Polemio, M.
Kazakis, N.
Sifaleras, A., 2012, An agricultural decision support system for optimal land use regarding groundwater vulnerability,
Societal impacts on information systems development and applications, edited by Wang, J., pp. 274–286. Hershey_ IGI Global, 2012,
Abstract
The availability of good quality water is worldwide a basic condition to pursue the socioeconomic ...
The availability of good quality water is worldwide a basic condition to pursue the socioeconomic development. The agriculture water demand can be damaged by contamination of groundwater resources. This paper proposes a tool to preserve the groundwater quality by using groundwater vulnerability assessment methods and a decision support system (DSS). Vulnerability map could be used for planning, policy, management, and contamination assessment. The mapping of intrinsic groundwater vulnerability was based on reliable methods, i.e., the DRASTIC and the SINTACS methods. A vulnerability map could be used for planning, policy, management, and contamination assessment. A DSS was developed in order to assess the groundwater vulnerability and pollution risk due to agricultural activities and land use changes. The proposed DSS software package was designed using the Matlab language. The software is a friendly application for everyone ranging from the novice user, e.g., a student, to an operations research scientist. It quickly and efficiently performs the task that is scheduled to carry out, and it can incorporate new maps in order to cover new areas. The tool was tested using two study areas located in the Mediterranean area. The test sites are dominated by different prevalent hydrogeological features, i.e., the typical porous features of alluvial deposits in the Greek study area and the typical fissured and karstic features of limestones and dolostones in the Italian study area.
Manconi, A. (1), F. Casu (2), 2012, Full exploitation of surface displacement time series retrieved from the phase and the amplitude of a SAR dataset_ the Galápagos Islands case study,
Geophysical research letters 39 (2012). doi_10.1029/2012GL052202,
DOI: 10.1029%2F2012GL052202
Giorgio Lollino(1), Daniele Giordan(1), Paolo Allasia(1), Andrea Manconi(1), Marco Baldo(1), Franco Godone(1), 2012, Montaguto Earthflow Evolution_ An Integrated Monitoring > Approach Based On Lidar And Robitized Total Stations,
7th EUROGEO, Bologna, 2012,
ANDREA MANCONI (*), DANIELE GIORDAN (*), PAOLO ALLASIA (*), MARCO BALDO (*) & GIORGIO LOLLINO (*), 2012, Surface displacements following the Mw 6.3 L’Aquila earthquake_ One year of continuous monitoring via Robotized Total Station,
Italian Journal of Geosciences (Testo stamp.) 131 (2012): 403–409. doi_10.3301/IJG.2012.13,
DOI: 10.3301%2FIJG.2012.13
Abstract
We present the results of a continuous monitoring of the surface displacements following the April ...
We present the results of a continuous monitoring of the surface displacements following the April 6th 2009 L'Aquila earthquake in the area of Paganica village, central Italy. We considered 3-dimensional displacements measured via Robotized Total Station (RTS) installed the April 24th 2009 in the area of Paganica village (ca. 5 km ENE from L'Aquila town), where a water pipeline located within the
urban centre was severely damaged. The monitoring system was set up in order to reveal potential post-seismic displacements that could cause further damages to the water pipeline. The RTS ran continuously for about one year, with sampling rates varying from 2 to 4 hours, and measured displacements at selected point targets. The revealed surface displacements are in agreement with the results of a DInSAR time series analysis relevant to satellite SAR data acquired over the same area and time period by the Italian satellite's constellation Cosmo-SkyMed. Moreover, despite the RTS monitored area was spatially limited, our analyses provide detailed feedbacks on fault processes following the L'Aquila earthquake. The aftershocks temporal evolution and the post-seismic displacements measured in the area show very similar exponential decays over time, with estimated cross-correlation coefficients values ranging from 0.86 to 0.97. The results of our time dependent modelling of the RTS measurements suggest that L'Aquila earthquake post-seismic displacements were dominated by the fault afterslip and/or fault creep, while poroelastic and viscoelastic processes had negligible effects
Occhiena C. (1), Pirulli M. 81), Scavia C. (1), Arattano M, (2), Chiarle M. (2), Morra di Cella U. (3), Pogliotti P. (3), 2012, Influenze of freeze-thaw cycles on microseismic activity on a mountain slope in the Italian Alps,
Landslides and Engineered Slopes_ Protecting Society through Improved Understanding, pp. 1195–1201, 2012,
Godone D. (1), Godone F. (2), 2012, The support of geomatics in glacier monitoring_ the contribution of terrestrial lasr scanner,
Laser scanner technology, pp. 93–120, 2012,
F. Luino (1) and J. V. De Graff (2), 2012, The Stava mudflow of 19 July 1985 (Northern Italy): a disaster that effective regulation might have prevented,
Natural hazards and earth system sciences (Print) 12 (2012): 1029–1044.,
Abstract
The disaster occurring in the Eastern Italian Alps in the summer of 1985 was caused ...
The disaster occurring in the Eastern Italian Alps in the summer of 1985 was caused by the failure of two tailings dams located just upstream from the village of Stava in the municipality of Tesero (Trento province, Italy). The structure comprised two small storage basins for the deposition of tailings from the separation process of the Prestavel fluorite mine. On their downstream sides, the basins were contained by steep earth embankments, whereas upstream they rested directly on the natural slope. The total height from the base of the lower dam to the crest of the upper dam was over 50 m.
On 19th July 1985, the front of the upper dam suddenly burst, triggering a vast mudflow (180,000 m³) which flowed down-channel through Stava, a small village of 20 buildings. The mudflow rapidly traveled over 4.2 km along the Stava Valley and passed through Tesero before flowing into the Avisio River. The mudflow destroyed many buildings and resulted in 268 fatalities and 20 injuries. From an analysis of the data collected and field observation, several factors may be cited as having contributed to increasing instability as the upper dam continued to be raised until the disastrous collapse of 19th July. Foremost among these factors is the mistaken assumption that the tailings deposited in the impoundments would consolidate fairly quickly. Indeed, no monitoring system was ever installed to verify the assumed consolidation. Other operational shortcomings and construction errors were contributing factors. Regulations requiring construction standards, operational monitoring, and independent periodic inspection could have prevented this disaster. Comprehensive legislation is required to effectively limit the adverse consequences of tailings dam failures by providing a regulatory environment where the safety and welfare of the local area can be balanced with the economic benefits of mining operations.
Marzia Ciampittiello; Helmi Saidi; Claudia Dresti; Gabriele Agostino Tartari; Laura Turconi, 2012, Eventi piovosi estremi_ loro valutazione con diversi strumenti di misura e affidabilità delle misure,
GEAM. Geoingegneria ambientale e mineraria 49 (2012): 67–72.,
Abstract
Molti processi di instabilità che si manifestano lungo la rete idrografica minore e i versanti ...
Molti processi di instabilità che si manifestano lungo la rete idrografica minore e i versanti si sviluppano in occasione di eventi idrologici intensi, spesso coinvolgendo ingenti volumi di materiale detritico in grado di traslare rapidamente a valle con potenziale coinvolgimento di nuclei urbanizzati, talora con perdita di vite umane e ingenti danni economico sociali. In diversi casi ossevat, infatti la quantità di precipitazione e soprattutto di pioggia intensa registrata in stazioni di pur significativa collocazione planaltimetrica non giustificherebbe, di per se sola, l'innesco del processo. Si tengo però conto che anche pochi millimetir di pioggia se tradotti in volumi d'acqua concentrati in pochissimo tempo e riversati su vaste pareti impermeabili quali certe bastionate rocciose che spesso incomboni sui canaloni e le falde detritiche ove di preferenza i fenomeni hanno innesco, possono fungere da agenti scatenanti il processo. Se si proietta l'importanza di analisi mirate alla prefigurazione di scenari di evento sulla complessità dei processi producibili si comprende l'importanza dell'accuratezza e significatività del date di base a cui può essere correlato l'innesco di un processo. Ecco perché una certa attenzione della ricerca applicata è dedicata al riconoscimento delle condizioni di innesco dei processi, del loro comportamento nelle fasi di propagazione lungo versanti e aste torrentizie, nonché di arresto nelle aree di conoide e di fondovalle. Tali aree "sensibili", spesso urbanizzate, richiedono la scelta di opportune misure e interventi per la nitigazione del rischio.
A. Manconi, G.Lollino, P.Allasia, D.Giordan, 2012, 3DA – Near-real-time Three Dimensional Displacement Analysis for > early warning,
008339, Nazionale,
Arattano M., Marchi L., Cavalli M., 2012, Analysis of debris-flow recordings in an instrumented basin_ confirmations and new findings,
Natural hazards and earth system sciences (Print) 12 (2012): 679–686. doi_10.5194/nhess-12-679-2012,
DOI: 10.5194%2Fnhess-12-679-2012
Abstract
On 24 August 2006, a debris flow took place in the Moscardo Torrent, a basin ...
On 24 August 2006, a debris flow took place in the Moscardo Torrent, a basin of the Eastern Italian Alps instrumented for debris-flow monitoring. The debris flow was recorded by two seismic networks located in the lower part of the basin and on the alluvial fan, respectively. The event was also recorded by a pair of ultrasonic sensors installed on the fan, close to the lower seismic network. The comparison between the different recordings outlines particular features of the August 2006 debris flow, different from that of events
recorded in previous years. A typical debris-flow wave was observed at the upper seismic network, with a main front abruptly appearing in the torrent, followed by a gradual decrease of flow height. On the contrary, on the alluvial fan the wave displayed an irregular pattern, with low flow depth and the main peak occurring in the central part of the surge both in the seismic recording and in the hydrographs. Recorded data and field evidences indicate that the surge observed on the alluvial fan was not a debris flow, and probably consisted in a water surge laden with fine to medium-sized sediment. The change in shape and characteristics of the wave can be ascribed to the attenuation of the surge caused by the torrent control works implemented in the lower basin during the last years.
C. Occhiena( 2), V. Coviello (1,2), M. Arattano (1), M. Chiarle (1), U. Morra di Cella (3), M. Pirulli (2), P. Pogliotti (3), and C. Scavia (2), 2012, Analysis of microseismic signals and temperature recordings for rock slope stability investigations in high mountain areas,
Natural hazards and earth system sciences (Print) 12 (2012): 2283–2298. doi_10.5194/nhess-12-2283-2012,
DOI: 10.5194%2Fnhess-12-2283-2012
Abstract
The permafrost degradation is a probable cause
for the increase of rock instabilities and rock falls ...
The permafrost degradation is a probable cause
for the increase of rock instabilities and rock falls observed
in recent years in high mountain areas, particularly in the
Alpine region. The phenomenon causes the thaw of the ice
filling rock discontinuities; the water deriving from it subsequently
freezes again inducing stresses in the rock mass
that may lead, in the long term, to rock falls. To investigate
these processes, a monitoring system composed by geophones
and thermometers was installed in 2007 at the Carrel
hut (3829m a.s.l., Matterhorn, NW Alps). In 2010, in the
framework of the Interreg 2007-2013 Alcotra project no. 56
MASSA, the monitoring system has been empowered and
renovated in order to meet project needs.
In this paper, the data recorded by this renewed system between
6 October 2010 and 5 October 2011 are presented and
329 selected microseismic events are analysed. The data processing
has concerned the classification of the recorded signals,
the analysis of their distribution in time and the identification
of the most important trace characteristics in time and
frequency domain. The interpretation of the results has evidenced
a possible correlation between the temperature trend
and the event occurrence.
The research is still in progress and the data recording and
interpretation are planned for a longer period to better investigate
the spatial-temporal distribution of microseismic activity
in the rock mass, with specific attention to the relation
of microseismic activity with temperatures. The overall goal
is to verify the possibility to set up an effective monitoring
system for investigating the stability of a rock mass under
permafrost conditions, in order to supply the researchers with
useful data to better understand the relationship between temperature
and rock mass stability and, possibly, the technicians
with a valid tool for decision-making.
Schenato L., Palmieri L., Chiarello F., Marcato G., Gruca G., van de Watering T., Iannuzzi D., Pasuto A., Galtarossa A., 2012, Experimental analysis of fiber optic sensor for detection of precursory acoustic signals in rockfall events,
Fotonica 2012, 14° Convegno Nazionale delle Tecnologie Fotoniche, Firenze, 15-17 maggio 2012,
Abstract
Two fiber optic sensors (FOSs) for detection of precursory acoustic emissions (AEs) in rockfall events ...
Two fiber optic sensors (FOSs) for detection of precursory acoustic emissions (AEs) in rockfall events are proposed and experimentally characterized. The tests show the feasibility of the addressed FOSs for the acoustic emission sensing in rocks.
Coscarelli R; Caloiero T, 2012, Analysis of daily and monthly rainfall concentration in Southern Italy (Calabria region),
Journal of hydrology (Amst.) 416-417 (2012): 145–156. doi_10.1016/j.jhydrol.2011.11.047,
DOI: 10.1016%2Fj.jhydrol.2011.11.047
Abstract
High percentages of the yearly total precipitation concentration in a few very rainy days can ...
High percentages of the yearly total precipitation concentration in a few very rainy days can increase the
risks of floods and soil instability. In this paper, an investigation of the spatial and temporal patterns of
daily and monthly precipitation concentration in Calabria (Southern Italy) has been carried out by means
of a homogenous daily precipitation data set. The results show that a very dishomogeneous temporal
distribution of the daily rainfall characterizes the eastern side of the region with rain gauges in which
one quarter of the rainiest days represents almost three quarters of the total pluviometric amount, and
a western side which presents a more homogenous temporal distribution of the rainfall. Moreover, the
application of the Mann-Kendall test has shown a clear tendency toward a weaker seasonality of the
rainfall distribution.
Ruiz-Villanueva V.; Borga M.; Zoccatelli D.; Marchi L.; Gaume E.; Ehret U., 2012, Extreme flood response to short-duration convective rainfall in South-West Germany,
Hydrology and earth system sciences 16 (2012): 1543–1559. doi_10.5194/hess-16-1543-2012,
DOI: 10.5194%2Fhess-16-1543-2012
Abstract
The 2 June 2008 flood-producing storm on the
Starzel river basin in South-West Germany is examined ...
The 2 June 2008 flood-producing storm on the
Starzel river basin in South-West Germany is examined as a
prototype for organized convective systems that dominate the
upper tail of the precipitation frequency distribution and are
likely responsible for the flash flood peaks in Central Europe.
The availability of high-resolution rainfall estimates from
radar observations and a rain gauge network, together with
indirect peak discharge estimates from a detailed post-event
survey, provided the opportunity to study in detail the hydrometeorological
and hydrological mechanisms associated
with this extreme storm and the ensuing flood. Radar-derived
rainfall, streamgauge data and indirect estimates of peak discharges
are used along with a distributed hydrologic model to
reconstruct hydrographs at multiple locations. Observations
and model results are combined to examine two main questions,
(i) assessment of the distribution of the runoff ratio
for the 2008 flash flood and how it compares with other less
severe floods; and (ii) analysis of how the spatial and temporal
distribution of the extreme rainfall, and more specifically
storm motion, controls the flood response. It is shown that
small runoff ratios (less than 20 %) characterized the runoff
response and that these values are in the range of other, less
extreme, flood events. The influence of storm structure, evolution
and motion on the modeled flood hydrograph is examined
by using the "spatial moments of catchment rainfall".
It is shown that downbasin storm motion (in the range of
0.7-0.9ms-1) had a noticeable impact on flood response by
increasing the modeled flood peak by 13 %.
Trevisani S.; Cavalli M.; Marchi L., 2012, Surface texture analysis of a high-resolution DTM_ Interpreting an alpine basin,
Geomorphology (Amst.) 161-162 (2012): 26–39. doi_10.1016/j.geomorph.2012.03.031,
DOI: 10.1016%2Fj.geomorph.2012.03.031
Abstract
This study focuses on a geomorphometric analysis of a small headwater basin of the Dolomites ...
This study focuses on a geomorphometric analysis of a small headwater basin of the Dolomites (Eastern
Italian Alps). The analysis of the fine-scale surface morphology was performed on a high-resolution digital
elevation model (cell size 2 m) derived from an airborne LiDAR survey. The topography was synthesized by a
set of spatial-statistical indexes representing a signature of the local surface morphology, and the
relationships between the geomorphometric indexes and morphological features were evaluated. The
studied basin was then segmented by means of a fuzzy k-means classification algorithm into different spatial
subdomains characterized by specific local geomorphic signatures. This method allows us to objectively
choose the optimal combination of the number of classes and degree of fuzziness characterizing the studied
basin. Accordingly, the analysis can be adopted to the characteristics of the studied area, improving the
interpretation of surface morphology and offering a valuable tool for comparative analysis between different
geomorphological contexts. The results of the classification were compared with the actual surface
morphology based on high-resolution orthophotos, aerial photos, and field surveys.
Ghosh S., van Westen C.J., Carranza E.J.M., Jetten V.G., Cardinali M., Rossi M., Guzzetti F., 2012, Generating event-based landslide maps in a data-scarce Himalayan environment for estimating temporal, and magnitude probability.,
Engineering geology 128 (2012): 49–61. doi_10.1016/j.enggeo.2011.03.016,
DOI: 10.1016%2Fj.enggeo.2011.03.016
O Petrucci, 2012, 10.5772,
Managing Disasters - assessing hazards, emergencies and disaster impacts, edited by J.P. Tiefenbacher, pp. 109–132, 2012,
Abstract
10.5772/1112 ISBN 978-953-51-0294-6 ...
10.5772/1112 ISBN 978-953-51-0294-6
Marchi L., Borga M., 2012, Flash Floods in Alpine Basins,
edited by Josef Krecek, Martin J. Haigh, Thomas Hofer, Eero Kubin, pp. 83–92. Dordrecht_ Springer, 2012,
Abstract
Flash floods are a major natural hazard under different climatic conditions. In the European Alps, ...
Flash floods are a major natural hazard under different climatic conditions. In the European Alps, flash flood hazard often results in major risk due to the increasing presence of elements at risk (urban areas and transportation routes) in valley floors and on alluvial fans endangered by flash floods. The assessment of the hazards related to flash floods requires collection of reliable quantitative data on these phenomena. Due to the space scale of flash flood occurrence, which mostly occur in ungauged catchments, hydrometeorological data from monitoring network need to be integrated by data collected by means of post-flood surveys. This paper presents methods for flash flood data collection and discusses the basic characteristics of flash floods in alpine catchments based on the analysis of a sample of 6 flash floods (20 catchments), which occurred from 1999 to 2006 in Italy, Austria and Slovenia.
F. Luino, G. Nigrelli, M. Chiarle, M. Biddoccu & C. G. Cirio, 2012, A model for simulating event scenarios and estimating expected economic losses for residential buildings_ preliminary results,
. Southampton_ Wit Press, 2012,
Abstract
Floods are very common in Italy. Annually floods occur in different parts of the peninsula ...
Floods are very common in Italy. Annually floods occur in different parts of the peninsula and cause severe damage and sometimes result in injuries or fatalities. In the period 1980-2000 the Italian State set aside 7,4 million euro for flood damage, or roughly one million euro per day.
Researching historical floods gives evidence of the frequency, magnitude, impacts, areas involved and types of damages. In spite of this wealth of information, town-and-country planning rarely takes into account these lessons of the past.
With this study the CNR-IRPI of Torino (Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection) developed a flood damage estimation model for simulating event scenarios and estimating expected economic losses. Potential economic loss assessment implies knowledge of the event, exposed asset values and the degree of damage. Following a widely shared simplifying assumption, flood water level was taken as the only factor indicating event magnitude.
The model incorporates the following steps_
a) event description_ definition of flood parameters (inundated area and water level), utilizing real-time measurements or data from event simulation with a hydraulic model;
b) asset damage and identification of the affected population;
c) evaluation of the damage degree as a function of event magnitude;
d) attribution of an economic value to different exposed assets;
e) quantification of economic loss by multiplying economic losses and damage severity.
The method could be used either as a forecasting tool to define event scenarios or for "real-time" damage assessment just after a catastrophe. This pilot effort can be useful for land administration bodies (land use planning, civil protection, and risk mitigation) and insurance companies in demonstrating the benefit of systematic acquisition and management of flood-related damage data.
Baldo M., Giordan D., Manconi A., Lollino G., Allasia P., 2012, Report di approfondimento relativo all’attuale stato di attività del fenomeno franoso di Montaguto (dicembre 2010),
2012,
Allasia P., Baldo M., Giordan D., Manconi A., Lollino G., 2012, Report di approfondimento relativo all’attuale stato di attività del fenomeno franoso di Montaguto (AV) – luglio 2011,
2012,
Baldo M., Giordan D., Manconi A., Lollino G., Allasia P., 2012, Report di approfondimento relativo all’attuale stato di attività del fenomeno franoso di Montaguto (AV) – agosto 2011,
2012,
Polemio, M.
Limoni, P. P.
Zuffiano', L. E.
Santaloia, F., 2012, Santa Cesarea thermal springs (southern Italy),
Fifth International Groundwater Conference (IGWC-2012) on the assessment and management of groundwater resources in hard rock systems with special reference to basaltic terrain, pp. 87–94, Aurangabad (India), 18-21/12/2012,
Abstract
The coastal carbonate Apulian aquifers, located in southern Italy, feed numerous coastal cold springs and ...
The coastal carbonate Apulian aquifers, located in southern Italy, feed numerous coastal cold springs and constitute the main local source of high quality water. The group of Santa Cesarea springs constitutes the unique occurrence of thermal groundwater outflow, observed in partially submerged coastal caves. The spring water is rich of hydrogen sulfide; temperature ranges from 25 to 33 C°. For their properties, spring waters are used for spa activities from several decades. Hydrogeological spring conceptualisations proposed up now were not able to justify water geochemical peculiarities or were not completely confirmed up now. To reduce these uncertainties, a complex hydrogeological survey has been defined. Geological and structural surveys, chemical and isotopic groundwater analyses, spring and well discharge measurements, well loggings, multi-parameters spring automatized measurements, and cave explorations are ongoing. All available data have been used to improve the knowledge of groundwater flow system, including the valuable deep aquifer, the origin of the thermal waters, and to investigate the possibility of using low-enthalpy geothermal fluids to fulfil the thermal needs of the town of Santa Cesarea Terme.
Polemio, M. Limoni, P. P. Zuffiano', L. E. Santaloia, F., 2012, Santa Cesarea coastal thermal springs (southern Italy),
22nd SWIM, Armacao dos Buzios (Brazil), giugno 2012,
Giordan D., Manconi A., Lollino G., Allasia P., Baldo M., 2012, Report di approfondimento relativo all’attuale stato di attività del fenomeno franoso di Montaguto (AV) – maggio 2011,
2012,
Manconi A., Lollino G., Allasia P., Baldo M., Giordan D., 2012, Report di approfondimento relativo all’attuale stato di attività del fenomeno franoso di Montaguto (AV) – giugno 2011,
2012,
Coviello V., Occhiena C., Arattano M., Chiarle M., Morra di Cella U., Pirulli M., Pogliotti P., Scavia C., 2012, Rock slope stability in high mountain areas. Microseismic activity and temperature monitoring at Capanna J.A. Carrel – Matterhorn peak,
16th Alpine Glaciology Meeting, 2-3 February 2012, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland, Zurich, 2012,
Manconi A., Lollino G., Allasia P., Baldo M., Giordan D., 2012, Report di approfondimento relativo all’attuale stato di attività del fenomeno franoso di Montaguto (AV) – febbraio 2011,
2012,
Nigrelli G., Audisio C., 2012, Il SIT-RIG della Val Germanasca,
1 (2012): 61–67.,
Abstract
Dal 2007 lUnione Europea si è dotata di adeguati strumenti normativi atti a cercare di ...
Dal 2007 lUnione Europea si è dotata di adeguati strumenti normativi atti a cercare di ridurre i rischi connessi ad eventi alluvionali (Direttiva 2007/60/CE, recepita in Italia dal D.Lgs. 49/2010). Lacquisizione di una legge non è però sufficiente a definire la pericolosità e i rischi legati ai processi lungo la rete idrografica e sui versanti. Per rispondere agli strumenti normativi è necessario dotarsi di una metodologia di lavoro che comprenda unanalisi degli eventi pluviometrici, la ricerca e la raccolta dei dati storici, nonché la definizione della modalità di gestione di tali dati. Questo articolo presenta un esempio di come, a partire da dati storici legati ad eventi alluvionali pregressi e attraverso lutilizzo di Sistemi Informativi Territoriali, si possa arrivare a definire una zonazione del territorio in funzione delle aree che possono essere maggiormente coinvolte durante un evento parossistico. Allo stesso modo possono essere individuate le tipologie di fenomeno e di danno che hanno le probabilità maggiori di verificarsi. La metodologia di studio è stata applicata al bacino del Torrente Germanasca, sito nelle Alpi Cozie centrali (Piemonte, Italia).
Polemio M.
Romanazzi A., 2012, Numerical modelling to support the management of coastal karstic aquifer (Salento),
Convegno Int. "Flowpath 2012-Percorsi di Idrogeologia", pp. 1–2, Bologna, 20-22/6/2012,
Polemio M. , Dragone V., 2012, Recurrence of damaging floods and role of population number in a karstic area (Bari, southern Italy),
EGU Leonardo Conference 2012 "Hydrology and Society-Connections between Hydrology and_ Population dynamics, Policy making and Power Generation", Torino, 14-16/11/2012,
Baldo M., Giordan D., Manconi A., Lollino G., Allasia P., 2012, Report di approfondimento relativo all’attuale stato di attività del fenomeno franoso di Montaguto (AV) – aprile 2011,
2012,
Allasia P., Baldo M., Giordan D., Manconi A., Lollino G., 2012, Report di approfondimento relativo ai rapporti tra precipitazioni, attività di rimozione antropica del piede della frana e velocità dei prismi registrate nel settore D della frana di Montaguto (dicembre 2010),
2012,
Lollino G., Giordan D., Allasia P., Baldo M., 2012, Impiego di rilevamenti LiDAR applicati all’analisi e controllo delle variazioni morfologiche di origine antropica,
2012,
Lollino G., Giordan D., Allasia P., Manconi A., Baldo M., Casagli N., Fanti R., Gigli G., Mugnai F. Leva D., Rossetti I., 2012, Frana di Montaguto (AV) “Settore E” – Rapporto congiunto di analisi sulle risultanze del monitoraggio – agosto 2011,
2012,
O. Petrucci, A. A. Pasqua, 2012, Damaging events along roads during bad weather periods_ a case study in Calabria (Italy).,
Natural hazards and earth system sciences (Print) 12 (2012): 365–378. doi_10.5194/nhess-12-365-2012,
DOI: 10.5194%2Fnhess-12-365-2012
Abstract
The study focuses on circumstances that affect people during periods of bad weather conditions characterised ...
The study focuses on circumstances that affect people during periods of bad weather conditions characterised by winds, rainfall, landslides, flooding, and storm surges. A methodological approach and its application to a study area in southern Italy are presented herein. A 10-year database was generated by mining data from a newspaper. Damaging agents were sorted into five types_ flood, urban flooding, landslide, wind, and storm surge. Damage to people occurred in 126 cases, causing 13 victims, 129 injured and about 782 people involved but not injured.
For cases of floods, urban flooding and landslides, the analysis does not highlighted straightforward relationships between rainfall and damage to people, even if the events showed different features according to the months of occurrence. The events occurred between May and October were characterised by concentrated and intense rainfall, and between May and July, the highest values of hourly (103 mm on the average) and monthly rainfall (114 mm on the average) were recorded. Urban flooding and flash floods were the most common damaging agents_ injured, involved people and more rarely cases with victims were reported.
Between November and April, the highest number of events was recorded. Rainfall presented longer durations and hourly and sub-hourly rainfall were lower than those recorded between May and October. Landslides were the most frequent damaging agents but the highest number of cases with victims, which occurred between November and January, was mainly related to floods and urban flooding.
Motorists represent the totality of the victims, 84% of the people injured and the whole of people involved. All victims were men, and the average age was 43 years. The primary cause of death was drowning caused by floods, and the second was trauma suffered in car accidents caused by urban flooding. The high number of motorists rescued in submerged cars reveals an underestimation of danger in the case of floods, often increased by the sense of security related to the familiarity of the road. In contrast, in the cases of people involved in landslides, when there was enough time to realise the potential risk, people behaved appropriately to avoid negative consequences. Of the victims, 50% were killed along fast-flowing roads; this may be related to the high speed limit in force on these roads, as a car's speed reduces the reaction time of a driver's response to an unexpected situation, whatever the damaging agent is. These results can be used in local information/education campaigns to both increase risk awareness and promote self-protective behaviours.
Moreover, the mapping of damaging effects pointed out the regional sectors on which the high frequency of the events suggests to plan further in-depth examinations, which can individuate the critical points and local regulator interventions that might change the damage incidences in the future.
Nigrelli G., Marino A.L.L., 2012, Dbclim: A web-based, open-source relational database for rainfall event studies,
Computers & geosciences 48 (2012): 337–339. doi_10.1016/j.cageo.2012.02.002,
DOI: 10.1016%2Fj.cageo.2012.02.002
Abstract
Rainfall is a climatic parameter of great importance and complexity. The pluviometric parameters ordinarily taken ...
Rainfall is a climatic parameter of great importance and complexity. The pluviometric parameters ordinarily taken for meteo-hydrologic study are rainfall total and maxima (annual, seasonal or monthly), maximum rainfall over several consecutive days (by definition usually 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 days), rainfall during brief but intense rainstorms, and peak rainfall within temporal units (minutes, hours, days). Values of absolute extremes, such as the highest 5-day precipitation amount in a year, can often be related to extreme events that affect human society and the natural environment.
Moreover, the data of some of these parameters may be derived from various different rain events and an event can last more than 5 consecutive days.
An innovative tool for RE study developed by the Research Institute for Geo-hydrological Protection of the National Research Council (CNR-IRPI) is a specific web-based relational database called Dbclim. With the Dbclim, RE data can be easily accessed and extracted from a long-term daily rainfall time series. The key features of Dbclim and its architecture are outlined below.
Gullà G., Caloiero T., Coscarelli R. and Petrucci, O., 2012, A proposal for a methodological approach to the characterization of Widespread Landslide Events_ an application to Southern Italy.,
Natural hazards and earth system sciences (Print) 12 (2012): 165–173. doi_10.5194/nhess-12-165-2012,
DOI: 10.5194%2Fnhess-12-165-2012
Abstract
This paper presents a methodological approach to both identifying and characterising Widespread Landslide Events (WLE), ...
This paper presents a methodological approach to both identifying and characterising Widespread Landslide Events (WLE), defined as the occurrence of several landslides through wide areas (thousands of square kilometres). This approach is based on a comparative analysis of two historical databases_ a rainfall database and a landslide database, both concerning the same period. This methodology was tested on Calabria (Southern Italy)
by analysing a period of more than 80 yr. The data allowed the individuation of 25 WLEs generated by the following_
(a) a single rainfall event (RE), (b) a few distinct but temporarily close REs, or (c) several consecutive REs occurring over a period of up to two months. An empirical curve, obtained by interpolating the number of landslides occurred during the WLEs and the average values of cumulative rainfall that triggered them enables the individuation of the relationship between rainfall and number of landslides. The proposed methodological approach can be used wherever
historical series of both rainfall and landslides are available. The results can be useful for monitoring the development of events and for the planning of emergency management.
