Low-cost MEMS accelerometers have the potential to be used in a number of tilt-based monitoring applications but have the disadvantage of being very sensitive to temperature variation (thermal drift). In this paper, we analyze the thermal behavior of a low-cost sensor in the range −10 to +45 °C in order to provide a simple compensation strategy to mitigate this problem. For sensor analysis, we have developed a miniaturized thermal chamber, which was mounted on a tilting device to account for tilt angle variation. The obtained raw data were used to construct low degree polynomial equations that by relating the measurement error induced by thermal drift (i.e., acceleration residuals) to temperature and inclination (of each specific axis), can be used for thermal compensation. To validate our compensation strategy, we performed a field monitoring test and evaluated the compensation performance by calculating RMS errors before and after correction. After compensation, the RMS errors calculated for both the X and Y axes decreased by 96%, indicating the potential of using a simple set of equations to solve common drawbacks that currently make low-cost MEMS sensors unsuitable for tilt-based monitoring applications.

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Historical movement of the Montaguto earth flow in southern Italy has periodically destroyed residences and farmland, and damaged the Italian National Road SS90 and the Benevento-Foggia National Railway. This paper provides maps from an investigation into the evolution of the Montaguto earth flow from 1954 to 2010. We used aerial photos, topographic maps, LiDAR data, satellite images, and field observations to produce multi-temporal maps. The maps show the spatial and temporal distribution of back-tilted surfaces, flank ridges, and normal, thrust, and strike-slip faults. Springs, creeks, and ponds are also shown on the maps. The maps provide a basis for interpreting how basal and lateral boundary geometries influence earth-flow behavior and surface-water hydrology.

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