Landslide susceptibility assessment in the Peloritani Mts. (Sicily, Italy) and clues for tectonic control of relief processes

Abstract

Abstract. Many destructive shallow landslides hit villages in the Peloritani Mountains area (Sicily, Italy) on 1 October 2009 after heavy rainfall. The collection of several types of spatial data, together with a landslide inventory, allows the assessment of the landslide susceptibility by applying a statistical technique. The susceptibility model was validated by performing an analysis in a test area using independent landslide information, the results being able to correctly predict more than 70% of the landslides. Furthermore, the susceptibility analysis allowed the identification of which combinations of classes, within the different factors, have greater relevance in slope instability, and afterwards associating the most unstable combinations (with a short–medium term incidence) with the endogenic processes acting in the area (huge regional uplift, fault activity). Geological and tectonic history are believed to be key to interpreting morphological processes and landscape evolution. Recent tectonic activity was found to be a very important controlling factor in landscape evolution. A geomorphological model of cyclical relief evolution is proposed in which endogenic processes are directly linked to superficial processes. The results are relevant both to risk reduction and the understanding of active geological dynamics.

Exploiting Maximum Entropy method and ASTER data for assessing debris flow and debris slide susceptibility for the Giampilieri catchment (north‐eastern Sicily, Italy)

“…The 2009 event has been the case study of a number of papers dealing with either hydrologic, physical or stochastical modelling for shallow landslide susceptibility assessment (e.g. Aronica et al, 2012;Lombardo et al, 2014;Peres and Cancelliere, 2014;Cama et al, 2015;Lombardo et al, 2015;Schilirò et al, 2015, as well as of specific studies focused on mapping techniques (Ardizzone et al, 2012;Mondini et al, 2011;Ciampalini et al, 2015), rainfall thresholds (Gariano et al, 2015), land-use change effect or tectonic control (Goswami et al, 2011;De Guidi and Scudero, 2013).…”

“…According to some published papers (Aronica et al, 2012;Peres and Cancelliere, 2014;Penna et al, 2014;Schilirò et al, 2015) the regolithic layer is characterised on average by a Unit Weight of 20-25 kNm -3 , a porosity of near 35%, a permeability of 2 X 10 -5 m s -1 , a cohesion ranging from 0 to 6 kPa and an internal friction angle of 35 degrees. The 2009 event has been the study case of a number of papers dealing with either hydrologic, physical or stochastical modelling for shallow landslide susceptibility assessment (e.g., Aronica et al, 2012;Lombardo et al, 2014;Peres and Cancelliere, 2014;Cama et al, 2015;Lombardo et al, 2015;Schilirò et al, 2015, Cama et al, 2016, as well as of specific studies focused on mapping techniques (Ardizzone et al, 2012;Mondini et al, 2011;Ciampalini et al, 2015), rainfall thresholds (Gariano et al, 2015), land-use change effect or tectonic control (Goswami et al, 2011;De Guidi and Scudero, 2013).…”

Landslide distribution and size in response to Quaternary fault activity: the Peloritani Range, NE Sicily, Italy

“…Through the visual interpretation of two sets of aerial photographs and limited field checks, we prepared a map showing mass movements (Cruden and Varnes, 1996), sackungs (Ambrosi and Crosta, 2006), normal faults and their facets in the Peloritani range ( Figure 2). A geological map of the Messina Straits at 1:50 000 scale (APAT, 2008), and the review of prior geological and geomorphological studies (Ghisetti, 1992;Giunta et al, 2000;Carbone et al, 2008;Arisico et al, 2010;Goswami et al, 2012Goswami et al, , 2011De Guidi and Scudero, 2013), aided the interpretation of the aerial photographs.…”

Integrated geostructural, seismic and infrared thermography surveys for the study of an unstable rock slope in the Peloritani Chain (NE Sicily)

“…Landslides phenomena in the Peloritani area have already been studied by several authors (e.g. Foti et al, 2010;Goswami et al, 2011;Del Ventisette et al, 2012;De Guidi and Scudero, 2013; with reference to rockfalls, mudflows and debrisflows.…”