Natural Sinkhole Monitoring and Characterization: The Case of Latera Sinkhole (Latium, Central Italy)

Abstract

The occurrence of sinkhole phenomena in Italy is a prevalent and very uncertain class of geological hazards that pose a significant threat to human infrastructure and individuals. These events are characterized by their unpredictability and the challenges associated with their accurate forecasting. Both natural and anthropic factors influence the occurrence of these events; therefore, accurate identification of the above factors is critical for effective proactive and predictive efforts. The work presented in this paper refers to a collapse that occurred in a volcanic region in northern Latium (central Italy) on 31 January 2023. The area has been monitored using drones since the early stages of the sinkhole’s formation and has continued to date. Then, the collapse and the neighboring area were examined via geophysical and geochemical investigations to identify potential underlying factors. Geophysical and geochemical data were combined to provide a preliminary hypothesis on the collapse’s genesis. The obtained data indicate that the structural collapse can be attributable to the fluctuation in groundwater levels as well as the development of instabilities along its banks, leading to a growth in its dimensions.

Photogrammetry from UAV and Low-Cost Lidar for Sinkhole Hazard Mitigation in Urban Areas: Applications and Evaluations

“…This type of survey is extremely useful when it is necessary to increase accuracy and analyse interactions between cavities and surfaces. This article also evaluated the performance of a The problem of accuracy, as already seen in several cases involving natural sinkholes [15] and other issues [21], can be solved by using GNSS stations or drones equipped with GPS PPK-NRTK [14], which significantly reduce errors, but require more time for execution, processing and the use of more expensive instruments. The survey obtained using ground points surveyed with a GNSS station made it possible to identify the same number of cavities whose coordinates, in addition to being associated with greater precision (error of around 4 cm), are characterised by an exact orthometric height.…”

“…The use of UAVs is highly versatile for land mapping issues for geoscience purposes [13,14] and, in recent times, also in the study and monitoring of natural sinkholes [15], suggesting that they can also be applied to the search for and census of artificial cavities whose location is unknown. Technological progress in recent years has led to the miniaturisation of some lidar instruments and the possibility of installing them on smartphones and other wearable devices.…”