Shallow landslides along the pyroclastic-mantled slopes of mount Partenio (Campania, Italy): the events of 16.12.1999 and 21.12.2019

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilia Damiano ◽  
Luca Comegna ◽  
Roberto Greco ◽  
Pasquale Marino ◽  
Lucio Olivares ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Shallow Landslide ◽  
Shallow Landslides ◽  
Monitoring Data ◽  
First Case ◽  
Failure Conditions ◽  
Fractured Limestone ◽  
Cover Thickness ◽  
The Town ◽  
Landslide Triggering

<p>As other mountainous areas of Campania (Italy), mount Partenio consists of carbonate rocks covered with layered air-fall deposits originated by eruptions of the two volcanic complexes of the area (Somma Vesuvius and Phlegrean Fields). The deposits are alternated layers of ashes (loamy sands) and pumices (sands with gravel), both materials characterized by negligible effective cohesion. The thickness of the deposit ranges between few centimeters along the steepest slopes (up to 50°) to some meters at the foot of the slopes, with gentle inclination. The equilibrium of the covers along the steepest slopes is guaranteed by the contribution of suction to soil shear strength. After intense and prolonged rain, this contribution is reduced by infiltrating water being stored within the cover, sometimes leading to shallow landslide triggering.</p><p>The two most recent landslide events in the area occurred on 16.12.1999 and 21.12.2019. In the first case, several landslides were triggered along slopes with inclination larger than 40°, in an area of about 10 km<sup>2</sup>, some of which evolved in the form of fast debris flows which caused damages to buildings and some victims in the town of Cervinara. In the second case, two major landslides were reported, one of which, along a slope with inclination between 42° and 45°, very close to two of the landslides of 1999, damaged roads and buildings in the town of San Martino Valle Caudina.</p><p>After the event of 1999, a hydro-meteorological monitoring station was installed near the scarp of the major landslide. Thanks to the monitoring data and laboratory investigation on the hydraulic properties of the involved soils, a mathematical model of the response of the slope to precipitation was developed (Greco et al., 2013). The model couples unsaturated flows in the pyroclastic cover with the groundwater system developing in the underlying fractured limestone bedrock, and it allows satisfactorily reproducing the seasonal trends of the terms of the hydrological balance of the slope (Greco et al., 2018).</p><p>In this study, the two events of 1999 and 2019 are compared, in terms of pre-event and event rainfall characteristics, as well as by simulating the response of the slopes by means of the mathematical model during the entire year until the day of the landslides. The obtained results show the importance of the interplay between predisposing conditions, related to the rainfall history during the months before the event, and the characteristics of the triggering event. The model simulations indicate that, while in 1999 failure conditions are predicted along slopes with inclination larger than 40°, regardless cover thickness, in 2019 landslide triggering is predicted only on slopes mantled by a cover thinner than 1.5 meters with inclination larger than 42°.</p><p>References</p><p>R. Greco, L. Comegna, E. Damiano, A. Guida, L. Olivares, L. Picarelli (2013). Hydrological modelling of a slope covered with shallow pyroclastic deposits from field monitoring data. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 17: 4001-4013.</p><p>R. Greco, P. Marino, G.F. Santonastaso, E. Damiano (2018). Interaction between perched epikarst aquifer and unsaturated soil cover in the initiation of shallow landslides in pyroclastic soils. Water, 10(7): 948.</p>

scholarly journals Tree-roots control of shallow landslides

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Cohen ◽  
Massimiliano Schwarz
Keyword(s):  
Slope Stability ◽  
Shallow Landslide ◽  
Shallow Landslides ◽  
Tree Roots ◽  
Root Reinforcement ◽  
Apparent Cohesion ◽  
Root Strength ◽  
Tension And Compression ◽  
Weak Zones ◽  
Landslide Triggering

Abstract. Tree roots have long been recognized to increase slope stability by reinforcing the strength of soils. Slope stability models include the effects of roots by adding an apparent cohesion to the soil to simulate root strength. No model includes the combined effects of root distribution heterogeneity, stress-strain behavior of root reinforcement, or root strength in compression. Recent field observations, however, indicate that shallow landslide triggering mechanisms are characterized by differential deformation that indicates localized activation of zones in tension, compression, and shear in the soil. These observations contradict the common assumptions used in present models. Here we describe a new model for slope stability that specifically considers these effects. The model is a strain-step discrete element model that reproduces the self-organized redistribution of forces on a slope during rainfall-triggered shallow landslides. We use a conceptual sigmoidal-shaped hillslope with a clearing in its center to explore the effects of tree size, spacing, weak zones, maximum root-size diameter, and different root strength configurations. The model is driven by root data of Norway spruce obtained from laboratory and field measurements. Simulation results indicate that tree roots can stabilize slopes that would otherwise fail without them and, in general, higher root density with higher root reinforcement results in a more stable slope. Root tension provides more resistance to failure than root compression but roots with both tension and compression offer the best resistance to failure. Lateral (slope-parallel) tension can be important in cases when the magnitude of these forces is comparable to the slope-perpendicular tensile forces. In these cases, lateral forces can bring to failure tree-covered areas with high root reinforcement. Slope failure occurs when downslope soil compression reaches the soil maximum strength. When this occurs depends on the amount of root tension upslope in both the slope-perpendicular and slope-parallel directions. Roots in tension can prevent failure by reducing soil compressive forces downslope. When root reinforcement is limited, hillslopes form a crack parallel to the slope near its top. Simulations with roots that fail across this crack always resulted in a landslide. Slopes that did not form a crack could either fail or remain stable, depending on root reinforcement. Tree spacing is important for the location of weak zones but tree location on the slope (with respect to where a crack opens) is as important. Finally, for the specific cases tested here, large roots, greater than 20 mm, are too few too contribute significantly to root reinforcement. Omitting roots larger than 8 mm predicted a landslide when none should have occurred. Intermediate roots (5 to 20 mm) appear to contribute most to root reinforcement and should be included in calculations. To fully understand the mechanisms of shallow landslide triggering requires a complete re-evaluation of the traditional apparent-cohesion approach that does not reproduce the incremental loading of roots in tension or in compression. Our model shows that it is important to consider the forces held by roots in a way that is entirely different than done thus far. Our work quantifies the contribution of roots in tension and compression which now finally permits to analyze more realistically the role of root reinforcement during the triggering of shallow landslides.

scholarly journals Site-specific to local-scale shallow landslides triggering zones assessment using TRIGRS

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 1025-1050 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Bordoni ◽  
C. Meisina ◽  
R. Valentino ◽  
M. Bittelli ◽  
S. Chersich
Keyword(s):  
Input Data ◽  
Pore Water Pressure ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Shallow Landslide ◽  
Local Scale ◽  
Shallow Landslides ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Site Specific ◽  
Landslide Triggering

Abstract. Rainfall-induced shallow landslides are common phenomena in many parts of the world, affecting cultivation and infrastructure and sometimes causing human losses. Assessing the triggering zones of shallow landslides is fundamental for land planning at different scales. This work defines a reliable methodology to extend a slope stability analysis from the site-specific to local scale by using a well-established physically based model (TRIGRS-unsaturated). The model is initially applied to a sample slope and then to the surrounding 13.4 km2 area in Oltrepò Pavese (northern Italy). To obtain more reliable input data for the model, long-term hydro-meteorological monitoring has been carried out at the sample slope, which has been assumed to be representative of the study area. Field measurements identified the triggering mechanism of shallow failures and were used to verify the reliability of the model to obtain pore water pressure trends consistent with those measured during the monitoring activity. In this way, more reliable trends have been modelled for past landslide events, such as the April 2009 event that was assumed as a benchmark. The assessment of shallow landslide triggering zones obtained using TRIGRS-unsaturated for the benchmark event appears good for both the monitored slope and the whole study area, with better results when a pedological instead of geological zoning is considered at the regional scale. The sensitivity analyses of the influence of the soil input data show that the mean values of the soil properties give the best results in terms of the ratio between the true positive and false positive rates. The scheme followed in this work allows us to obtain better results in the assessment of shallow landslide triggering areas in terms of the reduction in the overestimation of unstable zones with respect to other distributed models applied in the past.

scholarly journals Tree-root control of shallow landslides

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Cohen ◽  
Massimiliano Schwarz
Keyword(s):  
Slope Stability ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Shallow Landslide ◽  
Shallow Landslides ◽  
Tree Roots ◽  
Root Reinforcement ◽  
Apparent Cohesion ◽  
Root Strength ◽  
Weak Zones ◽  
Landslide Triggering

Abstract. Tree roots have long been recognized to increase slope stability by reinforcing the strength of soils. Slope stability models usually include the effects of roots by adding an apparent cohesion to the soil to simulate root strength. No model includes the combined effects of root distribution heterogeneity, stress-strain behavior of root reinforcement, or root strength in compression. Recent field observations, however, indicate that shallow landslide triggering mechanisms are characterized by differential deformation that indicates localized activation of zones in tension, compression, and shear in the soil. Here we describe a new model for slope stability that specifically considers these effects. The model is a strain-step discrete element model that reproduces the self-organized redistribution of forces on a slope during rainfall-triggered shallow landslides. We use a conceptual sigmoidal-shaped hillslope with a clearing in its center to explore the effects of tree size, spacing, weak zones, maximum root-size diameter, and different root strength configurations. Simulation results indicate that tree roots can stabilize slopes that would otherwise fail without them and, in general, higher root density with higher root reinforcement results in a more stable slope. The variation in root stiffness with diameter can, in some cases, invert this relationship. Root tension provides more resistance to failure than root compression but roots with both tension and compression offer the best resistance to failure. Lateral (slope-parallel) tension can be important in cases when the magnitude of this force is comparable to the slope-perpendicular tensile force. In this case, lateral forces can bring to failure tree-covered areas with high root reinforcement. Slope failure occurs when downslope soil compression reaches the soil maximum strength. When this occurs depends on the amount of root tension upslope in both the slope-perpendicular and slope-parallel directions. Roots in tension can prevent failure by reducing soil compressive forces downslope. When root reinforcement is limited, a crack parallel to the slope forms near the top of the hillslope. Simulations with roots that fail across this crack always resulted in a landslide. Slopes that did not form a crack could either fail or remain stable, depending on root reinforcement. Tree spacing is important for the location of weak zones but tree location on the slope (with respect to where a crack opens) is as important. Finally, for the specific cases tested here, intermediate-sized roots (5 to 20 mm in diameter) appear to contribute most to root reinforcement. Our results show more complex behaviors than can be obtained with the traditional slope-uniform, apparent-cohesion approach. A full understanding of the mechanisms of shallow landslide triggering requires a complete re-evaluation of this traditional approach that cannot predict where and how forces are mobilized and distributed in roots and soils, and how these control shallow landslides shape, size, location, and timing.

scholarly journals Evaluation of shallow landslide-triggering scenarios through a physically based approach: an example of application in the southern Messina area (northeastern Sicily, Italy)

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (9) ◽  
pp. 2091-2109 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Schilirò ◽  
C. Esposito ◽  
G. Scarascia Mugnozza
Keyword(s):  
Back Analysis ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Shallow Landslide ◽  
Shallow Landslides ◽  
Landslide Event ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Triggering Process ◽  
Landslide Triggering ◽  
Northeastern Sicily

Abstract. Rainfall-induced shallow landslides are a widespread phenomenon that frequently causes substantial damage to property, as well as numerous casualties. In recent~years a wide range of physically based models have been developed to analyze the triggering process of these events. Specifically, in this paper we propose an approach for the evaluation of different shallow landslide-triggering scenarios by means of the TRIGRS (transient rainfall infiltration and grid-based slope stability) numerical model. For the validation of the model, a back analysis of the landslide event that occurred in the study area (located SW of Messina, northeastern Sicily, Italy) on 1 October 2009 was performed, by using different methods and techniques for the definition of the input parameters. After evaluating the reliability of the model through comparison with the 2009 landslide inventory, different triggering scenarios were defined using rainfall values derived from the rainfall probability curves, reconstructed on the basis of daily and hourly historical rainfall data. The results emphasize how these phenomena are likely to occur in the area, given that even short-duration (1–3 h) rainfall events with a relatively low return period (e.g., 10–20~years) can trigger numerous slope failures. Furthermore, for the same rainfall amount, the daily simulations underestimate the instability conditions. The high susceptibility of this area to shallow landslides is testified by the high number of landslide/flood events that have occurred in the past and are summarized in this paper by means of archival research. Considering the main features of the proposed approach, the authors suggest that this methodology could be applied to different areas, even for the development of landslide early warning systems.

scholarly journals Evaluation of shallow landslide triggering scenarios through a physically-based approach: an example of application in the southern Messina area (north-eastern Sicily, Italy)

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 2975-3022 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Schilirò ◽  
C. Esposito ◽  
G. Scarascia Mugnozza
Keyword(s):  
Back Analysis ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Shallow Landslide ◽  
Shallow Landslides ◽  
Landslide Event ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Triggering Process ◽  
Landslide Triggering

Abstract. Rainfall-induced shallow landslides are a widespread phenomenon that frequently causes substantial damage to property, as well as numerous casualties. In recent years a wide range of physically-based models has been developed to analyze the triggering process of these events. Specifically, in this paper we propose an approach for the evaluation of different shallow landslide triggering scenarios by means of TRIGRS numerical model. For the calibration of the model, a back-analysis of the landslide event occurred in the study area (located SW of Messina, north-eastern Sicily, Italy) on 1 October 2009 was performed, by using different methods and techniques for the definition of the input parameters. After evaluating the reliability of the model through the comparison with the 2009 landslide inventory, different triggering scenarios were defined using rainfall values derived from the rainfall probability curves, reconstructed on the basis of daily and hourly historical rainfall data. The results emphasize how these phenomena are likely to occur in the area, given that even short-duration (3–6 h) rainfall events having a relatively low return period (e.g. 10 years) can trigger numerous slope failures. On the contrary, for the same rainfall amount, the daily simulations overestimate the instability conditions. The tendency of shallow landslides to trigger in this area agrees with the high number of landslide/flood events occurred in the past and summarized in this paper by means of archival researches. Considering the main features of the proposed approach, the authors suggest that this methodology could be applied to different areas, even for the development of landslide early warning systems.

An integrated model for prediction of shallow landslides at regional scale with the integration of satellite hydrological data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimiliano Bordoni ◽  
Valerio Vivaldi ◽  
Luca Brocca ◽  
Luca Ciabatta ◽  
Claudia Meisina
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Early Warning ◽  
Temporal Frequency ◽  
Early Warning Systems ◽  
Integrated Model ◽  
Shallow Landslide ◽  
Shallow Landslides ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Hydrological Conditions ◽  
Landslide Triggering

<p>Rainfall-induced shallow landslides are dangerous natural hazards, mainly due to their high temporal frequency, which causes fatalities and high economic damage worldwide. Early Warning Systems (EWS), generally based on definition of rainfall thresholds needed for landslides triggering, are useful tools for risks mitigation. Thresholds generally do not take into account soil hydrological conditions, which play an important role both in landslide triggering. Rainfall measures are also uncertain due to the limited spatial representativeness of ground sensors and the low density of currently available measuring networks. Moreover, in the last years, soil moisture data have become available over large areas (basin and regional scales), thanks to their measurement through satellite sensors.</p><p>The aim of this research is to develop a new integrated model to predict shallow landslides, based on a multidisciplinary approach involving physical models, data-driven methods and the implementation of satellite soil moisture and rainfall. The model is developing in Oltrepò Pavese (Northern Italy, Southern Lombardy), affected during the last 11 years by numerous events triggered by intense and frequent rainfalls, causing human fatalities, damaging/blocking roads and bridges, destructing cultivations (mainly vineyards).</p><p>To define satellite soil moisture (and rainfall) products, different remote sensing platform are investigating. A very new soil moisture product provided by Sentinel-1 images by ESA (European Space Agency) allows a fine spatial resolution (1 km) and a revisit time of ~7 days. Coarse resolution soil moisture products (~20 km) characterized by a daily temporal resolution and higher accuracy (e.g., SMAP–Soil Moisture Active and Passive, SMOS–Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity, ASCAT–Advanced SCATterometer) is used. These are validated through two hydrological monitoring stations already installed in two representative basins.</p><p>The prediction of shallow landslides are carried on by means of a model able to integrate spatial probability of occurrence and temporal occurrence, considering also satellite soil moisture and rainfall products. Empirical and physically-based thresholds considering different initial soil hydrological conditions on soil moisture, which seem the best indicators for shallow landslide triggering, are developing.</p><p>Predicition model is tested and validated with real cases, assessing its reliability, to build a prototypal Early Warning System for shallow landslide prediction, that will constitute a valuable tool for Civil Protection in attempt to mitigate the risk in the Oltrepò Pavese area. This work was made in the frame of the project ANDROMEDA, funded by Fondazione Cariplo.</p>

Development and Applications of a Wellhead Protection Area Delineation Computer Program

1991 ◽  
Vol 24 (11) ◽  
pp. 51-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Guiguer ◽  
T. Franz
Keyword(s):  
Case History ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Theoretical Background ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Wellhead Protection ◽  
First Case ◽  
Protection Area ◽  
And Storage ◽  
The Town

In the last few years, groundwater management has concentrated on the protection of groundwater quality. An increasing number of countries has adopted policies to protect vital groundwater resources from deterioration by regulating human interaction with the subsurface, the use of potential contaminants, land use restrictions, and waste transport and storage. One of the more common regulatory approaches to the protection of groundwater focuses on public water supplies to reduce the potential of human exposure to hazardous contaminants. Under the framework of the Safe Drinking Water Act amended by U.S. Congress in 1986, The U.S.EPA (1987) issued guidelines for the delineation of wellhead protection areas, recommending the use of analytical and numerical models for the identification of such areas. In this study, the theoretical background for the development of one such numerical model is presented. Two real-world applications are discussed: in the first case history, the model is applied to a Superfund Site in Puerto Rico as a tool for assessment of the effectiveness of a proposed pump-and-treat scheme for aquifer remediation. Based on simulation results for the evolution of the existing contaminant plume it was verified that such a scheme would not work with the proposed purging wells. The second case history is the delineation of a wellhead protection area in the Town of Littleton, Massachusetts, and subsequent design of a monitoring well network.

scholarly journals Regional Analyses of Rainfall-Induced Landslide Initiation in Upper Gudbrandsdalen (South-Eastern Norway) Using TRIGRS Model

Geosciences ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Luca Schilirò ◽  
José Cepeda ◽  
Graziella Devoli ◽  
Luca Piciullo
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulations ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Shallow Landslides ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Physically Based ◽  
Triggering Conditions ◽  
Cover Thickness ◽  
Regional Analyses ◽  
Factor Maps ◽  
Eastern Norway

In Norway, shallow landslides are generally triggered by intense rainfall and/or snowmelt events. However, the interaction of hydrometeorological processes (e.g., precipitation and snowmelt) acting at different time scales, and the local variations of the terrain conditions (e.g., thickness of the surficial cover) are complex and often unknown. With the aim of better defining the triggering conditions of shallow landslides at a regional scale we used the physically based model TRIGRS (Transient Rainfall Infiltration and Grid-based Regional Slope stability) in an area located in upper Gudbrandsdalen valley in South-Eastern Norway. We performed numerical simulations to reconstruct two scenarios that triggered many landslides in the study area on 10 June 2011 and 22 May 2013. A large part of the work was dedicated to the parameterization of the numerical model. The initial soil-hydraulic conditions and the spatial variation of the surficial cover thickness have been evaluated applying different methods. To fully evaluate the accuracy of the model, ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curves have been obtained comparing the safety factor maps with the source areas in the two periods of analysis. The results of the numerical simulations show the high susceptibility of the study area to the occurrence of shallow landslides and emphasize the importance of a proper model calibration for improving the reliability.

scholarly journals Web Application for Statistical Tracking and Predicting the Evolution of Active Cases with the Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

2021 ◽  
pp. 70-74
Author(s):  
Iulia Clitan ◽  
◽  
Adela Puscasiu ◽  
Vlad Muresan ◽  
Mihaela Ligia Unguresan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Web Application ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Novel ◽  
End User ◽  
First Case ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Second Wave ◽  
Over Time

Since February 2020, when the first case of infection with SARS COV-2 virus appeared in Romania, the evolution of COVID-19 pandemic continues to have an ascending allure, reaching in September 2020 a second wave of infections as expected. In order to understand the evolution and spread of this disease over time and space, more and more research is focused on obtaining mathematical models that are able to predict the evolution of active cases based on different scenarios and taking into account the numerous inputs that influence the spread of this infection. This paper presents a web responsive application that allows the end user to analyze the evolution of the pandemic in Romania, graphically, and that incorporates, unlike other COVID-19 statistical applications, a prediction of active cases evolution. The prediction is based on a neural network mathematical model, described from the architectural point of view.

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