Landslide inventory map of the upper Sinni River valley, Southern Italy^†

^†The research was conducted here

Abstract

In this paper, we present a geomorphological landslide inventory map for an intermountain catchment in the southern Italian Apennines. The study area is seismically active, and it is characterized by high uplift rates produced by Quaternary tectonics. A total of 531 landslides of different types, relative age, and sizes, including some kilometer-scale relict landslides were mapped through the visual interpretation of 1:33,000-scale stereoscopic aerial photographs, and dedicated field surveys. Analysis of the inventory map revealed that recent landslides consist chiefly of reactivations of older landslides, and of the new landslides formed in pre-existing landslide deposits, triggered primarily by intense rainfall events, or prolonged rainfall periods. We expect that the inventory will be used for the evaluation of landslide susceptibility and hazard in the area, and to investigate the long-term geomorphological evolution of a portion of the southern Apennines.

Keywords:

• aerial photo-interpretation
• landslide inventory map
• upper Sinni River valley

Notes

^† The research was conducted here