Geomorphology of the Durmitor Mountains and surrounding plateau Jezerska Površ (Montenegro)

The geomorphological map of the northeastern Durmitor Mountains and the plateau Jezerska Povrs. (1: 10,000, 47 km(2), Montenegro, Dinaric Alps) was prepared from an intensive fieldwork campaign and remote sensing analysis, and was compiled within a GIS. The basic components of the legend are (i) processes/genesis, (ii) materials, (iii) morphometry/morphography, (iv) hydrography, (v) vegetation and (vi) anthropogenic features. The geomorphological setting of the area consists of Mesozoic limestones which are physically deformed by Quaternary glacial and periglacial activity and chemically affected during interglacials. Glacial deposits on the plateau of three middle-to-late Pleistocene glacial phases are intersected by a well-developed network of palaeo meltwater channels. In the mountains, Holocene glacier retreat left behind a series of well-preserved recessional moraines. The map serves as a valuable tool for Quaternary research in the Durmitor Mountains, and also in other mountains of the Western Balkans

Geomorphological classification of urban landscapes. The case study of Rome (Italy)

The results of a long-lasting geomorphological survey carried out in Rome are summarized. A method aimed at integrating survey data, historical maps, aerial photographs and archaeological and geomorphological literature produced a geomorphological map of the present-day historical centre. The geomorphology of Rome is related to the paleogeographical conditions prior to the founding of the City; they allow us to recognize the stages of landscape evolution of the ancient Caput Mundi (Capital of the World). The study area has been affected by continuous man-made changes to the drainage network and to the topographic surface over the last 3000 years. It has forced the authors to develop innovative solutions to undertake effective analysis of the urban environment and the legend of the geomorphological map in this peculiar context. The resulting map is useful for urban planning and archaeological research

Monitoring sediment transfer processes on the desert margin

LANDSAT Thematic Mapper and Multispectral Scanner data have been used to construct change detection images for three playas in south-central Tunisia. Change detection images have been used to analyze changes in surface reflectance and absorption between wet and dry season (intra-annual change) and between different years (inter-annual change). Change detection imagery has been used to examine geomorphological changes on the playas. Changes in geomorphological phenomena are interpreted from changes in soil and foliar moisture levels, differences in reflectances between different salt and sediments and the spatial expression of geomorphological features. Intra-annual change phenomena that can be detected from multidate imagery are changes in surface moisture, texture and chemical composition, vegetation cover and the extent of aeolian activity. Inter-annual change phenomena are divisible into those restricted to marginal playa facies (sedimentation from sheetwash and alluvial fans, erosion from surface runoff and cliff retreat) and these are found in central playa facies which are related to the internal redistribution of water, salt and sediment

Enhanced visualization of the flat landscape of the Cambridgeshire Fenlands

The Fenlands of East Anglia, England, represent a subtle landscape, where topographic highs rarely exceed 30 m above sea level. However, the fens represent an almost full sequence of Quaternary deposits which, together with islands of Cretaceous and Jurassic outcrops, make the area of geological importance. This feature discusses the advantages of using 3D visualization coupled with high-resolution topographical data, over traditional 2D techniques, when undertaking an analysis of the landscape. Conclusions suggest that the use of 3D visualization will result in a higher level of engagement, particularly when communicating geological information to a wider public

Multitemporal dendrogeomorphological analysis of slope instability in Upper Orcia Valley (Southern Tuscany, Italy)

The Upper Orcia Valley (Southern Tuscany, Italy) is a key site for the comprehension of denudation processes typically acting in Mediterranean badlands (calanchi) areas, thanks to the availability of long-lasting erosion monitoring datasets and the rapidity of erosion processes development. These features make the area suitable as an open air laboratory for the study of badlands dynamic and changes in geoheritage due to erosion (i.e. active geomorphosites). Decadal multitemporal investigations on the erosion rates and the geomorphological dynamics of the study area allowed to highlight a decrease in the average water erosion rates during the last 60 years. More in detail, a reduction of bare land and, consequently, of erosion processes effectiveness and a contemporary increasing frequency of mass wasting events were recorded. These trends can be partly related to the land cover changes occurred in the study area from the 1950s onwards, which consist of the significant increase of reforestation practices and important other forms of human impacts on slopes, mainly land levelling for agricultural exploitation. In order to better identify the most significant phases of geomorphological instability occurred in this area during the last decades, an integrated approach based on multitemporal geomorphological mapping and dendrogeomorphology analysis on specimen of Pinus nigra Arn. was used. In detail, trees colonizing a denudation slope located in the surrounding of the Radicofani town (Tuscany, Italy) and characterized by calanchi and shallow mass movements deposits, were analyzed for the 1985-2012 time period. The analysis of the growth anomaly indexes and of compression wood allowed to determine a spatio-temporal differentiation along the slope and respect to an undisturbed reference site. The negative anomaly index results to be more pronounced in the trees located on the investigated slope with respect to the ones sampled in a non-disturbed area. Compression wood characterizes trees on slope sectors mainly affected by runoff and/or mass movements with a different persistence. Erosion rates were finally calculated through dendrogeomorphological analysis on tree roots exposure (0.31-3 cm/y runoff prevailing; 5.86-27.5 cm/y, mass movements prevailing). Dendrogeomorphological results are in accordance with those obtained in the investigated areas with multitemporal photogrammetric and geomorphologic analyses

The potential of permanent gullies in Europe as geomorphosites

Geotourism is a useful way to educate societies in the field of geomorphology and natural hazards. Geosites, including geomorphosites, represent the basis for the development of this type of tourism. This study describes twelve representative gully regions within nine European countries. The characteristics of 42 permanent gullies, gully systems and badland landscapes are presented and a geotouristic assessment of these gullies was made, based on scientific, educational, functional and touristic indicators. This assessment demonstrates a large difference between the selected gully sites, particularly with regard to functional and tourist values. The geotouristic potential of gullies is the highest in Italy and Spain and the lowest in Romania and Latvia. In some countries, permanent gullies are not regarded as geotouristic attractions at all, while in others they constitute a significant element of their tourism development strategy. Based on the analysis of scientific values of the gully sites, educational lessons to be learned were identified that are mainly related to i) gullies as a geological window, ii) present-day geomorphological processes, and iii) stages of historical gully erosion reflecting past human-environment interactions. These must be part of a broader strategy for the development of geotourism in gully regions. Gullies are potential geosites within existing or planned geoparks. Values of gullies for other forms of tourism (active, cultural, nature), should be also emphasized

Surface movement and cascade processes on debris cones in temperate high mountain (Picos de Europa, northern Spain)

Producción CientíficaDebris talus is a very common landform in the temperate high mountain, so much so that it is the most representative of the periglacial and nival processes. This work studies debris cones in the Picos de Europa, an Atlantic mountain range in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. A detailed geomorphological map was prepared, fieldwork was carried out on the debris cone surface, the ground and air thermal regime was analyzed, and a five-year Terrestrial Laser Scan survey carried out. Annual volume changes on the surface of the debris cones were detected and related to active processes and sediment transfer. Two different behaviors were observed in each cone. Cone A is linear, with equilibrium between accumulation and sediment transfer, while Cone B is concave-convex denoting accumulation processes in the upper part deriving from the greater frequency of snow avalanches. Changes in morphology surpass 50 cm/year with most of the activity taking place in the highest and lowest areas. The presence and action of the ice on the debris slope are moderate or non-existent and freeze-thaw processes are only active on the walls at over 2000 m a.s.l. The main processes on debris cones are debris flow and creep related to snowcover, but sediment transfer on the slopes involves high intensity-low frequency (debris flow, avalanches) and high frequency-low intensity processes (creep, shift, solifluction and wasting).Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (project CGL2015-68144-R)Junta de Extremadura - Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (project GR10071

Investigating submerged morphologies by means of the low-budget “GeoDive” method (high resolution for detailed 3D reconstruction and related measurements)

Geophysical methods allow to collect geological data on lake and sea bottoms and characterize large areas, even at high depths, but with high costs. Moreover, the most widespread acquisition methods for morpho-bathymetric survey and the related instruments used are almost always ship-, ROV- or AUV-based and consequently they require high budgets. It is known that shallow waters can represent a limit for certain vessels and techniques, preventing the acquisition in the shoreface zone. To overcome the limits, i.e. to survey with high accuracy nearshore shallow waters with a low budget, we tested and tuned the “GeoDive” method that allowed us to survey two test sites, featured by the presence of “block fields” (i.e., accumulations of huge blocks and boulders of gravitational origin) under shallow waters. The “GeoDive” method allowed us to map the submerged morphologies and to acquire high-resolution optical images for further photogrammetric processing. The latter was fundamental to obtain 3D high-resolution models, also with conditions of low visibility. An Action Sport Cam with high definition resolution has been used for video acquisition, in addition to the equipment used during scientific diving. By coupling the processing of underwater-acquired data with the direct surveys performed by underwater SCUBA operators, it was possible to perform some morphological and sedimentological measurements and observations on the experimental targets, with the help of suitable markers

Contribution for an urban geomorphoheritage assessment method. Proposal from three geomorphosites in Rome (Italy)

Urban geomorphology has important implications in spatial planning of human activities, and it also has a geotouristic potential due to the relationship between cultural and geomorphological heritage. Despite the introduction of the term Anthropocene to describe the deep influence that human activities have had in recent times on Earth evolution, urban geomorphological heritage studies are relatively rare and limited and urban geotourism development is recent. The analysis of the complex urban landscape often need the integration of multidisciplinary data. This study aims to propose the first urban geomorphoheritage assessment method, which originates after long-lasting previous geomorphological and geotouristic studies on Rome city centre, it depict rare examples of the geomorphological mapping of a metropolis and, at the same time, of an inventory of urban geomorphosites. The proposal is applied to geomorphosites in the Esquilino neighbourhood of Rome, whose analysis confirm the need for an ad hoc method for assessing urban geomorphosites, as already highlighted in the most recent literature on the topic. The urban geomorphoheritage assessment method is based on: (i) the urban geomorphological analysis by means of multitemporal and multidisciplinary data; (ii) the geomorphosite inventory; and (iii) the geomorphoheritage assessment and enhancement. One challenge is to assess invisible geomorphosites that are widespread in urban context. To this aim, we reworked the attributes describing the Value of a site for Geotourism in order to build up a specific methodology for the analysis of the urban geomorphological heritage

Geomorphological processes on terrestrial planetary surfaces

This review deals with features and processes on planetary surfaces, first by examining the impact of photographic explorations of Moon, Mars, and Mercury on studies of surface processes on our own planet, and second by treating matters related to current deformation of Earth’s surface