Rockfall runout, Mount Cimone area, Emilia-Romagna Region, Italy

Numerous mass movements of different typology characterize both mountainous and piedmont sectors of the Emilia-Romagna Region (Apennine chain, North Italy). Although a less spatially frequent landslide typology within the region, rock falls represent severe threats to buildings, roads and persons due to their high propagation velocity. This paper presents an extract of the Emilia-Romagna regional map of the rock fall runout areas at a scale of 1:25,000. The analysis of rock fall runout areas was based upon a three-dimensional morphological method (TDM). The zone presented in the Main Map encompasses the area surrounding Mount Cimone, in the Emilia-Romagna Region. The proposed regional map of rockfall runout is noteworthy for planning actions and strategies aimed at the prevention and reduction of landslide risk at a regional scale

Management of geomorphosites in high tourist vocation area: an example of Geo-Hiking maps in the Alpe di Fanes (Natural Park of Fanes-Senes-Braies, Italian Dolomites).

Hiking tourism, which combines sport activities and appreciation of Nature, is today one of the main economic activities and among the markets that will experience a great increase in the near future. This paper illustrates a methodology to develop a thematic map, the “geo-hiking map”, which emphasises only the landscape elements that the tourist can recognise and observe, as well as the possible hazards. The geo-hiking map derives from the combination between the geo-tourist map and the geomorphological-hazard map: the first one is a map of geomorphosites enriched with useful indication for tourists (signed paths, refugees, camps etc.); the second one shows hazard levels of different landslide types, snow avalanches and floods. A prototype case study has been chosen within the Natural Park of Fanes-Senes-Braies (Dolomites, Italy). The area has a strong hiking-tourism vocation thanks to its spectacular high-mountain landscape and a dense network of hiking tracks. This innovative study could represent an important instrument for a responsible and safe fruition of high-mountain tourist areas: it combines a cultural dimension of the geomorphological landscape with a conscious respect of its natural behaviour

Remote sensing investigation techniques for the analysis of rocky slope stability in remote areas: a test from the Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico

Direct field survey to assess slope stability in steep and remote rocky cliffs is time demanding and highly consuming in term of human and economic resources. However, evolving technologies allow remotely sensed data integrated with GIS to theoretically provide equivalent information. Here we present a case study comparison of these methods applied to the Eastern valley-side of the Chinipas River, Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico. Results show that remote sensing procedures provides the same discontinuity sets and equivalent attitude information with respect to the data acquired during field survey

Previsione delle traiettorie di blocchi mobilizzati da frane di crollo: applicazione e confronto di modelli

Vengono trattati aspetti relativi alla previsione delle traiettorie e distanze di propagazione di blocchi mobilizzati da frane di crollo. Particolare attenzione viene posta all'applicazione e al confronto di modelli previsionali

Recognition and Assessment of Geomorphosites in Malta at the Il-Majjistral Nature and History Park

The Il-Majjistral Nature and History Park, located on the northwestern coast of the Island of Malta, is a protected area with natural, cultural and tourist interests. The Park, which was registered in 2008, is characterised by a landscape dominated by limestone and clay. Geomorphological features are highly controlled by the presence of faults and rock masses characterised by different physical and mechanical properties. Coastal cliffs, bays and sandy beaches are the most outstanding geomorphological features of the Park, creating a breathtaking landscape which is an attraction for a number of visitors. In the framework of an international research project, a study for the identification, selection and enhancement of the rich geomorphological heritage of the area has been carried out. In particular, a recognition and a quantitative assessment of geomorphosites on the basis of two different methodologies has been developed, and the results have been compared to establish the reliability of the methodologies. The results represent the first step and the necessary basic knowledge for possible enhancement of geomorphosites in Malta and the promotion of tourism activities at the Il-Majjistral Nature and History Park through the auspices of environmental agencies

Exploring the geomorphological adequacy of the landslide susceptibility maps: A test for different types of landslides in the Bidente river basin (northern Italy)

Landslide susceptibility modelling is a crucial tool for implementing effective strategies in landslide risk mitigation. A plethora of statistical methods is available for generating accurate prediction images; however, the reliability of these models in terms of geomorphological adequacy is often overlooked by scholars. This critical flaw may result in concealed prediction errors, undermining the trustworthiness of the obtained maps. A key aspect of evaluating the geomorphological soundness of these models lies in factor analysis, specifically considering the correlation of explanatory variables with the final susceptibility score rather than solely focusing on their impact on model accuracy. This study delves into research conducted in the Bidente river basin (Italy) that analyes results obtained from slide, flow, and complex susceptibility models using Weight of Evidence (WoE) and Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS) statistical methods. The research critically examines each factor class's role in defining susceptibility scores for different landslide typologies. The comparison between susceptibility maps generated by WoE and MARS for each typology (slide = 0.78; flow = 0.85; complex: 0.79) (slide = 0.78; flow = 0.85; complex: 0.79)reveals good to excellent prediction skill, with MARS demonstrating a 5 % higher performance index. The study emphasises the importance of spatial relationships between variables and landslide occurrences, highlighting that individual classes of variables influence the final susceptibility score based on their combined role with other predictor classes. In particular, in this study, results highlight that lithotecnical and landform classification classes delimit the landslide domain, while topographic attributes (steepness, curvatures, SPI and TWI) modulate the score inside. The proposed approach offers insights into investigating the geomorphological adequacy of landslide prediction images, emphasising the significance of factor analysis in evaluating model reliability and uncovering potential errors in susceptibility maps

Landslide susceptibility analysis exploiting Persistent Scatterers data in the northern coast of Malta

During the last decade a pressing need for more adequate tools to manage the considerable increasing number of hydrogeological emergencies arose among land planning and civil protection authorities. As a consequence, both development and testing of different qualitative and quantitative methods for landslide displacements detection become fundamental in order to provide the best analysis performance in terms of cost-benefit and scientific reliability. Lately quantitative methods to measure deformations of unstable slopes had great advances. In this context, remotely sensed radar techniques, such as PSI (Persistent Scatterers Interferometry), can assist traditional landslide investigations in assessing ground and infrastructure deformations caused by large landslides. The main purpose of this study is exploiting the results of PSI analysis conducted over the Island of Malta to train a Bayesan model for evaluating active landslide susceptibility. This approach has been applied in the NW coast of Malta, where outstanding coastal landslides, such as rock spreads and block slides, have been recognized and mapped. The outcomes of the statistical analysis have been validated through specific field check and GNSS measurements. The results show that the developed susceptibility model predicts an acceptable percentage of landslides and can be considered reliable even if in areas without PSI data

Inflammatory myofibroblastic lung tumor: its birth, its bleeding growth, its difficult diagnosis and its surgical end in a child

The diagnosis of inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor is based on radiology and histology. The treatment is surgical, and the prognosis is good. For this reason, although this lung disease is rare, when a child show up at hospital with an unknown hemoptysis, this medical condition should not be underestimated