Rainfall thresholds for shallow landslide occurrence in Calabria, southern Italy
In many areas, rainfall is the primary trigger of landslides. Determining the rainfall conditions responsible for landslide occurrence is important, and may contribute to saving lives and properties. In a long-term national project for the definition of rainfall thresholds for possible landslide occ...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2014-02-01
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| Series: | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/14/317/2014/nhess-14-317-2014.pdf |
| _version_ | 1828894462945787904 |
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| author | C. Vennari S. L. Gariano L. Antronico M. T. Brunetti G. Iovine S. Peruccacci O. Terranova F. Guzzetti |
| author_facet | C. Vennari S. L. Gariano L. Antronico M. T. Brunetti G. Iovine S. Peruccacci O. Terranova F. Guzzetti |
| author_sort | C. Vennari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In many areas, rainfall is the primary trigger of landslides. Determining the
rainfall conditions responsible for landslide occurrence is important, and
may contribute to saving lives and properties. In a long-term national
project for the definition of rainfall thresholds for possible landslide
occurrence in Italy, we compiled a catalogue of 186 rainfall events that
resulted in 251 shallow landslides in Calabria, southern Italy, from
January 1996 to September 2011. Landslides were located geographically using
Google Earth®, and were given a mapping and a
temporal accuracy. We used the landslide information, and sub-hourly rainfall
measurements obtained from two complementary networks of rain gauges, to
determine cumulated event vs. rainfall duration (<i>ED</i>) thresholds for
Calabria. For this purpose, we adopted an existing method used to prepare
rainfall thresholds and to estimate their associated uncertainties in central
Italy. The regional thresholds for Calabria were found to be nearly identical
to previous <i>ED</i> thresholds for Calabria obtained using a reduced set
of landslide information, and slightly higher than the <i>ED</i> thresholds
obtained for central Italy. We segmented the regional catalogue of rainfall
events with landslides in Calabria into lithology, soil regions, rainfall
zones, and seasonal periods. The number of events in each subdivision was
insufficient to determine reliable thresholds, but allowed for preliminary
conclusions about the role of the environmental factors in the rainfall
conditions responsible for shallow landslides in Calabria. We further
segmented the regional catalogue based on administrative subdivisions used
for hydro-meteorological monitoring and operational flood forecasting, and we
determined separate <i>ED</i> thresholds for the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian
coasts of Calabria. We expect the <i>ED</i> rainfall thresholds for
Calabria to be used in regional and national landslide warning systems. The
thresholds can also be used for landslide hazard and risk assessments, and
for erosion and landscape evolution studies, in the study area and in similar
physiographic regions in the Mediterranean area. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T14:11:58Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-18250c740a444b2aa57b973413ac1afe |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1561-8633 1684-9981 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T14:11:58Z |
| publishDate | 2014-02-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-18250c740a444b2aa57b973413ac1afe2022-12-21T23:42:26ZengCopernicus PublicationsNatural Hazards and Earth System Sciences1561-86331684-99812014-02-0114231733010.5194/nhess-14-317-2014Rainfall thresholds for shallow landslide occurrence in Calabria, southern ItalyC. Vennari0S. L. Gariano1L. Antronico2M. T. Brunetti3G. Iovine4S. Peruccacci5O. Terranova6F. Guzzetti7CNR IRPI, via Amendola 122 I, 70126 Bari, ItalyCNR IRPI, via Cavour 6, 87036 Rende (CS), ItalyCNR IRPI, via Cavour 6, 87036 Rende (CS), ItalyCNR IRPI, via Madonna Alta 126, 06128 Perugia, ItalyCNR IRPI, via Cavour 6, 87036 Rende (CS), ItalyCNR IRPI, via Madonna Alta 126, 06128 Perugia, ItalyCNR IRPI, via Cavour 6, 87036 Rende (CS), ItalyCNR IRPI, via Madonna Alta 126, 06128 Perugia, ItalyIn many areas, rainfall is the primary trigger of landslides. Determining the rainfall conditions responsible for landslide occurrence is important, and may contribute to saving lives and properties. In a long-term national project for the definition of rainfall thresholds for possible landslide occurrence in Italy, we compiled a catalogue of 186 rainfall events that resulted in 251 shallow landslides in Calabria, southern Italy, from January 1996 to September 2011. Landslides were located geographically using Google Earth®, and were given a mapping and a temporal accuracy. We used the landslide information, and sub-hourly rainfall measurements obtained from two complementary networks of rain gauges, to determine cumulated event vs. rainfall duration (<i>ED</i>) thresholds for Calabria. For this purpose, we adopted an existing method used to prepare rainfall thresholds and to estimate their associated uncertainties in central Italy. The regional thresholds for Calabria were found to be nearly identical to previous <i>ED</i> thresholds for Calabria obtained using a reduced set of landslide information, and slightly higher than the <i>ED</i> thresholds obtained for central Italy. We segmented the regional catalogue of rainfall events with landslides in Calabria into lithology, soil regions, rainfall zones, and seasonal periods. The number of events in each subdivision was insufficient to determine reliable thresholds, but allowed for preliminary conclusions about the role of the environmental factors in the rainfall conditions responsible for shallow landslides in Calabria. We further segmented the regional catalogue based on administrative subdivisions used for hydro-meteorological monitoring and operational flood forecasting, and we determined separate <i>ED</i> thresholds for the Tyrrhenian and the Ionian coasts of Calabria. We expect the <i>ED</i> rainfall thresholds for Calabria to be used in regional and national landslide warning systems. The thresholds can also be used for landslide hazard and risk assessments, and for erosion and landscape evolution studies, in the study area and in similar physiographic regions in the Mediterranean area.http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/14/317/2014/nhess-14-317-2014.pdf |
| spellingShingle | C. Vennari S. L. Gariano L. Antronico M. T. Brunetti G. Iovine S. Peruccacci O. Terranova F. Guzzetti Rainfall thresholds for shallow landslide occurrence in Calabria, southern Italy Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences |
| title | Rainfall thresholds for shallow landslide occurrence in Calabria, southern Italy |
| title_full | Rainfall thresholds for shallow landslide occurrence in Calabria, southern Italy |
| title_fullStr | Rainfall thresholds for shallow landslide occurrence in Calabria, southern Italy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rainfall thresholds for shallow landslide occurrence in Calabria, southern Italy |
| title_short | Rainfall thresholds for shallow landslide occurrence in Calabria, southern Italy |
| title_sort | rainfall thresholds for shallow landslide occurrence in calabria southern italy |
| url | http://www.nat-hazards-earth-syst-sci.net/14/317/2014/nhess-14-317-2014.pdf |
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