Landslide and hydrogeological ruin in appenines

7 June 2013

In Emilia Romagna (Italy) there is a enormous landslide of 20 million cubic meters

A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground

movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments. Although the action of gravity is the primary driving force for a landslide to occur, there are other contributing factors affecting the original slope stability.

The area in which there is the collapse of earth materials is called Crown. Main body is the area in which earth materials move themselves and toe is the end of landslide.

The most used classification of landslides is Cruden and Varnes that connects moviments and materials of landslide. Landslide lakes take shape into some bumps because of irregular surface and difficult drainage of water. Complex falls are the joining of two different types of landslides.

Landslide of Capriglio, near Tizzano Val Parma in Emilia-Romagna, is delimited by Capriglio, Pianestolla and Bardea river. Litology is Flysch of Monte Caio.

In picture 3 before present landslide there were some hystorical falls in white.

The area of landslide in very wide and is delimeted by Capriglio, Pianestolla and the toe is located in Bardea valley: in picture 4 is in red color. The rate of movement is 20 m/d. Capriglio’s landslide is a complex fall with a prevalence of earth flow.

Very critical situation is in Sauna, a small village near Corniglio, in ParmaValley, not far from Tizzano. It can see in the picture 5 in white colors any hystorical landslides. The most important lithology is Flysch of Monte Caio.

The landslide of Sauna is a complex fall with a prevalent slump component. Some house and farm are deleted by the landslide. Sauna and Capriglio are controlled by Civil Guard and geologists of Emilia-Romagna Region.

These landslides were borned for the highest water precipitation at the beginning of 2013 and also for the weakness of local rocks. It needs a new enviromental politics to control and defend northern appenines.

(Geol. Fabio Bussetti)