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GIUSEPPE CICCARESE

DIPENDENTE ALTRA UNIVERSITA
Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche - Sede Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Geologiche

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Pubblicazioni

2024 - Rapid Assessment of Landslide Dynamics by UAV-RTK Repeated Surveys Using Ground Targets: The Ca’ Lita Landslide (Northern Apennines, Italy) [Articolo su rivista]
Ciccarese, Giuseppe; Tondo, Melissa; Mulas, Marco; Bertolini, Giovanni; Corsini, Alessandro
abstract

The combined use of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) with an integrated Real Time Kinematic (RTK) Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) module and an external GNSS base station allows photogrammetric surveys with centimeter accuracy to be obtained without the use of ground control points. This greatly reduces acquisition and processing time, making it possible to perform rapid monitoring of landslides by installing permanent and clearly recognizable optical targets on the ground. In this contribution, we show the results obtained in the Ca’ Lita landslide (Northern Apennines, Italy) by performing multi-temporal RTK-aided UAV surveys. The landslide is a large-scale roto-translational rockslide evolving downslope into an earthslide–earthflow. The test area extends 60 × 103 m2 in the upper track zone, which has recently experienced two major reactivations in May 2022 and March 2023. A catastrophic event took place in May 2023, but it goes beyond the purpose of the present study. A total of eight UAV surveys were carried out from October 2020 to March 2023. A total of eight targets were installed transversally to the movement direction. The results, in the active portion of the landslide, show that between October 2020 and March 2023, the planimetric displacement of targets ranged from 0.09 m (in the lateral zone) to 71.61 m (in the central zone). The vertical displacement values ranged from −2.05 to 5.94 m, respectively. The estimated positioning errors are 0.01 (planimetric) and 0.03 m (vertical). The validation, performed by using data from a permanent GNSS receiver, shows maximum differences of 0.18 m (planimetric) and 0.21 m (vertical). These results, together with the rapidity of image acquisition and data processing, highlight the advantages of using this rapid method to follow the evolution of relatively rapid landslides such as the Ca’ Lita landslide.

2022 - Multidisciplinary non-invasive investigations to develop a hydrogeological conceptual model supporting slope kinematics at Fontana Cornia landslide, Northern Apennines, Italy [Articolo su rivista]
Aguzzoli, Alessandro; Arosio, Diego; Mulas, Marco; Ciccarese, Giuseppe; Bayer, Benedikt; Winkler, Gerfried; Ronchetti, Francesco
abstract

A multidisciplinary approach focusing on the integration of diverse and non-invasive investigations is presented to define the hydrogeological conceptual model of the complex Fontana Cornia landslide in the Northern Apennines, Italy. The results of seismic refraction tomography and electrical resistivity tomography investigations indicate that the landslide has a curvilinear sliding surface dividing the shallow calcarenite debris layer from the deeper pelitic bedrock. The surface presents undulations in which water can be stored and supports the application of the fill and spill hypothesis that is seldom used in landslide studies. The joint interpretation of the geophysical outcomes and of the hydrogeological and hydro-chemical analyses of a spring located on the slope allows the definition of the landslide hydrogeological conceptual model. Four specific hydrologic stages with different groundwater flows though the landslide body were identified. The developed hydrogeological model may explain the displacements of the landslide that were detected with In-SAR monitoring. The isotopes analyses, the displacement monitoring, and the hydrogeological measurements confirm that periods with significant precipitations and snowmelt can cause an increase in landslide saturation that in turn triggers larger displacements. Conversely, the landslide slowly moves at a steady rate during periods with limited recharge water.

2021 - Combining spatial modelling and regionalization of rainfall thresholds for debris flows hazard mapping in the Emilia-Romagna Apennines (Italy) [Articolo su rivista]
Ciccarese, G.; Mulas, M.; Corsini, A.
abstract

Landslides hazard assessment requires the combination of spatial and temporal probabilities. In this work, we combine spatial modelling and regionalization of debris rainfall thresholds for assessing both these probabilities and map debris flows initiation hazard over 15 × 103 km2 of the Emilia-Romagna Apennines (Italy). In this area, debris flows are spatially and temporally less frequent than earth slides and earth flows. However, more than a hundred debris flows occurred in October 2014 and September 2015 during two large rainstorms clusters in Parma in Piacenza provinces; some tens of debris flows are reported to have occurred in the past and few others have occurred recently. Since landslides inventory maps used for land use planning only consider some large debris flows accumulation fans, and substantially no information is given on the slopes along which these phenomena might occur, this study aims to fill this gap by creating a hazard map using the evidences collected after the recent abovementioned multi-occurrence events. Different spatial statistical models (Frequency Ratio [FR], Weight of Evidence [WOE] and Logistic Regression [LR]), set up with various combinations of geo-environmental causal factors, have been trained using 60% of debris flow initiation points mapped after the 2014 and 2015 events. The predictive performances of the models have been compared by success rate curves using the remaining 40% of initiation points of the 2014 and 2015 events. The model with the best predictive capability (area under the curve > 0.96) has been further validated using the spatial distribution of other debris flows occurred in the period 1972–2016, and its outputs have been classified into spatial probability classes. Furthermore, the annual exceedance probability of recently published debris flows 3 h cumulated rainfall triggering thresholds has been calculated for in 185 rain gauges and regionalized by spatial interpolation. Finally, spatial and temporal probability maps ranked in a 0–1 range have been combined into a regional debris flows initiation hazard map that, on the basis of the return periods, is associated to different yearly probability values. The resulting hazard map classifies 0.87% of the area as high hazard, 2.83% as medium hazard, 0.5% as low hazard and the remaining 95.81% as null hazard. The spatial distribution of hazardous zones is quantitatively and qualitatively consistent with the spatial distribution of past debris flows. Furthermore, it is coherent with geomorphological common sense and it has proven sufficiently accurate in discriminating as hazardous the debris flows initiation zones of phenomena occurred after it was produced. On such a basis, despite its limitations, we consider the debris flows hazard map produced sufficiently reliable to integrate existing inventory maps in land-use regulation and emergency planning.

2021 - MICROPILES TRIPODS SHIELDS (MTS) AS UNCONVENTIONAL BREAKERS FOR THE CONTROL OF MODERATELY RAPID EARTHFLOWS (SASSI NERI LANDSLIDE, NORTHERN APENNINES) [Articolo su rivista]
Corsini, Alessandro; Giovanna, Baiguera; Francesco, Capuano; Ciccarese, Giuseppe; Diena, Michela; Mulas, Marco; Ronchetti, Francesco; Rossi, Gianluca; Truffelli, Giovanni
abstract

The paper deals with the idea, design and implementation of unconventional one-of-a-kind Micropiles Tripods Shields (MTS) intended to break and decelerate moderately rapid earthflows surges in the track zone of the Sassi Neri landslide (Nure Valley, Northern Apennines, Province of Piacenza, Italy). The MTS are inspired to floating anchors and “chevaux de fries” used in wartime. The basic elements are tripods of 193 mm diameter steel micropiles laid out at triangle, driven into the stable bedrock and emerging some meters aboveground. Each tripod consists of a vertical upslope central pile and two lateral oblique piles, linked by two transversal beams and connection plates aboveground. Multiple tripods are spaced along transversal rows to form Micropiles Tripods Shields (MTS) to advancing earthflows. The design of MTS has been based on field investigations such as boreholes and geophysics, that indicated a limited thickness of landslide deposits in the track zone where MTS have been installed. The forces resulting from active earthflows fronts have been estimated both with geotechnical and hydraulic computations. The analysis of vertical and transversal forces as well as bending moments acting on a single tripod versus the characteristic resistances was carried out using a bi-dimensional scheme with finite-elements software Plaxis, that indicated that the stress levels were compatible with the structural resistance of the tripods. The construction of MTS took place in 2018, involving working site preparation with partial lime-treatment of the surficial layers, underground micropiles drilling and installation, aboveground micropiles welding, tripods completion with connection beams and plates. Some tripods have been instrumented with load cells for monitoring earth pressures against micropiles, electric transducers for groundwater monitoring next to the piles, tiltmeters for tripods rotations and a total station for slope and tripods movements monitoring. Results show that the acceleration of slope movements corresponds to a generalized increase of pore water pressure at all the monitored tripods and to temporary slight tilting of the tripods which has so far being fully recovered when the landside slowed down and pressure decreased. This pioneering application indicates that once the characteristics of the earthflows are carefully considered, the depth to the bedrock in the installation zone is limited, and the logistical conditions in the field during construction are adequate, the MTS can be taken into consideration as a possible unconventional solution to break down and control moderately rapid earthflows.

2020 - Clinical, pathological and dermoscopic phenotype of MITF p.E318K carrier cutaneous melanoma patients [Articolo su rivista]
Ciccarese, G.; Dalmasso, B.; Bruno, W.; Queirolo, P.; Pastorino, L.; Andreotti, V.; Spagnolo, F.; Tanda, E.; Ponti, G.; Massone, C.; Drago, F.; Parodi, A.; Ghigliotti, G.; Pizzichetta, M. A.; Ghiorzo, P.; Dalmasso, B.; Bruno, W.; Pastorino, L.; Andreotti, V.; Queirolo, P.; Spagnolo, F.; Tanda, E.; Pizzichetta, M. A.; Ghiorzo, P.
abstract

Background: The p.E318K variant of the Melanocyte Inducing Transcription Factor (MITF) has been implicated in genetic predisposition to melanoma as an intermediate penetrance allele. However, the impact of this variant on clinico-phenotypic, as well as on dermoscopic patterns features of affected patients is not entirely defined. The purpose of our study was to assess the association between the p.E318K germline variant and clinic-phenotypical features of MITF+ compared to non-carriers (MITF-), including dermoscopic findings of melanomas and dysplastic nevi. Methods: we retrospectively analyzed a consecutive series of 1386 patients recruited between 2000 and 2017 who underwent genetic testing for CDKN2A, CDK4, MC1R and MITF germline variants in our laboratory for diagnostic/research purposes. The patients were probands of melanoma-prone families and apparently sporadic single or multiple primary melanoma patients. For all, we collected clinical, pathological information and dermoscopic images of the histopathologically diagnosed melanomas and dysplastic nevi, when available. Results: After excluding patients positive for CDKN2A/CDK4 pathogenic variants and those affected by non-cutaneous melanomas, our study cohort comprised 984 cutaneous melanoma patients, 22 MITF+ and 962 MITF-. MITF+ were more likely to develop dysplastic nevi and multiple primary melanomas. Nodular melanoma was more common in MITF+ patients (32% compared to 19% in MITF-). MITF+ patients showed more frequently dysplastic nevi and melanomas with uncommon dermoscopic patterns (unspecific), as opposed to MITF- patients, whose most prevalent pattern was the multicomponent. Conclusions: MITF+ patients tend to develop melanomas and dysplastic nevi with histopathological features, frequency and dermoscopic patterns often different from those prevalent in MITF- patients. Our results emphasize the importance of melanoma prevention programs for MITF+ patients, including dermatologic surveillance with digital follow-up.

2020 - Correction to: Sinusoidal wave fit indexing of irreversible displacements for crackmeters monitoring of rockfall areas: test at Pietra di Bismantova (Northern Apennines, Italy) (Landslides, (2020), 17, 1, (231-240), 10.1007/s10346-019-01248-x) [Articolo su rivista]
Mulas, M.; Marnas, M.; Ciccarese, G.; Corsini, A.
abstract

The published version of this article, unfortunately, contained error. The corresponding author found out that in the published version, Figure 1c lacks the level regarding the crack meters position and labeling that was asked to edit during the proofreading.

2020 - Debris flows rainfall thresholds in the Apennines of Emilia-Romagna (Italy) derived by the analysis of recent severe rainstorms events and regional meteorological data [Articolo su rivista]
Ciccarese, G.; Mulas, M.; Alberoni, P. P.; Truffelli, G.; Corsini, A.
abstract

Recent severe rainstorms events in October 2014 and September 2015 triggered more than a hundred debris-flows in the western part of the Apennines of Emilia-Romagna (Italy). In this work, we tested a novel method to define debris flows rainfall thresholds for the 2014 and 2015 rainstorms (which have been used as reference events) and to extend these results across the Apennines of Emilia-Romagna, making use of long-term rainfall data of the regional raingauges network. Results are compared, for validation, to rainfall rates recoded during other past rainstorm-debris flows events (which have been used as validation events). At first, the method involves a spatial discriminant analysis between the spatial distribution of debris flows and the high frequency weather-radar rainfall data for the 2014 and 2015 reference events. The analysis defines rainfall cutoff values over rainfall durations from 30′ to 6 h, related to verification indices in the ROC curves, which are used as debris flows rainfall thresholds. Exceedance ratios are calculated between the computed rainfall thresholds and the rainfall rates at 10 years return periods at corresponding rainfall durations computed for raingauges located in the areas affected by the 2014 and 2015 events. The ratios are then used as multipliers of the rainfall rates at 10 years return periods over rainfall durations from 30′ to 6 h calculated for all other raingauges in the regional study area. To spatialize thresholds calculation to the regional scale, the computed thresholds are interpolated across the Apennines of Emilia-Romagna. The research resulted in the assessment of two-levels debris flows rainfall thresholds curves which seem to be adequate to discriminate rainfall rates recorded during past debris flows events used for validation. Discussion evidences advantages and limits of our approach, compares results to existing debris flows thresholds and highlights their possible use in a multi-stage warning procedure at regional scale.

2020 - Displacements of an Active Moderately Rapid Landslide—A Dataset Retrieved by Continuous GNSS Arrays [Articolo su rivista]
Mulas, Marco; Ciccarese, Giuseppe; Truffelli, Giovanni; Corsini, Alessandro
abstract

2020 - Integration of Digital Image Correlation of Sentinel-2 Data and Continuous GNSS for Long-Term Slope Movements Monitoring in Moderately Rapid Landslides [Articolo su rivista]
Mulas, Marco; Ciccarese, Giuseppe; Truffelli, Giovanni; Corsini, Alessandro
abstract

2020 - Sinusoidal wave fit indexing of irreversible displacements for crackmeters monitoring of rockfall areas: test at Pietra di Bismantova (Northern Apennines, Italy) [Articolo su rivista]
Mulas, M.; Marnas, M.; Ciccarese, G.; Corsini, A.
abstract

Temperature changes affect crackmeters monitoring on a daily and a seasonal basis. This is due to rock mass thermal dilatancy and to instrumental matters. The consequent widening closing cycles can mask small irreversible displacements that might be precursors of rock failures. Recently, Weber et al. (Cryosphere 11:567–583, 2017) have proposed a linear fit method between temperature and fracture opening in order to compute the irreversibility index as a metrics to rank irreversible displacements. However, such an approach requires temperature sensors coupled to crackmeters. In order to overcome these limits, we propose an alternative method for deriving a normalised Z-score irreversibility index. It is based on sinusoidal wave fit of cracks opening time series only; thus, it does not require temperature monitoring. The methodology has been tested using data recorded by a wireless sensor network installed at La Pietra di Bismantova rock slab composed of 14 crackmeters and thermometers monitoring potentially unstable rock masses. A comparison of results obtained using the method of Weber et al. (Cryosphere 11:567–583, 2017) and the sinusoidal approach shows that the latter is much less sensitive to the duration of the moving window used to derive the irreversibility index, making it a much more flexible tool for indexing irreversible displacements over short time periods. Moreover, as rapid high–magnitude temperature changes can also be the causal factor of irreversible displacements, their statistical relation with peaks of the Z-score irreversibility index has been investigated. Results have shown that, depending on which crack is examined, correlations between irreversibility peaks and antecedent extreme temperature variations are more or less relevant. In conclusion, we believe that the Z-score sinusoidal wave fit irreversibility index (ZSFI) can represent a useful metrics for indexing irreversible displacements in unstable blocks using crackmeters’ datasets affected by temperature cycles at the daily and seasonal scale. [Figure not available: see fulltext.].

2020 - Tracer test to assess flow and transport parameters of an earth slide: The Montecagno landslide case study (Italy) [Articolo su rivista]
Ronchetti, Francesco; Piccinini, Leonardo; Deiana, Manuela; Ciccarese, Giuseppe; Vincenzi, Valentina; Aguzzoli, Alessandro; Malavasi, Gianluca; Fabbri, Paolo; Corsini, Alessandro
abstract

Subsurface water processes are principle triggering and driving factors during slope movements. However, thehydraulic properties that drive groundwaterflow along the slope remain poorly understood. Moreover, landslidedeposits are often characterized by layering andfissures that cause high heterogeneity in the distribution ofhydraulic properties. This heterogeneity leads to great uncertainty in the prediction of groundwaterflow paths.This study aimed to improve understanding of hydraulic and transport properties of deep earth slides and toidentify preferentialflow directions inside the landslide body. A dye tracer test was used to estimate transportparameters and characterize groundwaterflow paths. The results indicate that in the studied landslide, twogroundwaterflow types exist and are related to the presence offissured rock blocks and debris horizons em-bedded in afine matrix. The estimated low groundwaterflow velocity has rarely been estimated in other studiesof this landslide type. The groundwaterflow direction appears to be mainly influenced by the failure surfaceshape and differs from the sliding direction. Our results differ from those in other landslide studies and improveour knowledge of groundwaterflow properties in deep earth slides; furthermore, they offer a new contribution toslope stability analyses and formula, and to the effective design of mitigation strategies.

2019 - Unusual becoming Usual: recent persistent-rainstorm events and their implications for debris flow risk management in the northern Apennines of Italy [Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Corsini, Alessandro; Ciccarese, Giuseppe; Truffelli, Giovanni
abstract

The alluvial events of Parma (13 October 2014) and Piacenza (13-14 September 2015) in the northern Apennines of Italy have had significant effects in terms of flooding and morphological changes along the main and secondary rivers of the affected areas. The paper presents a summary of the characteristics of the rainstorm events, as well as of the triggered debris flows and their consequences on infrastructures. In the perspective of an extremization of rainfall regimes as a consequence of ongoing climate changes, these phenomena might become quite usual in the future and should be further studied in order to define regional-specific triggering thresholds, analyse precursors from weather radar datasets and assess susceptibility on a regional scale basis.

2018 - Basin-scale analysis of the geomorphic effectiveness of flash floods: A study in the northern Apennines (Italy) [Articolo su rivista]
Scorpio, V.; Crema, Silvia; Marra, F.; Righini, M.; Ciccarese, G.; Borga, M.; Cavalli, M.; Corsini, A.; Marchi, L.; Surian, N.; Comiti, F.
abstract

Large floods may produce remarkable channel changes, which determine damages and casualties in inhabited areas. However, our knowledge of such processes remains poor, as is our capability to predict them. This study analyses the geomorphic response of the Nure River (northern Italy) and nine tributaries to a high-magnitude flood that occurred in September 2015. The adopted multi-disciplinary approach encompassed: (i) hydrological and hydraulic analysis; (ii) analysis of sediment delivery to the stream network by means of landslides mapping; (iii) assessment of morphological modifications of the channels, including both channel width and bed elevation changes. The spatial distribution of rainfall showed that the largest rainfall amounts occur in the upper portions of the catchment, with cumulative rainfall reaching 300 mm in 12 h, and recurrence intervals exceeding 100–150 years. The unit peak discharge ranged between 5.2 and 25 m3s−1km−2. Channel widening was the most evident effect. In the tributaries, the ratio between post-flood and pre-flood channel width averaged 3.3, with a maximum approaching 20. Widening was associated with channel aggradation up to 1.5 m and removal of riparian vegetation. New islands formed due to the fragmentation of the former floodplain. In the Nure River, the average width ratio was 1.7, and here widening occurred mainly at the expenses of islands. Bed level dynamics in the Nure were varied, including aggradation, incision, and overall stability. The flood geomorphic effectiveness was more pronounced in the middle-higher portions of the basin. Planimetric and elevation changes were well correlated. Regression analysis of the relationship between widening and morphological/ hydraulic controlling factors indicated that unit stream power and confinement index were the most relevant variables. The study provides useful insights for river management, especially with regard to the proportion of the valley floor subject to erosion and/or deposition during large events.

2018 - Colate detritiche durante gli eventi alluvionali del 13 ottobre 2014 in provincia di Parma e 13-14 settembre 2015 in provincia di Piacenza [Articolo su rivista]
Ciccarese, G.; Truffelli, G.; Corsini, A.
abstract

2018 - Slope dynamics and streambed uplift during the Pergalla landslide reactivation in March 2016 and discussion of concurrent causes (Northern Apennines, Italy) [Articolo su rivista]
Mulas, Marco; Ciccarese, Giuseppe; Ronchetti, Francesco; Truffelli, Giovanni; Corsini, Alessandro
abstract

On March 28, 2016, the toe zone of the apparently dormant Pergalla earthslide-earthflow (Northern Apennines, Italy) had a paroxysmal reactivation. In the course of 2 days, displacements up to almost 8 m severely damaged several houses and roads. At the bottom of the slope, the emersion of rotational sliding surfaces determined the uplift of almost 3 m of the Nure river streambed that was consequently partially dammed. The paper describes the landslide event on the basis of field surveys and analysis of post-event aerial photos, as well as data from geophysical surveys and pre- to post-failure displacement monitoring. It also discusses the possible concurrent causes of the event, including antecedent rainfall, the migration of active streambed channels of Nure river toward the landslide toe in the previous year, and the existence of long-term pre-failure slow movements. It is concluded that these factors, together with the presence of sliding surfaces extending beneath the valley floor, should be primarily considered if a preventive assessment of river damming potential due to streambed uplift should be made for other similar landslides in the Apennines.

2017 - DEBRIS FLOWS IN VAL PARMA AND VAL BAGANZA (NORTHERN APENNINES) DURING THE 12-13TH OCTOBER 2014 ALLUVIAL EVENT IN PARMA PROVINCE (ITALY) [Articolo su rivista]
Corsini, Alessandro; Ciccarese, Giuseppe; Diena, M.; Truffelli, G.; Alberoni, P. P.; Amorati, R.
abstract

During the 13 October 2014 rainstorm event that affected the Val Parma and Val Baganza area, several debris flows affected the Mt. Cervellino relief (northern Apennines, Italy), causing severe and widespread damages to check-dams, roads and other infrastructures. Such event, together with the Piacenza province event of 2015, has generated the perception of debris flows as a breaking new potential cause of widespread damages in the Emilia-Romagna. The meteorological event of October 2014, reconstructed by means of rain gauges and radar data, reached intensities as high as 80 mm/hour, which is well above any debris flow triggering thresholds presented in literature. However, data show that debris flows have occurred in any location where 30 mm/hour were exceeded. The result was the occurrence of tens of debris flows, which were triggered in zones of failure of slope debris coverage along the streams, and that remobilized and scoured debris along the track and destroyed several check dams and damaged roads that were overflown by debris. This paper is aimed to document the distribution and characteristics of the debris flow events that occurred during such event. By doing so, it also warns against this potentially destructive events that, in a changing meteorological framework, might result much more frequent and widespread than expected also in the northern Apennines.

2017 - Using Weather Radar Data (Rainfall and Lightning Flashes) for the Analysis of Debris Flows Occurrence in Emilia-Romagna Apennines (Italy) [Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Ciccarese, Giuseppe; Corsini, Alessandro; Alberoni, Pier Paolo; Celano, Miria; Fornasiero, Anna
abstract

During the last years, the Emilia-Romagna Apennines have been severely affected by debris flows, a type of landslide that is relatively uncommon in this area. These phenomena occur as a result of intense rainfall. The two most significant events are the one that affected the Province of Parma in October 2014 and the one that affected the Province of Piacenza in September 2015, in the night between the 13th and 14th. The objective of this work is to identify relationships between rainfall and debris flows occurrence for the Piacenza 2015 event, through the analysis of the distribution of debris flows with respect to rainfall data from weather radar and rain gauges recorded by ARPAE. The analysis of the relationships between spatial occurrence of debris flows and rainfall peaks has been based on the definition of the % of debris flow triggering points that can be contoured inside isohyets and on the ROC curve method. Moreover, we analyzed possible correlations between rainfall intensity and density or number of lighting flashes. The rainfall intensity vs duration plot showed that the September 2015 event largely exceeded debris-flows triggering thresholds proposed in literature. Analysis of debris flows occurrence with respect to hourly precipitation peaks retrieved by weather radar data, evidenced that 100% of the debris flows points occurred above the 30 mm/h isohyet, 97%, above the 50 mm/h isohyet and 82.5% above the 60 mm/h isohyet. Using ROC curves, the spatial distribution of debris flows triggering points can be more precisely predicted by considering, rainfall peaks at 1 h and 30 min over the event or by considering hourly rainfall between 02:00 and 03:00 of 15/09/2015. Rainfall classes of the best cut-off points in these ROC curves, i.e. most significant classifiers of the location debris flows points, are 75–90 mm/1 h and 45–60 mm/30 min. The analysis of lightning data shows that rainfall intensity was directly correlated to the lightning density but, also, that in some sub-areas a better correlation is obtained by considering rainfall intensity versus the lightning density recorded in the previous 30 min

2016 - Debris flows in Val Nure and Val Trebbia (N Apennines) during the September 2015 alluvial event in Piacenza Province (Italy) [Articolo su rivista]
Ciccarese, G.; Corsini, A.; Pizziolo, M.; Truffelli, G.
abstract

During September 2015, some municipalities of Val Nure and Val Trebbia areas (Piacenza province) have been affected by a severe rainstorm event which has caused flooding along rivers and debris flows and landslides on slopes. A toll of 3 casualties and serious damages to infrastructures and roads was paid. In the mostly affected areas, rainfall in 6 hours reached 298 mm with an hourly precipitation peak of 107,6 mm/h. In an area of approximately 500 km2, 103 debris flow have occurred. The distribution of debris flows seems to be controlled by the distribution of the intensity of the rainstorm. Debris flows seems to have in many cases caused by slope failures in the upper part of the sub-basins. These phenomena remobilized slope debris that, subsequently, was transported by channelized debris flows. Major damages were suffered at locations where roads are crossing the creeks and streams along which the debris flow occurred. A preliminary analysis of affected sub-basins in one of the areas mostly affected by debris flows, indicates that a straightforward discrimination of the susceptibility of sub-basins based on simple morphometric and lithologic factors is not possible.

2016 - Toward a centralized data management center for integrated landslide monitoring in Emilia Romagna Region (Italy) [Relazione in Atti di Convegno]
Corsini, Alessandro; Bonacini, Francesco; Ciccarese, Giuseppe; Mulas, Marco; Ronchetti, Francesco; Nanni, Stefania; Truffelli, Giovani; Caputo, Giuseppe; Pizziolo, Marco; Primerano, Sabrina; Monni, Antonio
abstract

In Emilia Romagna Region, slope monitoring systems have become more widely used for hazard and risk management. However, they are generally non-interoperable. Moreover dispersion of monitoring data in several local databases have made data sharing among the involved institutional actors quite laborious and often untimely. A centralized database and a web-based portal that integrate infor- mation derived by different types of slope monitoring systems has been developed. The paper illustrates the specific features of the developed “SensorNet” and provides examples of its use for visualizing and analyzing in an integrated manner data from different monitoring systems. In perspective it could serve as an every-day operational tool for a timely reporting of landslide monitoring data for surveillance and warning purposes.

2015 - Debris flows in Val Parma and Val Baganza (northern Apennines) During the October 2014 alluvial event in Parma Province (Italy) [Articolo su rivista]
Corsini, Alessandro; Ciccarese, Giuseppe; Berti, Matteo; Diena, Michela; Truffelli, Giovanni
abstract

During the October 2014 alluvial event in Parma province, which also caused the city of Parma to be partially flooded, several debris flows affected the upper Val Parma and Val Baganza (northern Apennines, Italy) causing severe and widespread damages to check-dams, roads and other infrastructures. The meteorological event reached intensities as high as 80 mm/hour, which is well above the thresholds presented in literature for the alpine area. The result was the occurrence of tens of debris flow along the Mt. Cervellino - Mt. Vitello relief, which were triggered in zones of failure of slope debris coverage along the streams, remobilized and scoured debris along the track and destroyed several check dams and damaged roads that were overflown by debris. Since debris flows in the northern Apennines are considered quite rare events, their hazard is generally underestimated or overlooked. The event in the Parma province, at the opposite, warns against this potentially destructive events that, in a changing meteorological framework, might result much more frequent and widespread than expected also in the northern Apennines.

2015 - MONITORING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A SPRING IN A FRACTURED SANDSTONE SLAB [Poster]
Deiana, Manuela; Corsini, Alessandro; Mussi, Mario; Ciccarese, Giuseppe; Giusti, Riccardo; Ronchetti, Francesco
abstract

Fractured sandstone by tectonic and gravity actions could be classified as aquitard or aquifer according to the number and aperture of the fractures inside the rock mass. This kind of rock mass outcrops not frequently and sparsely in the Apennine and Alps chains. In the Emilian Apennines, which is mainly composed by sedimentary rocks (rich in clay), this type of rock is part of the Epiligurian Succession that outcrops for a 20 percent of the chain. The paper aims to highlight the first results of the semi-continuous water flow monitoring (discharge, electrical conductivity and temperature) and stable isotopic monitoring (delta18O and delta2H) of the spring that represents the drainage point of a vertical fractures system. This network joint characterizes the vertical scarp of a sandstone slab with thickness of 100 meters. The results show that the spring flow rate, the water electrical conductivity, temperature and isotopic values are influenced by the rainfall distribution pattern. Consequently during every rainfall event the spring discharge and water electrical conductivity increase, while the water temperature decreases and isotopic values become more negative. The new infiltrate water reachs the spring with a delay of 10-60 hours. The discharge variability index is around 270 percent. The fractured system is characterized by replacement effect of the preexistent groundwater. During the infiltration event, dissolution phenomena are observed along the wall of the fractures. A preliminary groundwater budget calculation highlights that only a potential infiltration coefficient higher that 75 percent is admitted to justify the total annual volume discharge from the fractures.