Earthquake-Induced Landslides in Italy: Evaluation of the Triggering Potential Based on Seismic Hazard

Abstract

In this study, we defined screening maps for Italy that classify sites based on their potential for triggering landslides. To this end, we analyzed seismic hazard maps and hazard disaggregation results on a national scale considering four spectral periods (0.01 s, 0.2 s, 0.5 s, and 1.0 s) and three return periods (475, 975, and 2475 years). First, joint distributions of magnitude (M) and distance (R) from hazard disaggregation were analyzed by means of an innovative approach based on image processing techniques to find all modal scenarios contributing to the hazard. In order to obtain the M-R scenarios controlling the triggering of earthquake-induced landslides at any computation node, mean and modal M-R pairs were compared to empirical curves defining the M-R bounds associated with landslide triggering. Three types of landslides were considered (i.e., disrupted slides and falls, coherent slides, and lateral spreads and flows). As a result, screening maps for all of Italy showing the potential for triggering landslides based on the level of seismic hazard were obtained. The maps and the related data are freely accessible.