GIS-Based Rockfall Susceptibility Zoning in Greece

Abstract

The assessment of rockfall risks on human activities and infrastructure is of great importance. Rock falls pose a significant risk to a) transportation infrastructure b) inhabited areas and c) Cultural Heritage sites. The paper presents a method to assess rockfall susceptibility at national scale in Greece, using a simple rating approach and GIS techniques. An extensive inventory of rockfalls for the entire country was compiled for the period between 1935 and 2019. The rockfall events that were recorded are those, which have mainly occurred as distinct rockfall episodes in natural slopes and have impacted human activities, such as roads, inhabited areas and archaeological sites. Through a detailed analysis of the recorded data, it was possible to define the factors which determine the occurrence of rockfalls. Based on this analysis, the susceptibility zoning against rockfalls at national scale was prepared, using a simple rating approach and GIS techniques. The rockfall susceptibility zoning takes into account the following parameters: (a) the slope gradient, (b) the lithology, (c) the annual rainfall intensity, (d) the earthquake intensity and (e) the active fault presence. Emphasis was given on the study of the earthquake effect as a triggering mechanism of rockfalls. Finally, the temporal and spatial frequency of the recorded events and the impact of rockfalls on infrastructure assets and human activities in Greece were evaluated.

Simulation of the Nearshore Sediment Transport Pattern and Beach Morphodynamics in the Semi-Enclosed Bay of Myrtos, Cephalonia Island, Ionian Sea

“…The fault of Agia Efimia, along with other active faults with a NE-SW and NW-SE direction, cut across Myrtos Bay and form a geotechnically unstable area [28,29]. Therefore, limestones on the slopes of Myrtos are strongly fragmented and locally karstified, and in some places, they turn into tectonic lattice due to the intense tectonism from the fault; they are also covered by colluvial deposits that derive from the weathering of steep slopes and consist of sand, gravel, and irregular limestone fragments [30]. Frequent seismic sequences on the island and weathering processes often cause landslides and rock falls on the steep slopes of the cliffs, causing damages on the beach of Myrtos and at various points on the road network [28].…”

GIS-Based Geological Hazard Mapping Using Statistical Analysis and Cell Assignment Method for Western Sichuan Region, China

“…Using bivariate statistical analysis and the entropy index of entropy, Constantin et al [21] investigated landslide susceptibility in Romania's Sibiciu Basin based on the influencing parameters, such as slope angle, slope aspect, curvature, lithology, and land use. GIS has steadily become an important field when studying the susceptibility of geological hazards in various countries [28][29][30][31][32][33][34].…”

Προσομοίωση Καταπτώσεων Βράχων Με Υπολογιστικές Μεθόδους

“…Η µεγάλη διασπορά τιµών των συντελεστών αποµείωσης ενέργειας επιβεβαιώνει επίσης, το σκεπτικό ότι η µονοδιάστατη εξέταση του γεωλογικού σχηµατισµού προς εξαγωγή συµπερασµάτων για τους συντελεστές αποτελεί υπεραπλουστευµένη ϑεώρηση (Depountis, Nikolakopoulos, Kavoura, & Sabatakakis, 2019), (Saroglou, 2019).…”