Rockfall hazards of Mount Pellegrino area (Sicily, Southern Italy)

Abstract

A map derived by rockfall analysis at Mount Pellegrino is presented herein. The study area is affected by several phenomena of rockfall which caused numerous damage and a strong social and economic impact. Official reports and maps that give a general assessment of rockfall hazard are available in this respect, however, it would be advisable to provide a more specific cartographic support useful for land management and planning. The drafting of new maps showing the rockfall runout areas is an additional tool that may be used in conjunction with the existing maps as a means of risk mitigation and reduction. On the basis of geological, geomorphological, and geomechanical analysis and exploiting the information relating to a landslides inventory obtained by using both analytical and empirical methods, two different rockfall propagation areas were reconstructed. The final thematic map permit to appreciate the differences and similarities between the obtained runout areas.

Geomorphological tools for mapping natural hazards

“…Rockfalls on Mount Pellegrino, an isolated peak in the urban area of Palermo (western Sicily, Italy), is the topic of the paper by Cappadonia et al (2020). Rockfalls cause extensive damage and subsequent social and economic impact; the map by these authors focuses on rockfall runout based on geological, geomorphological, and geomechanical analyses, exploiting information related to landslide inventories obtained using both analytical and empirical methods.…”

On the shoreline positioning via remote sensing imagery: an isoradiometric approach

“…4 A significant amount of research has been conducted on coastal erosion and shoreline change, 5 and vulnerability assessments can be performed based on the physical and socio-economic conditions of the coast. 6 Among the range of geological processes influencing the shoreline position, such as rockfall phenomena in coastal and pericoastal cliffs, [7][8][9] the vertical variations in sea level are the ones that stand as primary drivers. These vertical fluctuations are particularly impactful, serving as the dominant forcing mechanisms that shape the evolution of coastal landscapes across various spatial and temporal scales.…”

A radiometric contouring approach to map the shoreline

“…The shoreline serves as the boundary line separating terrestrial sediments from adjacent water bodies, such as seas, lakes, or rivers. Among the range of geological processes influencing the shoreline position, such as rockfall phenomena in coastal and pericoastal cliffs [1][2][3] , the vertical variations in sea level are the one that stands as a primary driver. These vertical fluctuations are particularly impactful, serving as the dominant forcing mechanisms that shape the evolution of coastal landscapes across various spatial and temporal scales 4,5 .…”