Abstract
Abstract. In this study, an engineering geological analysis for the assessment of the rock failure susceptibility of a high, steep, rocky coast was developed by means of non-contact geostructural surveys. The methodology was applied to a 6-km coastal cliff located in the Gulf of Tigullio (Northern Tyrrhenian Sea) between Rapallo and Chiavari. The method is based on the geostructural characterisation of outcropping rock masses through meso- and macroscale stereoscopic analyses of digital photos that were taken continuously from a known distance from the coastline. The results of the method were verified through direct surveys of accessible sample areas. The rock failure susceptibility of the coastal sector was assessed by analysing the fundamental rock slope mechanisms of instability and the results were implemented into a Geographic Information System (GIS). The proposed method is useful for rock failure susceptibility assessments in high, steep, rocky coastal areas, where accessibility is limited due to cliffs or steep slopes. Moreover, the method can be applied to private properties or any other area where a complete and systematic analysis of rock mass structural features cannot be achieved. Compared to direct surveys and to other non-contact methods based on digital terrestrial photogrammetry, the proposed procedure provided good quality data of the structural features of the rock mass at a low cost. Therefore, the method could be applied to similar coastal areas with a high risk of rock failure occurrence.
Highlights
The management of coastal areas is a crucial and relevant issue that requires the adoption of comprehensive solutions (Clark, 1992)
The rock failure susceptibility of the coastal sector was assessed by analysing the fundamental rock slope mechanisms of instability and the results were implemented into a Geographic Information System (GIS)
Along eastern Ligurian coasts, urban areas alternate with natural regions; the former are generally located along narrow alluvial and littoral plains and the latter are found in steep rocky sectors
Summary
The management of coastal areas is a crucial and relevant issue that requires the adoption of comprehensive solutions (Clark, 1992). In accordance with the agreement, the Ligurian regional government issued the Plan for the Protection of Marine and Coastal Environments. Several studies (De Stefanis et al, 1985; Terranova, 1984; Cevasco et al, 2000; Federici et al, 2001; Cevasco, 2007) have focused on the stability of the rock masses on the eastern Ligurian coast. In this region, active coastal slope dynamics interfere with
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