Landslide database and susceptibility map updating of a test area in the Serchio River basin (northern Tuscany, Italy)

Abstract

Extreme rainfall events more and more often affect different regions of Italy. An example of area frequently hit by such events is the Serchio River basin (northern Tuscany), in which floods and landslides commonly occur. For example, the 21–22 July 2014 rainfall induced floods and tens of shallow landslides in the Freddana Torrent valley (a sub-basin of the Serchio River), causing severe damage toroads and population.The aims of this work is to update the landslide inventory and the landslide susceptibility map of a portion (7.1 km2) of the Freddana Torrent valley. The landslide susceptibility map was updated according to the guidelines proposed by the Authority of Serchio River Basin.The new susceptibility map allowed to identify potentially unstable areas basing on the landslide index of the geological formations and on some morphological features of the study area. The new map and the previous one were compared highlighting the changes as regards the individuation of the areas more prone to failures.