Abstract
This paper presents the main results of the GB-InSAR (ground based interferometric synthetic aperture radar) monitoring of the Capriglio landslide (Northern Apennines, Emilia Romagna Region, Italy), activated on 6 April 2013. The landslide, triggered by prolonged rainfall, is constituted by two main adjacent enlarging bodies with a roto-translational kinematics. They activated in sequence and subsequently joined into a large earth flow, channelizing downstream of the Bardea Creek, for a total length of about 3600 m. The displacement rate of this combined mass was quite high, so that the landslide toe evolved with velocities of several tens of meters per day (with peaks of 70–80 m/day) in the first month, and of several meters per day (with peaks of 13–14 m/day) from early May to mid-July 2013. In the crown area, the landslide completely destroyed a 450 m sector of provincial roadway S.P. 101, and its retrogression tendency exposed the villages of Capriglio and Pianestolla, located in the upper watershed area of the Bardea Creek, to great danger. Furthermore, the advancing toe seriously threatened the Antria bridge, representing the “Massese” provincial roadway S.P. 665R transect over the Bardea Creek, the only strategic roadway left able to connect the above-mentioned villages. With the final aim of supporting local authorities in the hazard assessment and risk management during the emergency phase, on 4 May 2013 aerial optical surveys were conducted to accurately map the landslide extension and evolution. Moreover, a GB-InSAR monitoring campaign was started in order to assess displacements of the whole landslide area. The versatility and flexibility of the GB-InSAR sensors allowed acquiring data with two different configurations, designed and set up to continuously retrieve information on the landslide movement rates (both in its upper slow-moving sectors and in its fast-moving toe). The first acquisition mode revealed that the Capriglio and Pianestolla villages were affected by minor displacements (at an order of magnitude of a few millimeters per month). The second acquisition mode allowed to acquire data every 28 seconds, reaching very high temporal resolution values by applying the GB-InSAR technique.
Highlights
In Italy, large complex landslides are recurrent phenomena [1,2,3,4] responsible for destruction of assets and infrastructure, and major economic losses
This paper shows an application of this new acquisition method for the Capriglio landslide, activated in the Tizzano Val Parma municipality
This paper presents the main findings of the long-term, real-time monitoring of the Capriglio landslide in the Emilian Apennines (Northern Italy)
Summary
In Italy, large complex landslides are recurrent phenomena [1,2,3,4] responsible for destruction of assets and infrastructure, and major economic losses These phenomena associate a combination of Remote Sens. Due to the outcropping lithology, structural setting and geomorphological evolution, about 90% of them are large, ancient earth flows The majority of these slope movements originated after the Last Glacial Period (approximately from 30,000 BP onwards [6]), and grew during the Holocene wettest periods through the superimposition of new earth flows. In spite their ancient origin, these phenomena are still very hazardous, alternating long periods of inactivity with sudden reactivations. The reactivation, partial or total, of large earth flows is the main problem the geologists of Emilia Romagna Region have to face nowadays [8]
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