Carlotta Parenti

In mountain environments, landslide activity can be assessed through a combination of remote and proximal sensing techniques performed at different scales. The complementarity of methods and the synergistic use of data can be crucial for landslide recognition and monitoring. This paper explored the potential of Multi-Temporal Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (MT-DInSAR) to detect and monitor slope deformations at the basin scale in a catchment area of the Northern Apennines (Italy) and verified the consistency between the landslide classification by the Inventory of Landslide Phenomena in Italy (IFFI) and displacements from the SAR data. In this research, C- and X-band SAR were considered to provide insights into the performances and suitability of sensors operating at different frequencies. This study provides clues about the state of activity of slow-moving landslides and critically assessed its contribution to the IFFI inventory update. Moreover, it demonstrated the benefits of the synergistic use of SAR and geomorphological analysis to investigate slope dynamics in clayey terrains by exemplifying the approach for a relevant case study, the Gaiato landslide. Notwithstanding the widespread use of MT-DInSAR for landslide kinematics investigations, the main limiting factors are discussed along with the expected improvements related to the upcoming new generations of L-band SAR satellites.

The 40-km-long escarpment of the Ebro River valley to the north-west of Zaragoza (NE Spain) is a remarkable geomorphological feature and an important geoheritage locality. Being 30 to 150 m high, the escarpment exposes a complex evaporate-clastic succession of Early to Middle Miocene age, with alternating gypsum and mudstone/marl units, as well as halite beds at depth. The escarpment is a highly dynamic feature, extensively shaped by mass movements of different types, especially in sections where it is directly undercut by the Ebro River. It also hosts abundant evidence of salt and gypsum dissolution, contributing to ongoing instability. Diverse cultural heritage is associated with the escarpment, including an ancient Celtiberian settlement, medieval castles, abandoned villages, rock-cut churches and dwellings and ancient salt mines. Twenty-six possible geosites are identified, with six considered as most representative described in detail. Opportunities to develop the area for geotourism are presented, but these will be associated with challenges of properly managing steep, dynamic and fragile terrain.

The relationships between hillslope and fluvial processes were studied in a mountainous area of the Northern Apennines (Italy) where intermittent landslide activity has interacted for a long time with river morphodynamics. The aim of the study was to analyse such relationships in two study sites of the Scoltenna catchment. The sites were analysed in detail and monitored through time. A long-term analysis was carried out based on multitemporal photointerpretation of aerial photos. Slope morphological changes and land use modifications since 1954 were detected and compared with the evolution of the channel morphology. A short-term analysis was also performed based on two monitoring campaigns accomplished in 2021 and 2022 in order to detect possible slope displacements and channel-bed-level changes. The techniques used are global navigation satellite systems and drone photogrammetry accompanied by geomorphological surveys and mapping. The multitemporal data collected allowed us to characterise slope surface deformations and quantify morphological changes. The combination of various techniques of remote and proximal sensing proved to be a useful tool for the analysis of the surface deformations and for the investigation of the interaction between slope and fluvial dynamics, showing the important role of fluvial processes in the remobilisation of the landslide toe causing the displacement of a significant volume of sediment into the stream.

In mountain environments, slope and fluvial dynamics often interact, and their relationship can be investigated through an integrated methodological approach. Landslides are a source of supplying sediments into riverbeds and can interact or interrupt the water course. Water courses can trigger or re-activate slope movements. The complexity of investigating the interaction between the two dynamics needs a complementarity of methods and techniques, combining remote and proximal sensing, geotechnical in situ surveys, and repositories and catalogue datasets. This leads to a synergistic use of all the heterogeneous data from different fields and formats. The present paper provides a literature review on the approaches and surveying procedures adopted in the investigation of slope and fluvial dynamics and highlights the need to improve the integrated management of geospatial information complemented by quality information. In this regard, we outline a geodatabase structure capable of handling the variety of geoscientific data available at different spatial and temporal scales, with derived products that are useful in integrated monitoring tasks. Indeed, the future adoption of a shared physical structure would allow the merging and synergistic use of data provided by different surveyors as well as the effective storing and sharing of datasets from a monitoring perspective.

Project RED started in 2019 at the Department of Sciences and Methods for Engineering of the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy) as a team of BSc, MSc and PhD students passionate about robotics, aerospace and planetary sciences. Since 2021, the team has included students from the Department of Chemical and Geological Sciences. The objective of Project RED is to design and build a prototype of a rover for extraterrestrial exploration with which to compete in the European Rover Challenge (ERC), an annual international competition based on real ESA and NASA missions. The competition consists in a short traversal of an autonomous rover on the “Mars Yard” (i.e., the ERC competition area simulating a real Martian region) aiming at executing a science-driven exploration based on a coherent geological and geomorphological interpretation of the “landing site” surface. Project RED has participated in the 2021 edition of ERC and is now preparing for 2022 edition of ERC.To cope with the ERC tasks, the Project RED team comprises divisions of engineering and geology students who carried out different activities, such as the building of the rover and the geological analyses of the Martian surface. In particular, the main activities of the geology students (“Science Division”) aim at reconstructing the geological setting of a surface portion of the planet with particular attention to the analysis of a landing site where a hypothetic rover will be directed. The analysis foresees the characterization of the Martian surface from a geological, geomorphological, chemical and mineralogical viewpoint, recognizing and interpreting the origin of landforms and their chronostratigraphy.The study area selected for the 2021 edition of ERC was northern Elysium (135-155E, 22-35N), situated in the eastern hemisphere of Mars. The Science Division reviewed existing literature, thematic maps and high-resolution satellite images. All data were analyzed in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment. Landforms were identified through CTX images and HiRISE images and mapped in a georeferenced system (Mars2000 Equidistant Cylindrical clon0), leading to the production of extracts of geomorphological sketch maps. The results highlighted that the Elysium region has been affected by different geological processes, such as tectonic, fluvial, mass-wasting and volcanic ones associated with channel formation, faulting and volcano/ground-ice modifications. The main geological features found in the study area are: (i) fractures, (ii) narrow linear depressions, (iii) lobate scarps, (iv) rimcrests and (v) impact craters.These analyses were performed in order to determine and trace the most suitable and safest path to be followed by the rover during the ERC competition avoiding potential obstacles.

Slope dynamics include different processes capable to affect the channel network and influence fluvial dynamics. Landslides and mass wasting processes can be an important source of sediments supply into riverbeds. On the other hand, water courses can erode or re-shape and re-activate slope movements. The aim of this study is the integration of different geomatics methods and techniques in the frame of a more general assessment of the interaction between slope and fluvial dynamics. The study area is situated in the Scoltenna basin in the Northern Apennines (Italy) and displays both active and dormant landslides.The research so far conducted dealt with an integrated methodological approach applied in order to analyse slope dynamics, including remote and proximal sensing techniques, repeated field surveys and geomorphometric analysis. The key for understanding the effects of such dynamics is the complementarity and the integration of different methods and technologies. In this study, satellite interferometry, global navigation satellite systems surveys (GNSS), aerial photogrammetry based on uncrewed vehicles, and terrestrial laser scanning were used. All ancillary data related to the surveying practice were incorporated and integrated. An in-depth review of existing literature and thematic maps was performed, including the analysis of pre-existing digital data on online platforms and archives (e.g., historical aerial photos, high-resolution satellite images, hydrological dataset etc.). All datasets were organized in a multitemporal perspective, so each individual product was referred to the same georeferenced system and implemented in a Geographic Information System (GIS) environment.Three study sites, that most reflect the interaction between slope and fluvial dynamics in the Scoltenna basin, were selected to be analysed in detail and monitored through time. The first site (Olina landslide) shows geomorphological evidence of recent activity and was investigated by means of Terrestrial Laser Scanning, UAV photogrammetry (with the drone “DJI Phantom 4 RTK”) and GNSS surveys. The second site (Sasso Cervaro landslide) seems to present a complex style of activity combining multiple mechanisms; in this case UAV photogrammetry (with the drone “Autel Evo 2 Pro”) and GNSS surveys were performed. The third site (La Confetta landslide) is characterized by a recent reactivation at the foot of the slope; here UAV photogrammetry (with the drone “DJI Phantom 4 RTK”) and GNSS surveys were carried out. In the three sites, two monitoring campaigns were performed in order to recognize and monitor possible displacements through time. The next steps of the research foresee further monitoring campaigns and the integration of the collected data on slope movements with the evidence of fluvial morphodynamics.

This paper presents a geomorphological map of the seafloor north east of the Maltese Islands (Central Mediterranean) at a scale of 1:50,000. The map was compiled following the integration, analysis and interpretation of several high-resolution seafloor bathymetry datasets. Several structural features, coastal and marine landforms and anthropogenic features have been mapped. Most of the mapped submerged landforms – including fluvial, gravity-induced and karst landforms – appear to have been formed during the sea-level lowstand of the last glacial cycle. The map provides valuable insights on the submerged landscape of the Maltese Islands and its evolution since the Last Glacial Maximum.

Badlands are typical erosional landforms of the Apennines (Northern Italy) that form on Plio-Pleistocene clayey bedrock and rapidly evolve. The present study aimed at identification and assessment of the areal and temporal changes of badlands within a pilot area of the Modena Province (Emilia Apennines), where no previous detailed investigation has been carried out. For this purpose, a diachronic investigation was carried out to map the drainage basin and the drainage networks of the linear erosion features in the study area during the last 40 years, and to evaluate changes in badlands drainage basins morphometry and surface, land use and pluviometry. The investigation carried out indicated a general stabilisation trend of the badlands in the study area. In fact, a reduction in the bare surface area from 6187.1 m² in 1973 to 4214.1 m² in 2014 (31%), due to an intensified revegetation process around the badland areas, has been recorded. This trend, in line with the results of research carried out in other sector of the Northern Apennines, is mainly due to intensive land use changes, mostly the increase in forest cover and the reduction of agricultural land, that occurred in the study area from the 1970s onwards.