Search results for " Geomorphology"

Tidal notches, coastal landforms and relative sea-level changes during the Late Quaternary at Ustica Island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy)

2017

In this paper we present and discuss data concerning the morphostructural evolution at Ustica Island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy) during Late Quaternary. New insights on the relative sea-level changes of Ustica are coming from data collected during a geomorphological field survey around the island, together with the bathymetric analysis of the surrounding seabed and 14C datings on samples of speleothems, flowstones and marine shells found inside three selected sea caves. The survey was mainly accomplished on June 2015 through the first complete snorkel investigation off the about 18 km-long volcanic coast of the island, which allowed to precisely define location, relationship and morphometric fe…

Geomorphology of the Anthropocene in Mediterranean urban areas

2019

Urban-geomorphology studies in historical cities provide a significant contribution towards the broad definition of the Anthropocene, perhaps even including its consideration as a new unit of geological time. Specific methodological approaches to recognize and map landforms in urban environments, where human-induced geomorphic processes have often overcome the natural ones, are proposed. This paper reports the results from, and comparison of, studies conducted in coastal historical cities facing the core of the Mediterranean Sea – that is, Genoa, Rome, Naples, Palermo (Italy) and Patras (Greece). Their settlements were facilitated by similar climatic and geographical contexts, with high gr…

Multi-method evaluation of denudation rates in small mediterranean catchments

2015

The paper presents the results of the research tasks of the Quantitative Geomorphology Working Group (of the Italian Association of Physical Geography and Geomorphology) focused on multi-method evaluation of denudation rates in small catchments of Italy. Several study areas are compared with the goal of quantifying the morphodynamic evolution in different response times and with traditional and innovative techniques. The final aims are the direct erosion monitoring, the geomorphic analysis for the comprehension of drainage basin morphodynamics, up to the geomorphological hazard evaluation. The catchments are key Mediterranean areas particularly sensitive to climatic and anthropic modificati…

Integrated geomorphological mapping in the north-western sector of Agrigento (Italy)

2012

The geomorphological map is an essential tool to perform a proper urban planning in mountainous or hilly areas. In this paper a multidisciplinary approach to derive a 1:2000 geomorphological map is described. The proposed methodology consists of the integration between aerial photographs, acquired in 2003, and four datasets of Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) measures to update a pre-existing landslide inventory. The integrated data were used to achieve a validated geomorphological map by means of a geomorphological survey. The study area is located in southern Italy (Agrigento, Sicily). The city of Agrigento, included in the World Heritage List of UNESCO in 1997, is located on the…

Quaternary tectonics from landscape evolution in southern Italy: new clues from a multidisciplinary morphometric approach

2022

The Soil Erosion Risk Map of the Sicilian Region (1:250,000 Scale)

2014

Assessing the risk areas of soil erosion by water at the regional level is relevant for current and future land planning of environmental actions to combat land degradation. The gravity of the risk is not only depending on the rate of soil erosion by water, but also on other factors, primarily soil depth and rock weatherability. The map of the soil erosion risk in the Sicilian region, expressed in terms of years to a complete loss of the fertile soil cover, is here presented as a methodological model. The degree of risk was not only estimated in function of the rate of soil erosion by water, but also of the depth of the fertile part of the profile, and of the weatherability degree of the un…

SEDIMENTARY DYNAMICS OF THE MARETTIMO CONTINENTAL SHELF AND MARETTIMO CHANNEL (EGADI ISLANDS – WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN): ANALYSIS OF DEPOSITIONAL AND E…

2011

Sedimentary dynamics of the Marettimo continental shelf and Marettimo Channel (Egadi Island – Western Mediterranean), have been unveiled based on the erosive and depositional features observed at the seafloor. Different morphologic features were recognized through side scan sonar, multibeam and high-resolution seismics, acquired in the framework of national Research Projects (CARG, GebecSud, MaGIC) carried out by the Department of Earth and Marine Science (former Department of Geology and Geodesy) of the University of Palermo. Sediment samples have been also collected and analyzed. The Egadi Islands are part of the NW Sicilian offshore, and belong to the mountain chain that connects the Sic…

Comparing marine geology and coastal geomorphology vertical tectonic data, a case study between Acquedolci and Patti (Messina)

2011

The study of new data on vertical movements show a complex geologic response in a restricted sector of coastal area between Acquedolci and Patti (north-eastern Sicily). Different surveys allowed to the recognition of morphological, biological and archaeological markers of paleo-sea level. The analysis of these markers and the absolute datings performed, allowed to reconstruct the history of vertical deformation of this sector but only the comparison among coastal geomorphological data and marine geological data of platform-scarp continental system associates, allowed to find the necessary keys words to explain the geologic complexity of this sector.

Spatial extent of recent vertical tectonic motions misured in NE Sicily coastal area. Insights from marine geology and coastal geomorphology studies.

2011

Vertical position of sea-level, pointed out by related deposits and morphologies, provide useful markers to estimate tectonic uplift rates. For the Holocene very high uplift rates are misured in the northeast Sicily coast (Antonioli et al., 2009). This study compare vertical tectonic movements and marine geology data in the coastal sector between Capo d’Orlando and Brolo (NE Sicily); tectonic lineaments show different trends both onland (Nigro & Sulli, 1995) and offshore (Nicolich et al.,1982) and also the morphological response follow closely this difference. The geomorphologic survey provided data on Holocene uplift rates. We studied an archaeological ancient quarry of grinding wheels for…

Geomorphological and Morphometric Analyses of the Catanzaro Trough (Central Calabrian Arc, Southern Italy): Seismotectonic Implications

2022

In this work, we investigated the landscape response to the recent activity of the faults affecting the Catanzaro Trough, a seismically active structural basin that developed transversally to the Calabrian Arc (Southern Italy) during the Neogene–Quaternary. We carried out a geomorphological and morphometric study of the drainage networks and basins intercepted by the Quaternary faults that were previously mapped through remote and field analyses. The study confirms the occurrence north of the Catanzaro Trough of a WNW–ESE-oriented left-lateral strike-slip fault system (here named the South Sila Piccola Fault System), which accommodates the differential SE-ward migration of the u…