Search results for "Badland"

Relationships between a new slope morphometric index and calanchi erosion in northern Sicily, Italy

2012

The Italian badlands, or “calanchi”, are common landforms in Mediterranean areas including central and southern Italy. Calanchi landforms may be compared to small hydrographic basins. These landforms are characterised by dense, hierarchical and rapidly evolving drainage systems carved into steep clayey slopes and by a sharply alternating pattern of furrows and narrow, generally sharp crests. This work presents a study of morphometric characteristics and a statistical analysis for two sites in northern Sicily (Italy), on outcrops of silty-clay deposits affected by active erosion processes, which give this area a typical calanchi landscape. In particular, factors closely linked to the charact…

Morphological characterization of calanchi (badland) hillslope connectivity

2018

Calanchi, a type of Italian badlands created by a combination of water erosion processes and local geomorphological and tectonic controls, is a striking example of long-term landscape evolution. In small temporal/spatial scales, the calanchi exhibit many of the geomorphic processes and landforms that may be observed in fluvial landscapes; hence, they may be considered as microbasins where geomorphic dynamics and landscape features can be related. The goal of this research is testing the use of simple morphometric variables for assessing sediment connectivity of calanchi landforms. In order to detect the morphological characteristics controlling the landscape connectivity of calanchi basins,…

GIS-MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF BADLANDS IN SICILY (ITALY)

2012

Sicily is affected by severe erosion processes, locally causing large volumes of soil loss and high denudation rates. The effects of intense water erosion phenomena are testified by the occurrence of badlands that constitute a common landscape particularly in the central and southern areas of the Island, where slopes are frequently underlain by clay-rich deposits. This paper presents the first results of an investigation carried out in a badlands site located in the head sector of the Imera Meridionale river basin, where geometry of several erosion channels has been characterized. Since length of linear erosion landforms such as rills, ephemeral gullies and permanent gullies, has been prove…

FROM SLOPE MORPHOMETRY TO MORPHOGENETIC PROCESSES: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH OF FIELD SURVEY, GIS MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS AND STATISTICS IN ITALIAN BADLAN…

2016

Calanchi (singular calanco) represent a typical example of badlands in the Italian peninsula, which rapidly evolve on clayey terrains such as the widespread Pliocene-Pleistocene marine clays. The present study aimed at investigating the role of the slope morphometry on the typology and distribution of morphogenetic processes in a calanchi area located in southern Italy. The research included detailed geomorphological surveying, morphometric and statistical analysis. The study area was first subdivided into individual hydrographic units (HUs), for which field survey allowed to identify the dominant denudation processes, their intensity and the distribution of the associated landforms (pipes,…

Water erosion assessment and modeling in two calanchi areas in Sicily, Italy

I badlands sono forme di erosione localizzate principalmente nelle regioni aride e semi-aride e sono formati da una complessa combinazione di processi morfogenetici. La loro origine coinvolge processi di erosione idrica ma anche tunnel erosion e movimenti di massa. Inoltre, tali forme possono anche essere correlate a fenomeni di erosione accelerata che hanno luogo laddove le azioni antropiche disturbano l'equilibrio naturale tra processi morfogenetici e suolo. I badlands, con i loro versanti ripidi, sono spesso inseriti all’interno di paesaggi più dolci, in mezzo a colture o bosco, localizzati in aree dove i processi responsabili del loro modellamento sono di solito piuttosto attivi determi…

Interacción de procesos geomórficos y distribución de componentes de la superficie del suelo en relación a la evolución de los abarrancamientos de Ta…

2009

Este artículo se ha desarrollado en el contexto de los proyectos: REN2003-045707GLO(PECOS); CGL2007-63258/BOS(PREVEA) y CGL2006-11619(PROBASE), financiados por la CICYT en el marco del Plan Nacional I+D+I

Runoff Generation in Badlands

2019

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La reserva de semillas en una cuenca de "badlands" (Petrer, Alicante)

1992

In order to determine the influence of erosion in the absence of vegetation of badlands slopes, the seed content of the regolith and the seed removal by runoff in five storms were analyzed in an experimental catchment at Petrer (Alicante). Both, seed redistribution and seed loss were detected, but these seem to be insufficient to explain the lack of vegetation. It is hypothesized that besides the erosion process, factors such as pedoclimate, and chemical and physical properties of the regolith should be considered.

A new empirical model for estimating calanchi Erosion in Sicily, Italy

2015

Abstract Calanchi (plural of calanco) are typical badland landforms of the Italian landscape. They consist of dense networks of V-shaped valleys, with a sparse or absent vegetation cover, which frequently develop on unconsolidated or poorly consolidated clayey deposits. In this paper, the dimensional analysis and the incomplete self-similarity theory were used to deduce a model relating the volume of sediments eroded from the calanchi area to a set of geometric attributes of their tributary areas. The morphometric characteristics of 209 calanchi basins were used to calibrate and validate the model. The predictive skill of the model was assessed by calculating the mean square error and the N…

Hillslope degradation in representative Italian areas. Just soil erosion risk or opportunity for development?

2018

In recent years, much research have dealt with the impact of human and climate change on the morpho-evolution of Mediterranean catchments characterized by high ecological and cultural value. In this paper, we speculated how humans can influence hillslope degradation by reviewing the relationships between denudation processes and land use changes in some representative areas located in different Italian regions (i.e., Liguria, Tuscany, Basilicata, and Sicily). The selected study cases are characterized by different climatic and geological features, land use, and land management and can be considered indicative of the hillslope degradation issues that affected the Apennines during the last ce…