1,721,013 research outputs found
Metodi integrati di geomorfologia dinamica e dendrogeomorfologia per la stima dell’evoluzione dei geomorfositi attivi : i casi delle aree a calanchi di Monte Oliveto Maggiore e Radicofani
No full textKinetics and Design: Activators of Knowledge Cinetica e progetto: attivatori di conoscenza
No full textThe structural complex of Montestrutto (Austroalpine Domain, Western Italian Alps) as an opportunity for dissemination of earth sciences
No full textIn the framework of Earth Science dissemination, structural geology is a topic that may result difficult at a first sight. Anyway the choice of an effective contact point between the educational target and the topic of interest may help. The importance of dissemination of structural geology in Northern Italy is surely linked with the presence of one of the most known mountain ranges of the world, the Alps, that attracts every year several tourists interested in activities like, hiking, climbing and alpinism. Since field activities, focusing on direct experimentation on landscape geological and geomorphological features, have been recognized as a powerful tool in Earth Sciences dissemination, and due to the particular context of this educational proposal, sport climbing has been chosen as the ideal way for transmitting to common people the basic concept of structural geology. This sport activity has been demonstrated to be effective also in other contexts (e.g. psychology, medicine). In order to find the ideal study site, educational exemplarity and geohistorical importance, that determine scientific value of the site, together with cultural value and accessibility have been considered. These features, that are basically adopted in the geo-geomorphosites evaluations, characterize one of the most important and famous sites for climbing in the Western Italian Alps, located in the Eclogitic Micaschist Complex of the Austroalpine Domain: Montestrutto climbing area (Piemonte, Italy). The research has been articulated in different steps. Reconstruction of the deformation stages at local scale allow to acquire data for analysing five routes of different difficulties in order to find interesting correspondences among routes difficulty and geological and geomorphological features of the sport climbing wall. The structuring of the educational activity include pre- and post-experience tests to test the improvement of knowledge of concepts like Alpine orogeny, different styles of deformation, exogenous modeling and the duration of geological and geomorphological processes
Quantificazione della valenza didattica di geomorfositi attivi mediante l’applicazione di un database dedicato : il caso della Val Trebbia (Emilia Romagna, Italia).
No full textAssessment and selection of geomorphosites and trails in the Miage Glacier Area (Western Italian Alps)
Full text linkGlacial environments are considered geomorphosites because they exhibit all of the features that characterise sites of geomorphological interest. The Miage Glacier, in particular, is the most important debris-covered glacier of the Italian Alps, and it has been extensively studied since the 18th century because of its scientific features. In this area, the geomorphological and geological attributes are evaluated at 11 sites that have been individuated along the three main touristic trails, which allow an exploration of the surroundings of the glacial tongue and its two main lobes. Using a methodology previously tested in a fluvial environment, single sites and trails are quantitatively assessed to determine the most suitable trail for educational purposes. Hazards that could potentially affect the trails are considered in terms of both risk education and final selection of the most suitable trails for the various possible user groups. The richness of scientific data in this area should increase its importance as a geomorphosite by increasing the educational value of the Miage Glacier and the Veny Valley
Landforms and geomorphosites ongoing changes: Concepts and implications for geoheritage promotion
Full text linkThe promotion of geological and geomorphological heritage is growing in importance for educational initiatives. The constantly increasing interest towards changing landforms due to changing climate conditions asks not only for improving the values of the cultural proposals but also for précising the subject of the discussion. Cultural trails and natural resources valorisation are more and more frequently based on the concept of geomorphosite, which is strictly linked to landform typology definitions. In sensitive areas, changing geomorphosites are considered of great interest as a typical response to changes in climate. In this paper, on the basis of recent research, we discuss the definitions of landforms and geomorphosites activity in relation to surface processes dynamics. In addition, we discuss the implications of geomorphological surface processes for geomorphosite evolution and degradation and their consequent impact on related valorisation activities. We indicate how both active and passive landforms, and therefore geomorphosites, are of great interest for scientific, educational and tourism purposes
Geoheritage and sport climbing activities : using the Montestrutto cliff (Austroalpine domain, Western Alps) as an example of scientific and educational representativeness
Full text linkNumerous sites of geological and geomorphological interest (i.e., geosites or geomorphosites) have been recently individuated around the Alps, testifying to the great geodiversity that chara - cterises this mountain range. Some rock cliffs that have been locally equipped as sport climbing sites may also be considered as sites of geological and geomorphological interest: The combination of features such as educational exemplarity and geohistorical importance increase the scientific value of these sites. Progression along climbing routes is intimately connected with the geological and geomorphological features of the cliff; thus, it may be possible to interest typical climbers in the area of the Earth Sciences. A research study was conducted at the Montestrutto climbing wall (Western Alps, Italy), which is located in the Eclogitic Mica - schist Complex of the Austroalpine Domain, with the following objectives: i) to reconstruct the deformation stages at local scales along the sport climbing wall and in the surroundings; ii) to analyse how geological elements are related to the physical elements needed for vertical progression to strengthen the link among geology, morphology and the grade of the routes, and finally iii) to use previous results to evaluate the potential of Montestrutto as a geosite. The detailed study consisted of the quantitative analysis of five routes of varying degrees of difficulty, which produced an interesting relationship among the level of difficulty of the routes and the geological and geomorphological features of the sport climbing wall. The Montestrutto cliff is considered to be a valuable geosite because of the scientific importance (e.g., representativeness, educational exemplarity and geohistorical importance) associated with its high cultural and socio-economic value and high potential for use. Sport climbing in sites such as Montestrutto, which are both scientifically significant and accessible, also in terms of the level of climbing difficulty, could be considered as a possible vehicle for stimulating public interest in the Earth Sciences
Multitemporal dendrogeomorphological analysis of slope instability in upper Orcia Valley (Southern Tuscany, Italy)
No full textThe Upper Orcia Valley (Southern Tuscany, Italy) is a key site for the comprehension of denudation processes typically acting in Mediterranean badlands (calanchi) areas, thanks to the availability of long-lasting erosion monitoring datasets and the rapidity of erosion processes development. These features make the area suitable as an open-air laboratory for the study of badlands dynamic and changes in geoheritage due to erosion (i.e. active geomorphosites). Decadal multitemporal investigations on the erosion rates and on the geomorphological dynamics of the study area allowed to highlight a decrease in the average water erosion rates during the last 60 years. More in detail, a reduction of bare land and, consequently, of erosion processes effectiveness and a contemporary increasing frequency of mass wasting events were recorded. These trends can be partly related to the land cover changes occurred in the study area from the 1950s onwards, which consist of a significant increase of reforestation practices and important other forms of human impacts on slopes, mainly land levelling for agricultural exploitation. In order to better identify the most significant phases of geomorphological instability occurred in this area during the last decades, an integrated approach based on multitemporal geomorphological mapping and dendrogeomorphological analysis on specimen of Pinus nigra Arn. was used. In detail, trees colonizing a denudation slope located in the surrounding of the Radicofani town (Tuscany, Italy) and characterized by calanchi and shallow mass movements deposits, were analyzed for the 1985-2012 time period. The analysis of the growth anomaly indexes and of compression wood allowed to determine a spatio-temporal differentiation along the slope and respect to an undisturbed reference site. The negative anomaly index results to be more pronounced in the trees located on the investigated slope with respect to the ones sampled in a non-disturbed area. Compression wood characterizes trees on slope sectors mainly affected by runoff and/or mass movements with a different persistence. Erosion rates were finally calculated through dendrogeomorphological analysis on tree roots exposure (0.31-3 cm/y, runoff prevailing; 5.86-27.5 cm/y, mass movements prevailing). Dendrogeomorphological results are in accordance with those obtained in the investigated areas with multitemporal photogrammetric and geomorphologic analyses
L’influenza della valenza ecologica sul valore globale dei geomorfositi attivi : il caso del Ghiacciaio del Miage nell’Espace Mont Blanc
No full textThe influence of geomorphological processes on the treeline position in Upper Valtellina (Central Italian Alps)
No full textAlthough altitudinal treelines are generally influenced by climatic conditions, geomorphological processes and human activities can locally limit the treeline position, conditioning its altitude and dynamics. In fact, in mountain regions, tree establishment and growth at the highest altitudes may be greatly affected by geomorphological processes and/or human impacts. This study spatially and statistically examines the role of geomorphological processes and related landforms on the treeline position in Upper Valtellina (Central Italian Alps) through the observation of orthophotos and thematic maps by means of GIS software. Landforms located at the treeline boundary have been grouped according to their genetic origin into three classes: i) those shaped by running and/or channelized water, ii) those due to gravitational processes and iii) those due to snow and ice processes. For each tree belonging to the analysed treelines, the main active geomorphological process and the distance from the timberline (treeline ecotone width) have been associated. The gravitational processes are the most widespread along the treeline ecotone in Upper Valtellina. They represent the most significant geomorphological limiting factor for the treeline altitude, especially where deposits due to gravitational processes merge (e.g., merging talus cones and talus slope; treeline mean elevation: 2300 m a.s.l.). Gravitational processes, documented by the related active landforms, are also the most destructive of the treeline ecotone, reducing its width (mean width: 83 m) and inducing the overlap of treeline and timberline. In contrast, periglacial processes exert much less influence on the treeline position (mean elevation: 2419 m a.s.l.)
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