1,597 research outputs found
Differences in results yielded by different approaches adopted for the interpretation of a rapid flowslide in a pyroclastic cover
The paper interprets a case-history of rainfall-induced flow-like landslide in pyroclastic soils by adopting different approaches inmodelling the boundary value problem. In particular, two adopted approaches take into account both rainfall and evaporation effects, while the simplest one disregards the phenomenon and considers only the effects of the rainfall-history. The work shows how increasing model complexity in accounting for most of influencing meteorological factors permits predicting a more pronounced hydrological singularity at the landslide tim
Un modello fisico prototipale per la caratterizzazione sperimentale dell’interazione suolo-atmosfera in terreni piroclastici
Soglie pluviometriche per la previsione di colate rapide di fango Università Napoli Federico II
Two Applications of Soil Water Balance in Unsaturated Pyroclastic Soils
Evaluation of the monthly soil water balance (SWB) provides a tool for understanding and predicting the effects of seasonal and long-term changes in soil water conditions within many geotechnical problems. In this paper, two applications of the SWB approach in the pyroclastic partially saturated soils are shown. Firstly, rainfall, evapotranspiration, water storage measured or estimated at the experimental site in Monteforte Irpino (in Southern Italy) are shown. Secondly, rainfall, infiltration, actual evapotranspiration and water storage measured by data provided by a physical model are shown. In the both cases, data are reported over two years (2010-2012). The physical model was constituted by a wooden tank filled with reconstituted silty pyroclastic soil taken from experimental site at Monteforte Irpino (AV) and it was exposed to the atmosphere at a site in Napoli.
Comparison between soil hydraulic behaviours observed is discussed and the scale effects on the estimation of the SWB are
analysed, treating with practical implications. From the results, it is clear that similar trends in SWB and the same value of
suction over wet season (10 kPa) can be observed at both the scales in spite of differences in meteorological conditions and hydraulic properties of soils exposed to atmosphere
Assessing the potential effects of Climate Changes on landslide phenomena affecting pyroclastic covers in Nocera area (Southern Italy)
The effects of Climate Changes (CC) on natural hazardsinduced byweather forcing representan issue which has beenwidely debated inthe last years. Climate projections allowed to detect clear indications about the future trend of the main atmospheric forcing although affected by significant uncertainties concerning the magnitude. However, the crucial role played by the specific geomorphological contexts makes much more challenging understanding how such variations could affect occurrence and magnitude of landslide hazards. These factors help understanding because it is often unreliable carrying out assessments on large areas but is often necessary trying to evaluate the potential effects of CC on geo-hydrological hazards at slope scale. The main aim of this paper is the definition of a framework for the evaluation of potential variations of occurrences of landslide events affecting slopes of NoceraInferiore (Southern Italy) under the effect of CC. Such slopeshave been affected in recent years, inseveral occasions, by flowslide phenomena inducing large economic lossesand fatalities. The framework, consisting of two macro components, is tested to check its predictive capability of landslide behavior. It is then applied to provide a prediction of "potential" events for near and long time horizon scenarios. The study highlightspotential variations (increases) in triggering frequency under the effect of different concentration scenarios and time horizons
Physically based approaches incorporating evaporation for early warning predictions of rainfall-induced landslides
In the field of rainfall-induced landslides on sloping covers, models for early warning predictions require an adequate trade-off between two aspects: prediction accuracy and timeliness. When a cover's initial hydrological state is a determining factor in triggering landslides, taking evaporative losses into account (or not) could significantly affect both aspects. This study evaluates the performance of three physically based predictive models, converting precipitation and evaporative fluxes into hydrological variables useful in assessing slope safety conditions. Two of the models incorporate evaporation, with one representing evaporation as both a boundary and internal phenomenon, and the other only a boundary phenomenon. The third model totally disregards evaporation. Model performances are assessed by analysing a well-documented case study involving a 2 m thick sloping volcanic cover. The large amount of monitoring data collected for the soil involved in the case study, reconstituted in a suitably equipped lysimeter, makes it possible to propose procedures for calibrating and validating the parameters of the models. All predictions indicate a hydrological singularity at the landslide time (alarm). A comparison of the models' predictions also indicates that the greater the complexity and completeness of the model, the lower the number of predicted hydrological singularities when no landslides occur (false alarms)
A physixal model to investigate the influence of atmospheric variables on soil suction in pyroclastic soils
Experiments to investigate the hydrological behaviour of volcanic covers
The work investigates experimentally the hydrological response of a volcanic silty-sand involved in the Nocera Inferiore flowslide occurred in 2005. To this aim, an infiltration column and a lisimeter have been developed. In both, the same volcanic silty-sand soil has been placed through the pluvial deposition technique. The former device has been used to carry out infiltration laboratory tests aimed at investigating hydraulic boundary conditions acting at the lowermost surface of the soil column for different contact types (pumices, atmosphere, a geosynthetic material). The latter exposes the layer at atmosphere to investigate water fluxes across the uppermost surface induced by the soil-atmosphere interaction. The work shows how the developed physical models feature the hydrological behavior of a silty pyroclastic layer under various meteorological forcing, allowing to build up frameworks useful to characterize the main factors inducing landslides
Calibration of TDRs and heat dissipation probes in pyroclastic soils
In situ monitoring of the hydrological response probably represents the most effective approach for implementing early warning systems for landslides in pyroclastic covers. To this aim, the chosen devices have to be both reliable and robust, requiring minimal efforts for their maintenance.
Among others, two sensors meet such requirements: TDR and heat dissipation probes, used to measure, respectively, volumetric water content and matric suction.
Their utilization on large scale is however partially affected by requiring articulated calibration procedures. They have to be provided for each soil type in TDRs and for each probe in dissipation probes.
In this paper, for both measurement techniques, the advantages and disadvantages of their use, the procedures developed for their calibration, the evolutions obtained in the subsequent three years of validation of calibration relationships are discussed. Finally, the comparison of the obtained results with those available in the literature for in situ monitoring systems is shown. are shown for in situ monitoring systems. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V
Prediction of suction evolution of silty pyroclastic covers in flume tests and field monitoring
The paper shows the results of calibration, validation and blind prediction of two different test cases: the former is a flume test for experiment involving a homogenous soil; the latter is a field case for the layered natural soil coming from Cervinara site. The results have been carried out through hydraulic and mechanical simplified approac
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