- 1University of Parma, Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, 43124 Parma, Italy (giovanni.leonelli@unipr.it)
- 2University of Milano, Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano
- 3University of Milano, Department of Earth Sciences, Via Mangiagalli 34, 20133 Milano
- 4University of Milano, Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano
- 5CNR-ISAC Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, Via P. Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna
Debris flows are among the most common natural hazards in mountainous regions, with the potential to severely impact human lives and infrastructure. In the vicinity of the Alpe di Succiso Mountain (Northern Apennines, Italy), several debris flows have been documented, impacting trees in the upper portion of the forest. As the precipitation events can become more intense in relation to climate change, assessing the spatial distribution through time of these debris flows is essential for modeling their occurrence and for effective hazard assessment.
In the context of the DECC project (2023), on the N-facing slope of the Alpe di Succiso we set up a multidisciplinary research comprising geomorphology, dendrochronology, geopedology, hydrological monitoring and climatology.
Geomorphic processes of different types (glacial, gravitational and torrential) characterize the area and have shaped landforms and deposits since the late Quaternary (Rashid et al., 2024).
Being the soil a useful archive of forming factors leading to its development, two different soil toposequences (one along a stable slope and one along the slope affected by debris flow) have been selected and analysed using a geopedological approach. The study of the spatial variation of soil profiles in relation to their position along the slope allows the reconstruction of both the stability and instability phases that characterise the slope over time and the impact of debris flows on soil development.
The first results coming from the four hydro-pedological stations show that all the monitoring points respond quickly to precipitation, highlighting the presence of a highly permeable soil. During the summer season, thanks to high temperatures and relatively sparse rainfall events, the soil tends to dry out after rain. However, in early autumn, due to the drop in air temperatures and more frequent and intense rainfall events, it consistently exhibits conditions of complete saturation for extended periods.
Based on dendrogeomorphological analysis and orthophotos, the debris flow events were classified into major and minor categories. The 1975 and 1987 events were classified as major, while the 1997, 2003, and 2013 events were considered minor.
Debris flow events were further correlated with precipitation records from various sources, including hydrological yearbooks, nearby weather stations, and rain gauge based and reanalysis gridded datasets. In this context we are investigating several rainfall events which could have triggered debris flows through time.
References
DECC, 2023. DECC - Debris flow hazard and climate change in the Northern Apennines: reconstructing and modelling past and future environmental scenarios. PRIN 2022 PNRR - Projects of Great National Interest, Financed by the European Union – Next Generation EU. https://x.com/DECC_project/
Rashid et al., 2024. Journal of Maps. https://doi.org/10.1080/17445647.2024.2422549
How to cite: Leonelli, G., Arcuri, B., Brunetti, M., Chelli, A., Manara, V., Masseroli, A., Maugeri, M., Melada, J., Pescio, S., Petrella, E., Rashid, M. A., and Trombino, L.: Reconstructing the occurrence of debris flows through time in the surrounding of Alpe di Succiso Mt., Northern Apennines (Italy): a multidisciplinary approach in the context of climate change, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-11632, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-11632, 2025.
