Integrating Remote Sensing and Geophysics to Assess Landslide Risk in the Italian Apennines: A Case Study in Gorgoglione, Italy

This study proposes an integrated methodology to investigate hydrogeological instability, combining remote sensing with in-situ geophysical surveys in Gorgoglione, a small town in Basilicata, southern Italy, located in a low mountain area (~800 m a.s.l.). The Italian Apennines, where Gorgoglione is situated, are highly susceptible to geomorphological instability due to the interplay of lithology, relief morphology, active tectonics, seismicity, climate, and vegetation. In recent decades, land abandonment around small towns and villages has exacerbated soil erosion and increased landslide occurrence. These challenges are further compounded by inadequate urban planning, poor construction practices, and ineffective water and wastewater management, along with a lack of sufficient landslide mitigation measures. Unlike regions experiencing rapid urbanization, these areas face issues tied to unregulated urban decline, making them critical test beds for developing innovative methods to study and mitigate natural processes that heighten urban risks.

The research aims to provide insights into residual landslide risks to support the development of effective mitigation and management strategies. The activity of instability processes was analyzed using SAR interferometry from both satellite and ground-based platforms. Subsurface geological and lithostratigraphic characteristics were reconstructed by integrating geological and geomorphological information with geophysical techniques, including Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) and Horizontal-to-Vertical Spectral Ratio (HVSR) analysis of ambient seismic noise. The pronounced directional patterns observed in HVSR analysis are being investigated to determine their potential correlation with the landslide movement direction identified through SAR interferometric data.