Deep-seated gravitational slope deformations in the Central-Southern Umbro-Marchean Apennines: morphometric and macrostructural analyses

Abstract

In the present paper the results of a statistical analysis are shown, performed on deep-seated gravitational slope deformation phenomena, mapped in the central Apennines, located in 9 1:100,000 scale map sheets (Nos 116 Gubbio, 117 Jesi, 123 Assisi, 124 Macerata, 131 Foligno, 132 Norcia, 133 Ascoli Piceno-Giulianova, 138 Terni, 139 L’Aquila), to characterize the parameters which determine their distribution or their activation. The proposed method is based on a preliminary interpretation of aerial photographs at medium scale (1:33,000) and on a subsequent detailed geological-geomorphological field survey (1:25,000, 1:10,000 scale) aimed at collecting lithostructural and tectonic data of the bedrock, to identify the different movement types. The field data are collected through a hard copy checklist and subsequently codified and inserted into a data base management system to perform the statistical analysis. The results obtained show how these phenomena are determined by particular combinations of lithological, tectonic, structural and morphological factors.