Kinematics and geologic control of the deep-seated landslide affecting the historic center of Buonalbergo, southern Italy

Deep-seated landslides are important agents of relief shaping and can have substantial impact on human settle-ments. Many examples are present in the Campania region of southern Italy, where the association of complex lithostratigraphic and structural geologic conditions might have effect on landslide initiation and evolution. On this basis and considering the effect that the deep-seated landslide have had in the last years on the urban settle-ment, the Buonalbergo landslide was analyzed in terms of decadal kinematics and geological control and insights in prospective evolution were provided. The analysis of data derived by geological and landslide field mapping, settlement damage analysis, Persistent Differential Interferometry SAR data analysis, and Finite Elements stability analysis revealed i) the approximately constant rate movement of the landslide in the last three decades with a consistent enlargement of its area, ii) the presence of a large overturned anticline, characterized by a complex lithostratigraphic arrangement and multiple discontinuity sets, iii) the presence of faults responsible for morpho-logical depression development, iv) a rotational mechanism characterizing the upper sector of the landslide and the ongoing translational sliding of blocks located at its toe and v) the effect of potential pore pressure scenarios on prospective kinematics (i.e. single to multiple stages creep) with the observed constant rate movement poten-tially related to a pore pressure at the landslide base ranging between 300 and 400 kPa. Result interpretation sug-gests i) the role of the structural and lithostratigraphic setting of the slope as predisposing factor for landslide development, ii) the potential of fold-related fabric in controlling landslide geometry and fragmentation, iii) the possible occurrence of multiple landslide events affecting the slope affected by the deep-seated landslide and iv) the potential of hydrologic conditions in modulating landslide velocity and evolution toward slope failure. The relevance of results is related to the representativeness of the Buonalbergo landslide as common process in the Apennine context in terms of potential long-term morphologic evolution of the slope and the existence of many landslides that develop in similar geological conditions driving sediment production and inducing persis-tent topographic changes in mountainsides. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Deep-seated landslides play a significant role in relief shaping and human settlements, with the Buonalbergo landslide showing a nearly constant rate of movement for the past three decades and potential geological factors influencing its future evolution.