Serena Parisi

Landslide Susceptibility Mapping Using Artificial Neural Network in the Urban Area of Senise and San Costantino Albanese (Basilicata, Southern Italy)

Landslides are significant natural hazards in many areas of the world. Mapping the areas that are susceptible to landslides is essential for a wise territorial approach and should become a standard tool to support land-use management. A landslide susceptibility map indicates landslide-prone areas by considering the predisposing factors of slope failures in the past. In the presented work, we evaluate the landslide susceptibility of the urban area of Senise and San Costantino Albanese towns (Basilicata, southern Italy) using an Artificial Neural Network (ANN). In order, this method has required the definition of appropriate thematic layers, which parameterize the area under study. To evaluate and validate landslide susceptibility, the landslides have been randomly divided into two groups, each representing the 50% of the total area subject to instability. The results of this research show that most of the investigated area is characterized by a high landslide hazard.

Geochemistry and quality of the groundwater from the karstic and coastal aquifer of Geropotamos River Basin at north-central Crete, Greece

In Geropotamos River Basin, located on the north-central part of Crete, Greece, two main factors were believed to be affecting the geochemistry of the groundwater with high salt contents: seawater intrusion and/or Miocene evaporates. To identify the origin of the high salinity in groundwater, a hydrogeochemical and isotopic study was performed. Water samples from 22 wells and 2 springs were analyzed for physico-chemical parameters, major ions analysis, as well as stable isotopes (δ18O, δD). From the present survey, in which detailed hydrogeochemical investigation was conducted, the uncertainty of the contamination sources was decreased in the northern part of Geropotamos Basin. The results complement the scenario in which seawater and the widespread human activities are the principal sources of groundwater contamination. Moreover, the results of the stable isotopes analyses (δ18O and δD) support the same hypothesis and make seawater intrusion the most probable cause for the highest salinity waters. It is indicated that saline intrusion is likely to occur along fractures in a fault zone through otherwise low-permeability phyllite–quartzite bedrock, which demonstrates the critical role of fracture pathways in salination problems of coastal aquifers.

Assessment and mapping of the intrinsic vulnerability to pollution: an example from Keritis River Basin (Northwestern crete, Greece)

Due to the geological and hydrogeological characteristics, the carbonate aquifers are frequently vulnerable to natural and/or anthropogenic polluting sources. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the intrinsic vulnerability to pollution of the Keritis River Basin (northwestern Crete, Greece). The huge amount of the flowing groundwater represents a strategic water resource to be allocated to drinking water purpose and to agricultural activities, too. The studied groundwater are characterized by quality degradation processes represented by the anthropogenic and natural pollution such as olive oil farming, agriculture activities, industrial waste and salt water intrusion. For a better management and protection of the water resources, the assessment and mapping of groundwater vulnerability to pollution are very important. From this investigation, the Keritis Basin showed an intrinsic vulnerability degree from extremely high to very low. This study allows to define the strategies which will permit a proper safeguard criteria, against the pollution sources of the Keritis Basin groundwater resources.

Methods and Technologies for the Cultural Heritages in Basilicata region: a case-study from the coastal belt of Metapontum

The protection and promotion of Cultural Heritage require the application of innovative and non-invasive monitoring techniques for developing complete and detailed projects. The demand of cost-effective and rapid tools promoting long-term strategies for cultural heritage promotion and risk assessment is, therefore, urgent. These issues become indeed of paramount importance in the case of very large areas, such as the coastal ones, where the landscape morphoevolution - driven by climate changes - and the landscape modification - due to agricultural and industrial activities - have dramatically increased the exposure risk of Cultural Heritage. In such a framework, traditional monitoring methodologies appear impracticable. This is the reason why the MeTIBas (Italian acronym for Innovative Methods and Technologies for the Cultural Heritage in the Basilicata region) project has been developed. MeTIBas aims to develop an innovative geoarchaeological investigation approach for large areas (implementation of a Territorial Information System, drawing-up of an experimental digital geoarchaeological map, and creation of an open geoarchaeological database). MeTIBas has been developed in the coastal area of Metaponto, which roughly coincides with the ancient territory of the Greek settlement of Metapontum and its chora and includes a region of about 400 km2 in the Ionian sector of the Basilicata region (southern Italy). The data integration and joint analysis of the huge amount of MeTIBas heterogeneous data have been conveniently carried out in a GIS environment, thus allowing an effective combination of the information from different cognitive levels. Besides, the adoption of a Web GIS environment (a Geoplatform operating in Open Source Framework for Rich Web GIS Applications performed by geoSDI; www.geosdi.org) allows a wide dissemination of the information structured in the MeTIBas project.

Geo-environmental Study Applied to the Life Cycle Assessment in the Wood Supply Chain: Study Case of Monte Vulture Area (Basilicata Region).

The present work was carried out in the context of the research project entitled “LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA): ANALYSIS OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE WOOD SUPPLY CHAIN OF BASILICATA REGION” ITALY. The work had as main objective the identification of the fundamental geo-environmental factors of Mount Vulture forested areas of the Basilicata region, which directly or indirectly affect the quality and quantity of forest areas, for a detailed analysis of certified raw materials used in the sustainable building. The survey, with appropriate skills provides a optimal study of the life cycle (LCA), which analyzes the into and out material flows, energy and emissions at all stages of the product, “from cradle to grave”. For feedback LCA, it was used a new environmental indicator, represented by the Water Footprint (WF) which was calculated by means of CROPWAT version 8.0 Software. The results show that most of the Water Footprint associated with the raw material, in the wood supply chain, is attributable to the growth stage of forest types present in the Mount Vulture area. Obviously, this study focused on the initial phase of an extensive research project and has provided the information required for the next application of LCA in the sustainability analysis.