Journal Description
GeoHazards
GeoHazards
is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on theoretical and applied research across the whole spectrum of geomorphological hazards, namely endogenous and exogenous hazards, as well as those related to climate change and human activity, published quarterly online by MDPI.
- Open Access— free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.
- High Visibility: indexed within ESCI (Web of Science), Scopus, GeoRef, and other databases.
- Rapid Publication: manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 20.7 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 3.7 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the second half of 2023).
- Recognition of Reviewers: APC discount vouchers, optional signed peer review, and reviewer names published annually in the journal.
- GeoHazards is a companion journal of Water.
Latest Articles
Worldwide Research Trends and Networks on Flood Early Warning Systems
GeoHazards 2024, 5(3), 582-595; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5030030 - 23 Jun 2024
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This review paper examined the global landscape of research on continental flood early warning systems (EWS), shedding light on key trends, geographic disparities, and research priorities. Continental floods stand as one of the most pervasive and devastating disasters worldwide, necessitating proactive measures to
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This review paper examined the global landscape of research on continental flood early warning systems (EWS), shedding light on key trends, geographic disparities, and research priorities. Continental floods stand as one of the most pervasive and devastating disasters worldwide, necessitating proactive measures to mitigate their impact. Drawing upon a comprehensive analysis of the scholarly literature indexed in the Web of Science repository, this study unveiled significant patterns in EWS research. While the emphasis on flooding is evident, a considerable portion of research focuses on precipitation as a variable and modeling approaches. Furthermore, the influence of climate change emerges as a prominent theme, though distinguishing between climate change and variability remains a crucial area for exploration. Geographically, Europe, particularly England and Italy, dominates research efforts in flood related EWS. Conversely, the limited representation of Central America and other regions such as Asia and Oceania, underscores the need for greater attention to regions facing significant flood risks. Importantly, the concept of total link strength emerges as a valuable metric, highlighting collaborative networks established by European countries and the United States. Based on these findings, recommendations are proposed to enhance the inclusivity and effectiveness of flood related EWS research, including a broader consideration of socio-economic factors, fostering collaboration among researchers from diverse regions, and prioritizing initiatives to strengthen research capacities in vulnerable areas. Ultimately, this study provides valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners seeking to advance flood risk management strategies on a global scale.
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Open AccessArticle
Combined Effect of the Microstructure and Mechanical Behavior of Lateritic Soils in the Instability of a Road Cut Slope in Rwanda
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Roberto Valentino, Mattia Pizzati and Jules Mizero
GeoHazards 2024, 5(2), 559-581; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5020029 - 18 Jun 2024
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A very common hazard in Rwanda is represented by the instability of steep road cut slopes in lateritic soil. In its natural state, this material appears as a fine-grained weak and altered rock, generally in unsaturated conditions. Steep cut slopes made by this
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A very common hazard in Rwanda is represented by the instability of steep road cut slopes in lateritic soil. In its natural state, this material appears as a fine-grained weak and altered rock, generally in unsaturated conditions. Steep cut slopes made by this material could remain stable for a long time unless weathering weakens its mechanical behavior and heavy rainfall provokes a rapid landslide. This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation on the microstructural, petrophysical, and geotechnical properties of lateritic soil from a road cut slope located in Kabaya (Ngororero District—Rwanda), which was recently subjected to a landslide. The mechanical properties of the material are strictly related to the geological origin and history of the deposits, their formation environment, and weathering processes. These characteristics were revealed by peculiar microstructural features (micro-texture, porosity, and degree of alteration of original mineral paragenesis). The experimental investigations included identification and classification tests, direct shear tests on saturated samples, and swelling tests. This multidisciplinary approach provided insights into the relationship between geotechnical properties and the microstructural, petrophysical, and chemical characteristics of the altered rocks. This study showed how different levels of chemical alteration operated by weathering processes, in conjunction with brittle deformation related to the tectonic history, formed in the same site two shallow rock layers with similar macro-scale features and mechanical behaviors but markedly different microstructural and chemical properties. The innovative aspect of this research suggests an integrated multidisciplinary approach to considering microstructural aspects in addition to mechanical behavior in the slope stability analyses in lateritic soil. In particular, this study demonstrates the importance of such an approach since the failure mechanism is better explained if it is based on microstructural observations instead of considering the soil shear strength parameters only. This research helped to explain the formation of the landslide failure mechanism in a specific road cut slope, which could be assumed as representative of many other similar slopes subjected to landslides in Rwanda.
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(This article belongs to the Topic Geotechnics for Hazard Mitigation)
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Cliff Retreat Rates Associated with a Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility in Los Alamos, New Mexico, USA
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Brent Goehring, Elizabeth Miller, Kay Birdsell, Emily S. Schultz-Fellenz, Richard Kelley, Sean French and Philip H. Stauffer
GeoHazards 2024, 5(2), 547-558; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5020028 - 18 Jun 2024
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We present an analysis and interpretation of potential cliff stability at a low-level waste disposal facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, using cliff morphologic and fracture characteristics coupled with carbon-14 surface exposure dating. Our study is important as it directly bears
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We present an analysis and interpretation of potential cliff stability at a low-level waste disposal facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, using cliff morphologic and fracture characteristics coupled with carbon-14 surface exposure dating. Our study is important as it directly bears on the licensing criteria for low-level radioactive waste sites. We find that future characteristic cliff failures will likely not breach disposal pits and shafts over the 1000-year minimum regulatory period. Further, we find, using a multivariate regression model, that slope angle and cliff face aspect are sub-equal in importance to predict regions of high risk of failure when combined with surface exposure ages and assuming that old exposure ages are most indicative of stability (instability) and therefore can aid decision making in final design implementation.
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(This article belongs to the Topic Landslide Prediction, Monitoring and Early Warning)
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An Efficient Solution for Probabilistic Slope Seismic Stability Analysis Based on Polynomial Chao Kriging Metamodel
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Tingting Zhang and Daniel Dias
GeoHazards 2024, 5(2), 530-546; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5020027 - 13 Jun 2024
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Slope stability analysis plays a crucial role in geotechnical engineering, particularly in regions susceptible to seismic activity. The inherent non-homogeneity and uncertainty of soil properties pose significant challenges in assessing slope stability under seismic conditions. To address these complexities, a novel and efficient
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Slope stability analysis plays a crucial role in geotechnical engineering, particularly in regions susceptible to seismic activity. The inherent non-homogeneity and uncertainty of soil properties pose significant challenges in assessing slope stability under seismic conditions. To address these complexities, a novel and efficient methodology named DUBLA-PDM-PCK is proposed. In this methodology, the effects of soil non-homogeneity and uncertainty, along with the time and spatial variations of seismic loading, are systematically considered. The deterministic framework integrates discretized upper bound limit analysis (DUBLA) to accommodate soil non-homogeneous characteristics, and the pseudo-dynamic method (PDM) to model seismic loading variability. Then, a robust and efficient probabilistic analysis method, PCK-MA, is implemented utilizing adaptive Polynomial Chaos Kriging metamodeling, Monte Carlo Simulation, and Analysis of Covariance to investigate the uncertainty of the parameters. This approach treats nine key parameters, including soil cohesion, friction angle, non-homogeneous coefficients, horizontal and vertical seismic coefficients, period, and amplification factor, as random variables to assess their uncertainty effects on failure probability (stability level) and sensitivity indices. The DUBLA-PDM-PCK methodology offers a streamlined and reliable tool tailored for assessing slope stability in seismic environments, demonstrating notable efficiency in addressing soil variability and seismic loading uncertainties. Its application holds promise for guiding engineering practices and enhancing understanding of slope behavior in regions prone to seismic hazards.
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Modelling and Validation of the Derna Dam Break Event
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Alessandro Annunziato, Marzia Santini, Chiara Proietti, Ludovica de Girolamo, Valerio Lorini, Andrea Gerhardinger and Michele Tucci
GeoHazards 2024, 5(2), 504-529; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5020026 - 1 Jun 2024
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The catastrophic failure of two dams in Libya on 10 and 11 September 2023 resulted in the devastating flooding of the city of Derna, which is located downstream of the dams, causing more than 6000 fatalities and displacing thousands of residents. The failure
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The catastrophic failure of two dams in Libya on 10 and 11 September 2023 resulted in the devastating flooding of the city of Derna, which is located downstream of the dams, causing more than 6000 fatalities and displacing thousands of residents. The failure was attributed to heavy rainfall from Storm Daniel, leading to the dams reaching full capacity and subsequently overflowing and failing. This paper presents an analysis of the dam break, including the modelling of flow discharge and the resulting flooding of Derna. For validation purposes, this study compares the modelled quantities with post-event satellite imagery from UNOSAT and Copernicus, local reports, and data collected from social media using AI detection. The findings provide valuable insights into the dynamics of the dam break and its initial parameters, as well as an assessment of the accuracy of the results. The analysis is performed using a rapid estimation technique developed by JRC to provide the international emergency community with a swift overview of the impact and damage assessment of potential or actual dam break events. The use of all available data shows a satisfactory comparison with the calculated quantities. The rapid modelling of dam break events and combined analysis of multiple data types are proven suitable for promptly assessing the expected dynamic of the event, as well as reconstructing the unknown initial conditions before the break. Incorporating sensitivity analyses provides an estimate of the uncertainties associated with the deduced values of the unknown parameters and their relative importance in the analysis.
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(This article belongs to the Topic Geotechnics for Hazard Mitigation)
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Leveraging Sentinel-2 and Geographical Information Systems in Mapping Flooded Regions around the Sesia River, Piedmont, Italy
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George P. Petropoulos, Athina Georgiadi and Kleomenis Kalogeropoulos
GeoHazards 2024, 5(2), 485-503; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5020025 - 28 May 2024
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Sentinel-2 data are crucial in mapping flooded areas as they provide high spatial and spectral resolution but under cloud-free weather conditions. In the present study, we aimed to devise a method for mapping a flooded area using multispectral Sentinel-2 data from optical sensors
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Sentinel-2 data are crucial in mapping flooded areas as they provide high spatial and spectral resolution but under cloud-free weather conditions. In the present study, we aimed to devise a method for mapping a flooded area using multispectral Sentinel-2 data from optical sensors and Geographical Information Systems (GISs). As a case study, we selected a site located in Northern Italy that was heavily affected by flooding events on 3 October 2020, when the Sesia River in the Piedmont region was hit by severe weather disturbance, heavy rainfall, and strong winds. The method developed for mapping the flooded area was a thresholding technique through spectral water indices. More specifically, the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and the Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) were chosen as they are among the most widely used methods with applications across various environments, including urban, agricultural, and natural landscapes. The corresponding flooded area product from the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS) was used to evaluate the flooded area predicted by our method. The results showed that both indices captured the flooded area with a satisfactory level of detail. The NDWI demonstrated a slightly higher accuracy, where it also appeared to be more sensitive to the separation of water from soil and areas with vegetation cover. The study findings may be useful in disaster management linked to flooded-area mapping and area rehabilitation mapping following a flood event, and they can also valuably assist decision and policy making towards a more sustainable environment.
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Applying SLAM-Based LiDAR and UAS Technologies to Evaluate the Rock Slope Stability of the Grotta Paglicci Paleolithic Site (Italy)
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Luisa Beltramone, Vivien De Lucia, Andrea Ermini, Matteo Innocenti, Daniele Silvestri, Andrea Rindinella, Annamaria Ronchitelli, Stefano Ricci, Francesco Boschin and Riccardo Salvini
GeoHazards 2024, 5(2), 457-484; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5020024 - 25 May 2024
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This study focuses on slope stability and geological hazard analyses at the Italian Paleolithic site of Grotta Paglicci. The site is characterized by a cave that contains rich archaeological and anthropological finds, spanning various Paleolithic periods, and includes faunal remains, lithic artifacts, human
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This study focuses on slope stability and geological hazard analyses at the Italian Paleolithic site of Grotta Paglicci. The site is characterized by a cave that contains rich archaeological and anthropological finds, spanning various Paleolithic periods, and includes faunal remains, lithic artifacts, human burials, ornaments, mobiliary art objects, and unique Paleolithic wall paintings. The study employs a multi-technique approach that includes topographic surveys carried out by the robotic total station and GNSS receivers, photogrammetric acquisitions with an unmanned aerial system, 3D SLAM-based LiDAR mapping, and an engineering geological survey. The collected data allowed for the creation of georeferenced 3D models that were utilized in rock slope stability analysis and modeling. The results of this comprehensive survey highlighted how the bedding and joint discontinuities influence rock stability in both the external and internal areas of the cave. The integrated use of SLAM-based LiDAR and photogrammetry has been proven to be an efficient and essential tool in the evaluation of the structural interactions between the external morphology and the cave, thus allowing the proposal of safety measures that will keep the site accessible for future activities.
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Cost-Benefit Analysis of Minor Irrigation Tank Rehabilitation Using Run-Off and Storage Capacity: A Case Study from Ambuliyar Sub-Basin, Tamil Nadu, India
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Nasir Nagoor Pitchai, Somasundharam Magalingam, Sakthi Kiran Duraisamy Rajasekaran and Selvakumar Radhakrishnan
GeoHazards 2024, 5(2), 441-456; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5020023 - 20 May 2024
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This research examines the significance of restoring efficient water management systems in India’s semiarid environment, with special emphasis on the role of traditional irrigation structures, such as tanks, in collecting and storing limited water resources. Assessing the benefits of any restoration program, especially
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This research examines the significance of restoring efficient water management systems in India’s semiarid environment, with special emphasis on the role of traditional irrigation structures, such as tanks, in collecting and storing limited water resources. Assessing the benefits of any restoration program, especially when socioeconomic and environmental benefits are involved, is challenging. In the context of tank rehabilitation, a cost-benefit analysis will be conducted regarding economic and ecological returns in the post-desiltation phase. Since the restoration process requires a significant investment, assessing the project’s viability during the planning stage is better. The present study proposes a novel method to indirectly analyse the cost-benefit of the tank restoration process by correlating run-off and storage capacity of tanks before the planning phase. The Ambuliyar sub-basin, which covers an area of 930 square kilometres in Tamil Nadu, India, comprising 181 tanks (water bodies) of varying sizes and shapes, was taken for this study. This study employed the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method, incorporating factors such as soil type, land cover, land use practices, and advanced remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to simulate surface run-off. Run-off volume and tank capacity were compared for all seasons at the micro-watershed level. The results demonstrated that the run-off volume in each micro-watershed significantly exceeded the tank capacity across all seasons. Even during the summer, the run-off volumes in the micro-watershed were considerably higher than the tank capacity. The findings suggest tank restoration can effectively store run-off and significantly fulfil agricultural and other essential needs throughout the year, thereby improving the local rural economy. This study also highlights the need for periodic maintenance and rehabilitation of these tank systems to retain their functionality.
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Geoinformatics-Based Mapping of Environmental Sensitive Areas for Desertification over Satara and Sangli Districts of Maharashtra, India
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Chandra Shekhar Dwivedi, Dishant, Bikash Ranjan Parida, Arvind Chandra Pandey, Ravi Kumar and Navneet Kumar
GeoHazards 2024, 5(2), 415-440; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5020022 - 17 May 2024
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Desertification processes in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid conditions have been enhanced in recent decades. The geospatial database and associated satellite data can be effectively employed for regional planning to address desertification and land degradation. In this study, the Mediterranean Desertification and Land
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Desertification processes in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid conditions have been enhanced in recent decades. The geospatial database and associated satellite data can be effectively employed for regional planning to address desertification and land degradation. In this study, the Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use (MEDALUS) model has been used to map environmentally sensitive areas due to desertification in the Satara and Sangli districts of Maharashtra, India. This was achieved by combining Landsat-8 multispectral data, Census data, soil data, and climatic variables like temperature, rainfall, and evapotranspiration. The algorithm of MEDALUS is the geometric mean of four indicators, namely soil quality index (SQI), climate quality index (CQI), vegetation quality index (VQI), and socio-economic quality index (SEQI). The findings indicated that the majority of the study area comes under the potential category of desertification (60.32%) followed by fragile (27.87%) and critical (11.81%). Areas with a high propensity for desertification were found over the low to very low climatic quality and moderate to high soil quality including lower socio-economic quality. The lower socio-economic quality is mainly due to high to very high population density (>100 people/km2), low to moderate illiteracy rate (<16%), and low to moderate work participation rate (<50%) that incentivize unsustainable land use practices. The study provides a valuable tool for understanding and managing natural resources. It offers a detailed analysis of the environmental sensitivity of the study area, taking into account various factors like land use, vegetation cover, slope, and soil erosion potential. The developed comprehensive map of the area helps in identifying the most sensitive regions and developing appropriate conservation strategies. The information obtained from the study can be utilized to develop and implement successful measures to prevent or alleviate desertification, which is crucial for sustaining the health of ecosystems and the welfare of local residents.
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Marine Geohazards of the Bay of Naples (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy): A Review Integrating Morpho-Bathymetric and Seismo-Stratigraphic Analysis
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Gemma Aiello and Mauro Caccavale
GeoHazards 2024, 5(2), 393-414; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5020021 - 10 May 2024
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Marine geohazards in the Bay of Naples, an eruptive region during the late Quaternary, have been assessed based on both morpho-bathymetric and seismic data. Previously identified areas of high marine hazard with slide potential (northern Ischia slope, Naples canyons, and Sorrento Peninsula–Capri slope)
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Marine geohazards in the Bay of Naples, an eruptive region during the late Quaternary, have been assessed based on both morpho-bathymetric and seismic data. Previously identified areas of high marine hazard with slide potential (northern Ischia slope, Naples canyons, and Sorrento Peninsula–Capri slope) have been confirmed and integrated through the seismo-stratigraphic analysis of selected seismic sections. We evaluated the occurrence of important fossil submarine landslides in the stratigraphic record. Several kinds of submarine landslides have been individuated through morpho-bathymetric and seismic interpretation, including creeping, debris avalanches, and debris flows, among others, often controlled by volcanic eruptions. Submarine landslides of Naples Bay are primary geohazards in the marine and coastal areas, which has been ascertained with significant volcanic and tsunami hazards involving the gulf. Despite previous studies on these topics, much work is still needed to compile a systematic database of the submarine landslides of the Bay of Naples, representing a future step of this research.
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Open AccessArticle
Geospatial Insights into Greece’s Desertification Vulnerability: A Composite Indicator Approach
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Kleomenis Kalogeropoulos, Dimitrios E. Tsesmelis, Andreas Tsatsaris, Efthimios Zervas, Christos A. Karavitis, Constantia G. Vasilakou and Pantelis E. Barouchas
GeoHazards 2024, 5(2), 374-392; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5020020 - 29 Apr 2024
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The Environmentally Sensitive Areas Index (ESAI) is a comprehensive tool for assessing the susceptibility of areas to desertification. This index analyzes various parameters that are vital for environmental health. Through this index, factors such as human activities, geology, soil quality, vegetation and climate
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The Environmentally Sensitive Areas Index (ESAI) is a comprehensive tool for assessing the susceptibility of areas to desertification. This index analyzes various parameters that are vital for environmental health. Through this index, factors such as human activities, geology, soil quality, vegetation and climate patterns are scrutinized. The analysis assigns weights to each participating factor. Thus, the index is derived from the aggregation of four categories (vegetation, climate, soil quality and management practices), and each of them is independently assessed to understand ecological health. In this way, the level of vulnerability to desertification is effectively measured. The application of the index in Greece (for a period of 20 years, 1984–2004) showed signs of environmental degradation and identified many areas with a high risk of desertification. Notably, there was a substantial increase in cultivated land within rural areas, contributing to shifts in the environmental landscape. Furthermore, this period is distinguished as the driest in the last century, with a peak between 1988 and 1993. The consequential rise in irrigation demand, driven by the simultaneous growth of crops and the intensification of agricultural practices, underscores the intricate interplay between human activities and environmental vulnerability.
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Geospatial Analysis and Mapping of Regional Landslide Susceptibility: A Case Study of Eastern Tennessee, USA
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Qingmin Meng, Sara A. Smith and John Rodgers
GeoHazards 2024, 5(2), 364-373; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5020019 - 17 Apr 2024
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A landslide is the movement of rocks, debris, and/or soils down a slope, which often includes falls, topples, slides, flows, and spreads. Landslides, a serious natural hazard to human and human activity, often occur in the coastal and mountainous areas in the United
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A landslide is the movement of rocks, debris, and/or soils down a slope, which often includes falls, topples, slides, flows, and spreads. Landslides, a serious natural hazard to human and human activity, often occur in the coastal and mountainous areas in the United States. Although there are some studies that have explored the landslide probability, which is typically directly modeled by inputting potential environmental variables into statistical regression models, this study designed an alternative geospatial analysis and modeling approach. We first conducted statistical diagnostic tests to examine the significance of potential driving factors including landform, land use/land cover, landscape, and climate. In eastern Tennessee, USA, we first applied the t-test and chi-squared test to select the significant factors driving landslides, including slope, clay percentage in the soil, tree canopy density, and distance to roads, having a p-value of less than 0.05. We then incorporated the four identified significant factors as covariates into logistic regression to model the relationship between these factors and landslides. The fitted logistic model, with a high area under the ROC (AUC) score of 0.94, was then applied to predict landslides and make a regional landslide susceptibility map for eastern Tennessee. The landslide’s potential impacts on eastern Tennessee were also discussed, and implications for local governments and communities for current physical infrastructure protection and new infrastructure development were summarized.
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Open AccessArticle
Analysis of Uncertainty in Internal Erosion Simulations for DLBreach and WinDAM C
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Anthony Atkinson and Mitchell Neilsen
GeoHazards 2024, 5(2), 350-363; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5020018 - 16 Apr 2024
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The work detailed here is part of an international initiative on the evaluation of dam safety simulation software for internal erosion performance and best practices. The primary experiments involve simulating uncertainty in the failure events of two dams with two different models: DLBreach
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The work detailed here is part of an international initiative on the evaluation of dam safety simulation software for internal erosion performance and best practices. The primary experiments involve simulating uncertainty in the failure events of two dams with two different models: DLBreach and WinDAM C. DLBreach is a physically-based dam/levee breach model developed by Wu. WinDAM C is also a physically based dam breach model capable of analyzing both dam overtopping and internal erosion. The dams selected for the analysis include a 1.3 m high dam tested in the lab and a larger 15.56 m high dam, which suffered a failure in the field. The findings from these experiments are extended with a further analysis on variance, sensitivity, and optimization. Finally, a regression model is trained using the results of these simulators as an inquiry into how well such a system can be captured using machine learning techniques. The results of these experiments, together with the results of the other members of the initiative, improve our understanding of the influences that users bring to using these tools.
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Open AccessArticle
Relative Sea Level and Coastal Vertical Movements in Relation to Volcano-Tectonic Processes at Mayotte Island, Indian Ocean
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Julien Gargani
GeoHazards 2024, 5(2), 329-349; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5020017 - 12 Apr 2024
Cited by 1
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During the last 10 kyr, significant subsidence and uplift occurred on Mayotte Island in the Comoros archipelago (Indian Ocean), but the role of volcanic processes in Holocene vertical movements has been neglected in the research so far. Here, we show that an abrupt
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During the last 10 kyr, significant subsidence and uplift occurred on Mayotte Island in the Comoros archipelago (Indian Ocean), but the role of volcanic processes in Holocene vertical movements has been neglected in the research so far. Here, we show that an abrupt subsidence of 6–10 m occurred between 9.4 and 10 kyr ago, followed by an uplift of the same amplitude at a rate of 9 mm/yr from 8.1 to 7 kyr ago. A comparison of the relative sea level of Mayotte and a reference sea level curve for the global ocean has been conducted using a modeling approach. This shows that an increasing and decreasing pressure at depth, equivalent to the process caused by a deep magma reservoir (50–70 km), was responsible for ~6–10 m subsidence and 6–10 m uplift, whereas loading by new volcanic edifices caused subsidence during the last few thousand years. Surface movements and deep pressure variations may be caused by pulses from the deep mantle, related to superplume activity, but uncertainties and unknowns about these phenomena are still present and further studies are needed. A better understanding of the volcano-tectonic cycle may improve assessments of volcanic hazards.
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Open AccessArticle
Serious Games for Seismic Risk Education: The Case of the ENP-CP Project
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Agostino Goretti and Gemma Musacchio
GeoHazards 2024, 5(2), 310-328; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5020016 - 8 Apr 2024
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This paper delves into the potential advantages of integrating gamification into seismic risk management education, with a specific emphasis on the efficacy of serious games in augmenting the learning process. It offers an illustration of gamification within the framework of a seismic risk
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This paper delves into the potential advantages of integrating gamification into seismic risk management education, with a specific emphasis on the efficacy of serious games in augmenting the learning process. It offers an illustration of gamification within the framework of a seismic risk preparedness project involving multiple countries, languages, and cultures and across the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The innovation of this approach largely lies in shifting the focus from competition, which is typical in most games, to collaboration. Three digital serious games were implemented to tackle facets of seismic risk management that are particularly favourable for empowering communities at risk. These games were first used in a hybrid event where students from Algeria, Morocco, and Italy engaged in gameplay both in person within their respective classrooms and remotely with classes in each country. The evaluation study showed the positive impact of gamification in captivating young participants and thereby instilling best practices in seismic risk management.
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Open AccessArticle
Landslide Risks to Bridges in Valleys in North Carolina
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Sophia Lin, Shen-En Chen, Wenwu Tang, Vidya Chavan, Navanit Shanmugam, Craig Allan and John Diemer
GeoHazards 2024, 5(1), 286-309; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5010015 - 21 Mar 2024
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This research delves into the intricate dynamics of landslides, emphasizing their consequences on transportation infrastructure, specifically highways and roadway bridges in North Carolina. Based on a prior investigation of bridges in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, we found that bridges above water and
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This research delves into the intricate dynamics of landslides, emphasizing their consequences on transportation infrastructure, specifically highways and roadway bridges in North Carolina. Based on a prior investigation of bridges in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, we found that bridges above water and situated in valleys can be exposed to both landslide and flooding risks. These bridges faced heightened vulnerability to combined landslides and flooding events due to their low depth on the water surface and the potential for raised flood heights due to upstream landslides. Leveraging a dataset spanning more than a century and inclusive of landslide and bridge information, we employed logistic regression (LR) and random forest (RF) models to predict landslide susceptibility in North Carolina. The study considered conditioning factors such as elevation, aspect, slope, rainfall, distance to faults, and distance to rivers, yielding LR and RF models with accuracy rates of 76.3% and 82.7%, respectively. To establish that a bridge’s location is at the bottom of a valley, data including landform, slope, and elevation difference near the bridge location were combined to delineate a bridge in a valley. The difference between bridge height and the lowest river elevation is established as an assumed flooding potential (AFP), which is then used to quantify the flooding risk. Compared to traditional flood risk values, the AFP, reported in elevation differences, is more straightforward and helps bridge engineers visualize the flood risk to a bridge. Specifically, a bridge (NCDOT ID: 740002) is found susceptible to both landslide (92%) and flooding (AFT of 6.61 m) risks and has been validated by field investigation, which is currently being retrofitted by North Carolina DOT with slope reinforcements (soil nailing and grouting). This paper is the first report evaluating the multi-hazard issue of bridges in valleys. The resulting high-fidelity risk map for North Carolina can help bridge engineers in proactive maintenance planning. Future endeavors will extend the analysis to incorporate actual flooding risk susceptibility analysis, thus enhancing our understanding of multi-hazard impacts and guiding resilient mitigation strategies for transportation infrastructure.
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Open AccessArticle
Three-Dimensional Amplitude versus Offset Analysis for Gas Hydrate Identification at Woolsey Mound: Gulf of Mexico
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Saiful Alam, Camelia Knapp and James Knapp
GeoHazards 2024, 5(1), 271-285; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5010014 - 8 Mar 2024
Cited by 1
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The Gulf of Mexico Hydrates Research Consortium selected the Mississippi Canyon Lease Block 118 (MC118) as a multi-sensor, multi-discipline seafloor observatory for gas hydrate research with geochemical, geophysical, and biological methods. Woolsey Mound is a one-kilometer diameter hydrate complex where gas hydrates outcrop
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The Gulf of Mexico Hydrates Research Consortium selected the Mississippi Canyon Lease Block 118 (MC118) as a multi-sensor, multi-discipline seafloor observatory for gas hydrate research with geochemical, geophysical, and biological methods. Woolsey Mound is a one-kilometer diameter hydrate complex where gas hydrates outcrop at the sea floor. The hydrate mound is connected to an underlying salt diapir through a network of shallow crestal faults. This research aims to identify the base of the hydrate stability zone without regionally extensive bottom simulating reflectors (BSRs). This study analyzes two collocated 3D seismic datasets collected four years apart. To identify the base of the hydrate stability zone in the absence of BSRs, shallow discontinuous bright spots were targeted. These bright spots may mark the base of the hydrate stability field in the study area. These bright spots are hypothesized to produce an amplitude versus offset (AVO) response due to the trapping of free gas beneath the gas hydrate. AVO analyses were conducted on pre-stacked 3D volume and decreasing amplitude values with an increasing offset, i.e., Class 4 AVO anomalies were observed. A comparison of a time-lapse analysis and the AVO analysis was conducted to investigate the changes in the strength of the AVO curve over time. The changes in the strength are correlated with the decrease in hydrate concentrations over time.
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Open AccessArticle
Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System in the Black Sea Basin: Selection/Adoption of Ground Motion Prediction Equations with Emphasis in the Cross-Border Areas
by
Nikolaos Theodoulidis, Basil Margaris, Dimitris Sotiriadis, Can Zulfikar, Seyhan Okuyan Akcan, Carmen Ortanza Cioflan, Elena Florinela Manea and Dragos Toma-Danila
GeoHazards 2024, 5(1), 255-270; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5010013 - 5 Mar 2024
Abstract
In the present study, an effort to propose and adopt appropriate Ground Motion Prediction Equations (GMPEs) for the Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS) in the Black Sea basin is attempted. Emphasis of GMPE harmonization in the cross-border areas (CBA) is given. For
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In the present study, an effort to propose and adopt appropriate Ground Motion Prediction Equations (GMPEs) for the Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS) in the Black Sea basin is attempted. Emphasis of GMPE harmonization in the cross-border areas (CBA) is given. For this reason, two distinct sub-areas are investigated, taking into consideration their seismotectonic regime. One sub-area refers to active shallow crustal earthquakes (Greece-Turkey, CBA) and the other to intermediate-depth and shallow crustal earthquakes (Romania-Moldova, Western Black Sea CBA). Testing and ranking of pre-selected GMPEs has been performed using strong motion data of the broader CBA regions of both sub-areas. The final proposed GMPEs to feed the REDA System may assure the effective estimation of ShakeMaps and—in combination with the appropriate vulnerability curves—reliable near-real-time damage assessment in the cross-border earthquake affected areas.
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(This article belongs to the Collection Geohazard Characterization, Modeling, and Risk Assessment)
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Open AccessArticle
New Observational Material about Seismic and Non-Seismic Tsunamis in Greece and Surrounding Areas from 1900 to 2023
by
Ioanna Triantafyllou and Gerassimos A. Papadopoulos
GeoHazards 2024, 5(1), 233-254; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5010012 - 4 Mar 2024
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A new set of observations has been compiled for tsunamis occurring in Greece and in the surrounding areas from 1900 to 2023. A variety of information sources has been collected and examined, including scientific and press reports, books, eyewitness accounts, pictorial and video
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A new set of observations has been compiled for tsunamis occurring in Greece and in the surrounding areas from 1900 to 2023. A variety of information sources has been collected and examined, including scientific and press reports, books, eyewitness accounts, pictorial and video material, and tide-gauge records. New material was also collected during our field surveys in the islands of Cephalonia, Karpathos, and Kos. Our investigation included 26 distinct events and revealed several tsunamis. The majority of them have remained unknown so far in the tsunami community. Our compilation also included little-known events for which further documentation has been provided. Among others, of particular importance is the collection of new information about the well-known tsunami associated with the 9 February 1948 large earthquake in Karpathos Island as well as the unknown so far series of local but powerful tsunamis generated during the seismic crisis of very strong earthquakes that destroyed the Ionian islands during August 1953. The new observational material collected is significant for the enrichment of existing tsunami catalogs with positive implications for better understanding the tsunami generation mechanisms and the assessment of tsunami hazards and risks.
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A GIS-Based Approach for Shallow Landslides Risk Assessment in the Giampilieri and Briga Catchments Areas (Sicily, Italy)
by
Giulio Vegliante, Valerio Baiocchi, Luca Maria Falconi, Lorenzo Moretti, Maurizio Pollino, Claudio Puglisi and Gaia Righini
GeoHazards 2024, 5(1), 209-232; https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards5010011 - 1 Mar 2024
Cited by 1
Abstract
Shallow landslides pose a widely growing hazard and risk, globally and particularly in Mediterranean areas. The implementation of adequate adaptation and mitigation measures necessarily requires the development of practical and affordable methodologies and technologies for assessing the shallow landslides hazard and its territorial
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Shallow landslides pose a widely growing hazard and risk, globally and particularly in Mediterranean areas. The implementation of adequate adaptation and mitigation measures necessarily requires the development of practical and affordable methodologies and technologies for assessing the shallow landslides hazard and its territorial impact. The assessment of shallow landslide hazard maps involves two different and sequential steps: the susceptibility and the runout analysis, respectively, aimed at the identification of the initiation and the propagation areas. This paper describes the application in the Giampilieri and Briga Villages area (Sicily, Italy) of a shallow landslide risk process at a basin scale with an innovative approach in the runout assessment segment. The runout analysis was conducted using specific GIS tools employing an empirical–geometric approach at a basin scale. The exposure and vulnerability values of the elements at risk were assigned using a qualitative and semi-quantitative approach, respectively. The results highlight the effectiveness of the procedure in producing consistent runout hazard and risk assessments in the valley areas where the more important and vulnerable exposed elements are located. This study contributes to addressing the public administration demand for valuable and user-friendly tools to manage and drive regional planning.
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(This article belongs to the Topic Landslide Prediction, Monitoring and Early Warning)
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