Multi-Temporal and Quantitative Geomorphological Analysis on the Large Landslide of Craco Village (M118)

Abstract

The village of Craco (Basilicata, Italy), is being affected by severe landslide phenomena mainly due to the geological and geomorphological setting of the area. The village has been interested by a progressive abandon of the population after the occurrence in the time of landslides and earthquakes that caused the disruption of large portions of the urban settlement. Several landslide typologies can be recognized in the area: rock-falls in the upper part of the hill, rotational and translational earth slides, earth-flows, rock lateral spreading. The main purpose of the paper is to reconstruct the evolution of the geological and morphological dynamics acting on the southern slope of Craco, where the largest landslides occurred in the past.

The analysis of deep landslide phenomena has been carried out with a multi-temporal geomorphological approach using analogical and digital photogrammetry on 4 different set of aerial photos (1954–1999). The analysis has stressed a progressive retrogression of the crown area in the upper portions of the hill that caused, in the recent past, the degradation or, in some cases, the complete disruption of part of the historical village, where most of cultural heritage was located.

The reconstruction of the landslide evolution acting in this area can be very useful as model to transfer in other areas characterized by similar geological and morphological setting that may result in large landslide phenomena. The suggestion of correct mitigation strategies may help to prevent environmental and, consequently, social degradation of the territory.