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Empirical/geometric methods rely on simple geometrical connections between some landslide parameters and the runout distance reached by the displaced material. Despite the extreme simplification of the dynamic of this landslide typology, those methods can provide useful information about the propagation of this shallow and fast landslide typology, joining the reliability of the results with easiness of use. The objective of this work is to compare the efficacy of different geometric relationships for the identification of the runout distances in a debris- and mud-flows-prone test area located in Sicily, southern Italy, where several events were analyzed, and a consistent set of data was collected and processed. Notwithstanding some uncertainties in the methodological approach and not negligible scattering between expected and observed runout distances, the use of such geometric approaches, together with the evaluation of kinematic parameters such as velocity and kinetic energy, can significantly boost the implementation of site-specific analyses for a more detailed definition of landslides susceptibility at a local scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A growing health concern, due to poor air quality, recently led to an increased number of studies regarding air pollution effects on public health. Consequently, close attention is paid to estimation methods of exposure to atmospheric pollutants. This paper aims to meet a specific requirement of epidemiological researchers, that is providing annual air pollution maps at municipality scale for health impact assessment purposes on national basis. Firstly, data fusion through kriging with external drift is implemented, combining pollution data from two different sources, models and measurements, in order to improve the spatial distribution of surface concentrations at grid level. Then, the assimilated data of air pollution are upscaled, so as to obtain concentrations at municipality level. This methodology was applied to Italy and Spain (in Spain, only the second step was carried out since the modeled concentration already included an assimilation procedure). In both countries, for each municipality, an estimate of the concentration value for atmospheric pollutants of major concern for human health (PM and NO) was provided, offering more relevant information from a surveillance point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air backward trajectory calculations are commonly used in a variety of atmospheric analyses, in particular for source attribution evaluation. The accuracy of backward trajectory analysis is mainly determined by the quality and the spatial and temporal resolution of the underlying meteorological data set, especially in the cases of complex terrain. This work describes a new tool for the calculation and the statistical elaboration of backward trajectories. To take advantage of the high-resolution meteorological database of the Italian national air quality model MINNI, a dedicated set of procedures was implemented under the name of M-TraCE (MINNI module for Trajectories Calculation and statistical Elaboration) to calculate and process the backward trajectories of air masses reaching a site of interest. Some outcomes from the application of the developed methodology to the Italian Network of Special Purpose Monitoring Stations are shown to assess its strengths for the meteorological characterization of air quality monitoring stations. M-TraCE has demonstrated its capabilities to provide a detailed statistical assessment of transport patterns and region of influence of the site under investigation, which is fundamental for correctly interpreting pollutants measurements and ascertaining the official classification of the monitoring site based on meta-data information. Moreover, M-TraCE has shown its usefulness in supporting other assessments, i.e., spatial representativeness of a monitoring site, focussing specifically on the analysis of the effects due to meteorological variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Remote sensing methods enable the rapid and inexpensive mapping of surface geological and mineralogical features. This capability proves highly useful when working on isolated or inaccessible areas. In this study, several enhancements of Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (i.e. band ratios, false colour composites and principal component analysis) were used and evaluated to obtain the best possible visualisation of iron deposits hosted in the Devonian sedimentary rocks of northwestern Africa. In particular, two test sites were chosen: southern Algeria (Djebilet area), where the literature mineralogical and geological data on iron mine fields were already available, and the Western Sahara (the southern flank of Tindouf Basin), which was investigated during a field campaign and was where the occurrence of an analogous sedimentary succession led us to hypothesise the possible presence of exploitable iron deposits. This work demonstrates the usefulness of multispectral imagery in the detection of iron-rich areas and establishes a full remote sensing procedure, which can be profitably applied to a wider region of Western Sahara and can provide interesting perspectives on the possibility of detecting new exploitable iron ore deposits in arid environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide detection and mapping represent fundamental requirements for every hazard and risk evaluation and consequent improvement of the management strategies for such natural hazards. Optical and radar remote sensing can be used to observe landslide-induced ground deformation, ranging from regional to local scales. This work presents a methodology called Landslide HotSpot Mapping; this approach integrates cartographic, thematic and optical data with Persistent Scatterer Interferometry for the identification of extremely slow to very slow moving landslides, and for the evaluation of their state of activity and intensity. This methodology scans wide areas to detect hotspots, which are narrow unstable zones characterized by higher landslide hazard . To these hotspots, priority has to be given when planning field surveys and in situ validation campaigns, so that field work time and effort can be optimized and significantly reduced. The approach is tested in Central Calabria, over a 4,470 km area located in southern Italy. ENVISAT ascending images acquired between 2003 and 2009 and processed with the Persistent Scatterer Pairs (PSP) technique are used to analyse deformation patterns. Combining conventional photo-interpretation with the analysis of PSP data, 64 new landslides are identified and the spatial (boundaries) and temporal (activity) information of 980 pre-mapped phenomena (23.6% of updated inventory) are updated. 1,012 active (continuous or reactivated) landslides are identified and 4 hotspot areas selected: San Fili, Rende, Lago, Catanzaro. Urgent field checks have to be organized for these hotspots to validate the satellite-based observations and to design appropriate mitigation measures to reduce impacts on the elements at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]