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The study deals with the composed landslide Urbas, located in the hinterland of the densely populated settlement in northwestern Slovenia at the foothills of the Karavanke mountain ridge. The Urbas landslide was recognized as the largest landslide among five other landslides that pose a direct danger to the underlying settlement of Koroška Bela. The Urbas landslide has a length of 500 m and a width of about 440 m. The landslide covers an area of 177,000 m2. The formation of the Urbas landslide is related to complex geological and tectonic conditions. It is defined as a rotational landslide and was formed at the tectonic contact between the Triassic carbonate and the Carboniferous clastic rocks, mainly composed of siltstone and claystone. To determine the characteristics and mechanism of the Urbas landslide, several investigations and monitoring projects have been carried out using data from the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), a wire extensometer, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry and hydrometeorological sensing (groundwater table, precipitation). The results of this study show that the dynamics of the Urbas landslide exhibited different kinematic trends associated with different triggering mechanisms, depending on local geological and hydrogeological conditions. Consequently, certain parts of the landslide are at different evolutionary states and respond differently to the same external triggers.Reference: Peternel, T.; Janža, M.; Šegina, E.; Bezak, N.; Maček, M. Recognition of Landslide Triggering Mechanisms and Dynamics Using GNSS, UAV Photogrammetry and In Situ Monitoring Data. Remote Sens. 2022, 14, 3277. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14143277Acknowledgments: This research was funded by Slovenian Research Agency through grants Z1-2638, P1- 0419, P2-0180 and J6-4628. Additional financial support was provided by the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, and the Municipality of Jesenice.

Debris flows are one of the natural disasters that can occur in the alpine environment, cause large economic damage, and endanger human lives. This study presents an overview of recent research done in relation to the debris flow hazard assessment and conceptual mitigation at the Koroska Bela area in Slovenia. This includes fieldwork, lab experiments, modelling, and a conceptual design of hydro-technical measures to reduce the risk. The results indicate that multiple debris flows occurred in the past in the area but a relatively long period of more than 100 years without an extreme event led to urbanization and development of the area. Magnitudes of the most extreme events as the worst-case scenarios were estimated to be in the range between 100,000 and 400,000 m3, using debris flow modelling and geological information from research trenches. Based on the landslide volumes, such events could also potentially occur in the future in extreme conditions. Additionally, torrential floods could mobilize more than 15,000 m3 of material located along the stream network that can be regarded as potentially unstable. The existing check dam system does not have the capacity to capture this material. Thus, a new check dam and three flexible net barriers could help to reduce the risk due to torrential outbursts or debris flows.

On a global scale, inventories and databases are gaining value and there is a demand for openly accessible and reusable data. Here presented GIS database of glacial geomorphological evidence is a compilation of all available glacial and other relevant data in the South-Eastern Alps and the Northern Dinaric Mountains in Slovenia, Italy and Croatia. The database contains the following elements: glacial landforms (e.g., moraines, cirques, erratic fields, kame terraces), non-glacial landforms relevant for the interpretation of the glacial environment (e.g., alluvial fans, alluvial terraces, rock glaciers, protalus ramparts, talus cones), outcrop locations, geochronological data, and data on geophysical exploration. The accompanying attribute tables contains some basic information for each feature, such as type and description of a landform, assumed age, reference, etc. In the first step of database creation, the data were digitised, georeferenced (if not already done by the authors themselves) and cited accordingly. In the second step, the input data were revised in the field and topographically adjusted using a high-resolution lidar-based digital elevation model. The GIS database of glacial geomorphological data was used to develop the web map viewer, which also displays empirically reconstructed ice limits for different time spans during the last glacial cycle (130-0 ka). The data stored in the GIS database is available as ESRI shapefile format. Both the GIS database and the map viewer are open access. Disseminating the results of past and ongoing studies on glacial geomorphological evidence in the Alps-Dinarides junction will improve the availability and accessibility of data, build on previous findings and potentially prevent unnecessary repetition of work already done. Improved accessibility of data also offers greater potential for further research in large-scale studies in the area. This work was funded by the Past climate change and glaciation at the Alps-Dinarides junction project (J1-2479) supported by the Slovenian Research Agency.

Slovenia is affected by extreme and intense rainfall that triggers numerous landslides every year, resulting in significant human impact and damage to infrastructure. Previous studies on landslides have shown how rainfall patterns can influence landslide occurrence, while in this paper, we present one of the first study in Slovenia to examine the impact of climate change on landslides in the mid-21st century. To do this, we used the Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 climate scenario and future climatology simulated by six climate models that differed from each other as much as possible while representing measured values of past climate variables as closely as possible. Based on baseline period (1981-2010) we showed the number of days with exceedance of rainfall thresholds and the area where landslides may occur more frequently in the projection period (2041-2070). We found that extreme rainfall events are likely to occur more frequent in the future, which may lead to a higher frequency of landslides in some areas. Vsako leto Slovenijo prizadenejo ekstremne in močne padavine, ki sprožijo številne zemeljske plazove, kar povzroči znaten vpliv na človeka in škodo na infrastrukturi. Prejšnje študije plazov so pokazale, kako padavine vplivajo na pojav plazov, medtem ko v tem prispevku predstavljamo eno izmed prvih študij v Sloveniji, ki proučuje vpliv podnebnih sprememb na zemeljske plazove sredi 21. stoletja. V ta namen smo uporabili scenarij značilnih potekov vsebnosti toplogrednih plinov (RCP4.5) in uporabili simulacije šestih podnebnih modelov, ki so se med seboj čimbolj razlikovali, hkrati pa kar najbolj enako predstavljali izmerjene vrednosti podnebnih spremenljivk v obdobju meritev. Na podlagi referenčnega obdobja (1981-2010) prikazujemo število dni, ko padavine presežejo sprožilne količine padavin in območja, kjer se lahko plazovi v projekcijskem obdobju (2041-2070) pogosteje pojavljajo. Rezultati kažejo, da se bodo ekstremni padavinski dogodki v prihodnosti zelo verjetno pojavljali pogosteje kot danes, kar lahko na nekaterih območjih povzroči pogostejše pojavljanje zemeljskih plazov.

Debris floods can cause large economic damage and endanger human lives. This paper presents an extreme May 2018 debris flood that occurred in northern Slovenia near the Krvavec ski resort and caused large economic damage. The debris flood was initiated by an extreme rainfall event with a return period of over 50 years. There were large differences in the measured rainfall amounts using different equipment. The estimated volume of the debris material during the event was 4000 m3/km2 for the Brezovski graben. In order to mitigate the risk due to future debris flood and debris flow events, a check is planned to be constructed. The part of the design process is presented in this paper. Additionally, RAMMS model was used to validate the empirical equations that were used in the process of the check dam stability design. The model was calibrated using information about the deposition area. Two adjacent torrents were modelled, and we were not able to find a common RAMMS parameter set that would yield adequate simulation performance in both cases.

Deciphering deformation mechanisms within Quaternary sediments in a highly dynamic environment such as the southeast European Alps is often a challenging task that requires the use of a variety of methods. Due to the geohazards involved, the interpretation of deformation mechanisms can have a major impact on society and may enable the preparation of appropriate engineering solutions. We present an example of how deformation structures can be studied by integrating geomorphological, sedimentological and structural geological mapping using photogrammetric and leveling surveys, paleoseismological techniques, optically stimulated luminescence dating and ground penetrating radar surveys. Quaternary deposits on the slopes of the formerly glaciated So?a Valley near Most na So?i are tilted and dissected along numerous faults within the deformation zone of the Idrija Fault, a large, active, dextral strike-slip fault. Reconstruction of deformation history indicates that at least five deformation events occurred during deposition of the glaciofluvial succession interbedded with glaciolacustrine deposits, dated to Penultimate Glaciation. Ground penetrating radar profiles and outcrop observations reveal NE - SW striking faults, which are approximately perpendicular to the primary Idrija Fault. Based on the local geologic setting, we considered glaciotectonics, gravitational faulting due to ice-decay collapse or slope instability, and tectonic faulting as possible deformation mechanisms. Based on detailed documentation and analysis of the geometry and kinematics of the deformations, we interpret the observed deformations as secondary structures that result from paleoseismic activity of the Idrija Fault, and some structures resulting from glaciotectonics and gravitational faulting. The transtensional type of deformations at the studied site shows the local character of the main fault, which occurs here due to geometrical and kinematical changes of the Idrija Fault causing local transtension in the Most na Soci area. The complexity of the fault and the first paleoseismic evidence dating back to Penultimate Glaciation provide valuable new data for understanding the seismic hazard in the region.

Glaciokarst depressions are major glacigenic depocenters in the Dinaric mountain karst areas and often store important information about the timing and nature of glacial processes and paraglacial sediment reworking. This study focuses on Praprotna draga, which is one of the largest glaciokarst depressions in the Snežnik Mountain (Dinaric karst), with an area of ~3.4 km2 and a maximum depth of 140 m. The western slopes of the depression are characterized by undulated moraine morphology and alluvial fans are filling its entire floor. We present the results on the thickness, origin and age of the sediment infill using a complementary geomorphological, sedimentological, geophysical and dating approach. Distribution of moraines point to two glacial advances that were associated with two main alluvial fan aggradation phases recognized using the electrical resistivity tomography measurements. The youngest alluvial deposits were sampled for cosmogenic 36Cl analysis using amalgamated carbonate pebbles. The depth profile of 36Cl concentrations suggests an age of 12.3 ± 1.7 ka when assuming a likely denudation rate of 20 mm ka−1. Since the existence of the Younger Dryas glaciers in the study area is climatically difficult to explain, we tentatively propose that the youngest alluvial deposition in Praprotna draga took place after the glacier retreat during the paraglacial period. Our findings suggest that the time window of paraglacial adjustment in the Snežnik Mountain was brief and likely conditioned by quick recolonization with vegetation and inefficient surface runoff on deglaciated karst terrain.

This paper focuses on the studying of landslides in the hinterland area of the Koroška Bela settlement, NW Slovenia. Research has shown that these landslides have the potential to mobilize the material into a debris flw. The area of interest is located on the Karavanke mountain ridge, above the settlement of Koroška Bela, which lies on the outskirts of the town of Jesenice. In order to recognize and understand the kinematics of landslides and their triggering mechanisms, a multidisciplinary approach using engineering-geological and geotechnical investigations was applied. Thus, landslide source areas were determined based on engineering-geological mapping. Furthermore, landslide boundaries, types of landslides and sediments that are involved in processes of sliding were mapped in detail. Geotechnical monitoring is benefiial in evaluating rates of movement and failures in the ground under real conditions in the fild. Current investigations as well as historical evidence and previous research prove that the hinterland of Koroška Bela is prone to various types of landslides that together form a source area that has the potential to mobilize into larger debris flw.

Activities toward better understanding and reducing landslide disaster risk are an important part of the voluntary commitment written into the ISDR–ICL Sendai Partnerships 2015–2030. The present study highlights of the learning by doing approach implemented in the case of Potoska planina landslide, which poses a threat for community of Koroska Bela. For the first time in Slovenia, a cooperative team has been established for the purpose of raising awareness and understanding of landslide risk in the community. In addition, a combination of indoor and outdoor training sessions provides both theoretical and practical exercises on how landslides may be identified, together with their key characteristics and methods for landslide monitoring. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of this team, which is made up of different sectors, a questionnaire was drawn up. The responses to the questionnaire showed that understanding of landslide hazards among the members of cooperative team is significantly better than it was before the group was established. The present research proposes a methodology whereby, through cooperative team trainings and mutual cooperation among relevant stakeholders and local authority, important steps toward understanding landslide risks can be achieved, which in particularly is important for local communities and is sure to become a focal point in the coming years, in parallel with the increasing scarcity of financial resources available at the local level.

We present the compilation of a new database of active faults in Slovenia, aiming at introducing geological data for the first time as input for a new national seismic hazard model. The area at the junction of the Alps, the Dinarides, and the Pannonian Basin is moderately seismically active. About a dozen Mw > 5.5 earthquakes have occurred across the national territory in the last millennium, four of which in the instrumental era. The relative paucity of major earthquakes and low to moderate fault slip rates necessitate the use of geologic input for a more representative assessment of seismic hazard. Active fault identification is complicated by complex regional structural setting due to overprinting of different tectonic phases. Additionally, overall high rates of erosion, denudation and slope mass movement processes with rates up to several orders of magnitude larger than fault slip rates obscure the surface definition of faults and traces of activity, making fault parametrization difficult. The presented database includes active, probably active and potentially active faults with trace lengths >5 km, systematically compiled and cataloged from a vast and highly heterogeneous dataset. Input data was mined from published papers, reports, studies, maps, unpublished reports and data from the Geological Survey of Slovenia archives and dedicated studies. All faults in the database are fully parametrized with spatial, geometric, kinematic and activity data with parameter descriptors including data origin and data quality for full traceability of input data. The input dataset was compiled through an extended questionnaire and a set of criteria into a homogenous database. The final database includes 96 faults with 240 segments and is optimized for maximum compatibility with other current maps of active faults at national and EU levels. It is by far the most detailed and advanced map of active faults in Slovenia.

Landslides are a common and widespread phenomenon in Slovenia, as they are in most European countries. Because we cannot avoid the risk of landslides and must live with it, it is important to understand and predict landslide dynamics. Research on landslide dynamics forms the basis of landslide hazard prevention and serves as a basic requirement for the development of prediction models and for defining prevention and mitigation measures. The principal aim of this study is to form a basis to predict real-time dynamics of landslides that have been posing a direct threat to settlement Koroska Bela (with approximately 2200 inhabitants) for centuries. Prediction modelling is based on monitoring and recognition of displacement triggering mechanisms and their interactions. The study area is located above the settlement of Koroska Bela (NW Slovenia, Karavanke) which exhibits a number of deep-seated landslides (the Urbas and Cikla landslides) in weathered siltstone and claystone.

A prototype of a low-cost GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) monitoring system was installed on a deep-seated landslide in north-western Slovenia to test its performance under field conditions. The system consists of newly developed GNSS stations based on low-cost, dual-frequency receivers and open-source GNSS processing software. It automatically receives GNSS data and transmits them over the Internet. The system processes the data server-side and makes them available to the end user via a web portal. The detected surface displacements were evaluated through a comparison with the network of classic geodetic measurements. The results of a nine-month monitoring period using seven GNSS stations provided a detailed insight into the spatial and temporal pattern of deep-seated landslide surface movements. The displacement data were correlated with precipitation measurements at the site to reveal how different parts of the landslide react to rainfall. These data form the basis for the further development of an early-warning system which will help to manage the risk the landslide poses to the local population and infrastructure.

In Slovenia, mass movements are not only a threat to the population, but also a major environmental and social science challenge. Lithologically heterogeneous areas have been found to be problematic, and the Miocene Slovenj Gradec basin (in northeast Slovenia) is one such area. For this area, we developed landslide and rockfall susceptibility maps based on detailed geological research combined with statistical modeling schemes. Crucial factors include lithological composition, land use, geological structural elements, slope curvature, aspect and inclination, and bed dipping. The approach taken in the development of mass movement susceptibility maps presented here is transferable to other areas defined by heterogeneous lithology. Such maps could prove useful spatial planning, forestry, environmental protection, landscape architecture, and other fields.

Geodetic Integrated Monitoring System (GIMS) has been developed as a low-cost solution for detecting and measuring ground movements (https://www.gims-project.eu/). The prototype has been tested on the landslide on Potoška planina in the north of Slovenia that has been monitored by the seven GIMS units. These units, consisting of GNSS receiver and inclinometer, provide live monitoring data with millimetric precision. In this paper, the project consortium presents the first results of the prototype measuring system and estimate its applicability in modern landslides monitoring. The GIMS measurements have been validated by the wire crackmeter located at the site. The data were correlated to the groundwater level in a piezometer and to the amount of precipitation detected at the rain gauge. Results of GIMS units show good comparability to the wire crackmeter measurements and increased precision in detecting variations in landslide movements. The latter enables us to precisely define the rainfall threshold value for the particular landslide as crucial information needed for a reliable early warning system.

The economic viability of Borehole Heat Exchangers (BHEs) depends on the ability of the ground to exchange heat, and maps of the shallow geothermal potential are therefore useful planning tools for future installations. In this work, we present the assessment of shallow geothermal potential in Cerkno, a mountain town of 5,000 inhabitants in western Slovenia. The recently developed G.POT method was applied, taking into account site-specific ground thermal parameters and usage profiles depending on climate conditions. This work is part of the EU-funded project GRETA, aiming at supporting the diffusion of GSHPs in the Alpine territory.

The Post-Forum Study Tour following the 4th World Landslide Forum 2017 in Ljubljana (Slovenia) focuses on the variety of landslide forms in Slovenia and its immediate NW surroundings, and the best-known examples of devastating landslides induced by rainfall or earthquakes. They differ in complexity of the both surrounding area and of the particular geological, structural and geotechnical features. Many of the landslides of the Study Tour are characterized by huge volumes and high velocity at the time of activation or development in the debris flow. In addition, to the damage to buildings, the lives of hundreds of people are also endangered; human casualties occur. On the first day, we will observe complex Pleistocene to recent landslides related to the Mesozoic carbonates thrust over folded and tectonically fractured Tertiary siliciclastic flysch in the Vipava Valley (SW Slovenia), serving as the main passage between the Friulian lowland and central Slovenia, and thus also an important corridor connecting Northern Italy to Central Europe. A combination of unfavourable geological conditions and intense short or prolonged rainfall periods leads to the formation of different types of complex landslides, from large-scale deep-seated rotational and translational slides to shallow landslides, slumps and sediment gravity flows in the form of debris or mudflows. The second day of the study tour will be held in the Soča River Valley located in NW Slovenia close to the border with Italy, where the most catastrophic Stože landslide in Slovenia recently caused the deaths of seven people, and the nearby Strug landslide, which is a combination of rockfall, landslide and debris flow. The final day of the Post-Forum Study Tour will start in the Valcanale Valley located across the border between Slovenia and Italy, severely affected by a debris flow in August 2003. The flow caused the deaths of two people, damaged 260 buildings; large amounts of deposits blocked the A23 Highway, covering both lanes. In Carinthia (Austria), about 25 km west of Villach, the Dobrač/Dobratsch multiple scarps of prehistoric and historic rockslides will be observed. Dobratsch is a massive mountain ridge with a length of 17 km and a width of 6 km, characterized by steep rocky walls. The 3-day study tour will conclude with a presentation of the Potoška planina landslide, a slide whose lower part may eventually generate a debris flow and therefore represents a hazard for the inhabitants and for the infrastructure within or near the village of Koroška Bela.

Tree ring eccentricity was used to reconstruct landslide activity in the last 138 years in the Urbas landslide located at Poto&scaron, ka planina in the NW part of the Karavanke Mountains, Slovenia. The research was based on the dendrochronological sampling of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) in areas of varying landslide intensity. Analysis of a sudden change in the eccentricity index of 82 curved trees concluded that there were 139 growth disturbances and 16 landslide reactivations between 1880 and 2015, with a landslide return period of 8.5 years. Using lidar data, changes in the surface of the digital terrain model (DTM) were compared with changes in the eccentricity index of trees at the same location in the period 2014&ndash, 2017. On the basis of temporal changes in the eccentricity index and by using spatial interpolation, landslide activity was reconstructed for the period 1943&ndash, 2015. During this period, landslide intensity increased in the central part of the landslide. Although categorization into seven categories of different stem curvature was proposed, no distinction between categories with respect to their eccentricity index was found.

Acceso electrónico sólo desde el IGME, Landslides are one of the most widespread geohazards in Europe, producing significant social and economic impacts. Rapid population growth in urban areas throughout many countries in Europe and extreme climatic scenarios can considerably increase landslide risk in the near future. Variability exists between European countries in both the statutory treatment of landslide risk and the use of official assessment guidelines. This suggests that a European Landslides Directive that provides a common legal framework for dealing with landslides is necessary. With this long-term goal in mind, this work analyzes the landslide databases from the Geological Surveys of Europe focusing on their interoperability and completeness. The same landslide classification could be used for the 849,543 landslide records from the Geological Surveys, from which 36% are slides, 10% are falls, 20% are flows, 11% are complex slides, and 24% either remain unclassified or correspond to another typology. Most of them are mapped with the same symbol at a scale of 1:25,000 or greater, providing the necessary information to elaborate European-scale susceptibility maps for each landslide type. A landslide density map was produced for the available records from the Geological Surveys (LANDEN map) showing, for the first time, 210,544 km2 landslide-prone areas and 23,681 administrative areas where the Geological Surveys from Europe have recorded landslides. The comparison of this map with the European landslide susceptibility map (ELSUS 1000 v1) is successful for most of the territory (69.7%) showing certain variability between countries. This comparison also permitted the identification of 0.98 Mkm2 (28.9%) of landslide-susceptible areas without records from the Geological Surveys, which have been used to evaluate the landslide database completeness. The estimated completeness of the landslide databases (LDBs) from the Geological Surveys is 17%, varying between 1 and 55%. This variability is due to the different landslide strategies adopted by each country. In some of them, landslide mapping is systematic; others only record damaging landslides, whereas in others, landslide maps are only available for certain regions or local areas. Moreover, in most of the countries, LDBs from the Geological Surveys co-exist with others owned by a variety of public institutions producing LDBs at variable scales and formats. Hence, a greater coordination effort should be made by all the institutions working in landslide mapping to increase data integration and harmonization., Earth Observation and Geohazards Expert Group (EOEG), EuroGeoSurveys, the Geological Surveys of Europe, Bélgica, Geohazards InSAR Laboratory and Modeling Group, Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, España, Risk and Prevention Division, Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, Francia, Engineering Geology Department, Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration, Grecia, GeoHazard team, Geological Institute of Romania, Rumanía, Geological Survey of Slovenia, Eslovenia, Croatian Geological Survey, Croacia, Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research, Geological Survey of Italy, Italia, Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, Suiza, Geological Survey of Austria, Austria, Polish Geological Institute, National Research Institute, Polonia, Geological Survey of Ireland, Irlanda, Czech Geological Survey, República Checa, Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources, Alemania, Geological Survey of Norway, Noruega, Cyprus Geological Survey, Chipre, Geological Survey of Sweden, Suecia, Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya, España, British Geological Survey, Reino Unido, Geological Survey of Slovakia, Eslovaquia, Geological Survey of Lithuania, Lituania, Federalni zavod za geologiju, Bosnia y Herzegovina, Geological Survey of Estonia, Estonia, Laboratório Nacional de Energia e Geologia, Portugal, Geological Survey of Hungary, Hungría, Norwegian Water and energy Directorate of Norway, Noruega

This paper is a state-of-the-art review of the present status of the Slovenian national legislation and procedures for the hazard and risk assessment of landslides (including rock falls and debris flows). The relevant governing act is the 2002 Waters Act that foresees several legislation documents to be accepted by the ministry in charge of waters in Slovenia. Thanks to the European Flood Directive, procedures have already been regulated in the field of floods, but have still to be regulated in the field of other water-related natural hazards and geo-hazards, such as landslides. In the last decade, several methodologies and different hazard maps have been prepared, but no legal acts (such as decrees, regulations, recommendations or similar acts, let alone standards) have been accepted so far on their basis. Generally, state legislation in the sectors of spatial planning and water management in the form of acts is up-to-date in Slovenia, but much more should be done for its direct implementation for a modern landslide disaster risk reduction.

A method was developed for the susceptibility estimation of different landslide types, and tested in the Bovec municipality, NW Alpine Slovenia. The purpose of the susceptibility maps, at the 1:25,000 scale, is to be used in spatial planning by the local municipality to minimize potential landslide hazard. The requirements taken into account were the following: expert approach, GIS tools support, reasonable production time, and the product being simple to read and understand. The elaboration of the final products comprises four phases, the first three of which are desktop phases: (1) synthesis of archive data, (2) probabilistic model of landslide susceptibility, (3) compilation of phases 1 and 2 into the final map at the 1:25,000 scale. The fourth phase consists of field reconnaissance of areas considered most hazardous.

Protection forests play an important role in mitigating the influence of natural hazards. Despite the growing need for protective functions due to aging forests and increased risk of natural disturbances, active forest management has become increasingly uncommon across the Alps. Active management of protection forests can be facilitated by state subsidies. This requires an objective delineation of forests with a direct protection function and the development of silvicultural techniques that mitigate natural hazards. A study of protection efficiency of beech-dominated forests in the Soteska gorge in NW Slovenia, where a main state road and railway are at risk from debris flows and rockfall, was performed. We assessed the starting points of debris-flow hazard based on a small-scale geological survey of the terrain characteristics and a local debris flow susceptibility map. We applied the TopRunDF model for determination of the run-out zones. Forest structure data were obtained from 26 sample plots. A detailed description and delineation of forest stands was performed. The results showed that these forests play an important role in the protection of infrastructure. Forest protection efficiency can be improved by stand thinning for stability and careful planning of regeneration patches over time and space. In areas where silvicultural measures cannot provide sufficient protection, technical measures are needed. Since these forests have not been managed for several decades, natural disturbances (windthrow) are frequent. Research findings suggest that regular assessment and management of these beech-dominated protection forests are necessary, contrary to the current practice of non-management in protection forests in Slovenia.

Slope sediments of the Vipava Valley represent a complex sedimentary system deposited by very different mechanisms of transport and sedimentary processes that are controlled by a specific lithological and tectonic structure as well as climate conditions of the valley. Varying intensities and dynamics of mass movement processes in this area during the recent geological history (late Pleistocene and early Holocene) influenced the spatial distribution of slope sediments.

The landslide as a debris flow source identification is an important but often complex step in debris flow hazard assessment. Landslides are an important source of debris flows and this paper presents a multi-model approach of identification. The village of Koroska Bela in NW Slovenia has a history of debris flows and active landslides in the watershed of the Bela torrent, which presents a sediment source for potential debris flows in the future. Two models were applied for landslide identification in the watershed. A detailed field survey was carried out for model results validation. A GIS-based landslide susceptibility model was applied to identify areas susceptible to landslides and the LS Rapid triggering model was applied also to identify landslides and simulate the triggering phase. The study results show good agreement of the field survey and the models, particularly considering the completely different origin of both models and their development. These results show the possibility of applying numerical models to identify landslide sources and encourage their implementation in debris flow hazard assessment. But as with all models, a high level of expert knowledge and users’ experience is required to get useful, and what is more, reliable results.

In the RECALL project the Geological Survey of Slovenia (GeoZS) was a technical partner, responsible for the detailed analysis of the state of the art of reinforcement measurement, state of maintenance, priorities of investments in 4 European pilot areas which present high levels of landslide risk and interest more than 5.000 inhabitants altogether. Based on the preliminary reports a detail field inspection have been carried out for each pilot area where focus was on landslide characteristics, landslide material, triggering factors, review of damage on objects and infrastructures, collaboration with local experts and civil protection representatives. On the basis of all collected data the GeoZS prepared comprehensive report about landslide situation and provide guidelines, recommendations, priority measures (interventions) and strategies for landslide mitigation. The proposed strategy will encourage local communities to a better understanding of landslides as well make a further step in mitigation strategies.

A new benthic foraminifer is described as Siphodinarella costata n. gen., n. sp. from Coniacian shallow-water platform-interior carbonates of Slovenia and Croatia. The new foraminifer is found in skeletal wackestone in association with small benthic foraminifera, thaumatoporellaceans, and calcimicrobes (Decastronema, Girvanella-type tubes). The existence of an internal siphon in Siphodinarella n. gen. is interpreted as an entosolenian tube and discussed in terms of its generic and suprageneric importance.

Il progetto RoofOfRock, finanziato nell’ambito del 2° bando di cooperazione transfrontaliera dell’Adriatico IPA 2007-2013 è iniziato nell’ottobre 2012, si concluderà a fine settembre del 2015 e coinvolge 10 partner di 4 nazioni: Slovenia, Italia, Croazia e Bosnia Herzegovina. In qualità di partner associato e stakeholder partecipano le regioni Friuli Venezia Giulia e Veneto. Il progetto RoofOfRock ha tra le sue finalità quelle di proporre un utilizzo del calcare tabulare compatibile con l’ambiente, di favorirne la protezione e la promozione nonché di elaborare delle linee guida utili per una sua valorizzazione come patrimonio naturale e culturale. I principali obiettivi del progetto sono i seguenti: studiare l’utilizzo dei calcari tabulari lungo il settore carsico dell’Adriatico nel corso della storia e individuare gli esempi di buona e di cattiva prassi; determinare le principali proprietà fisico-meccaniche dei calcari tabulari che vengono adoperati come materiale da costruzione; individuare le aree estrattive del calcare tabulare utilizzato negli edifici selezionati ed analizzare dal punto di vista geologico, geomorfologico e paleontologico gli affioramenti presenti all’interno delle zone di provenienza; individuare delle aree di provenienza del calcare tabulare dove si possano attuare tecniche di estrazione compatibili con l’ambiente; definire un quadro legislativo comune su tutto il territorio interessato dal progetto; rendere consapevoli ed istruire gli stakeholder (progettisti, architetti, costruttori edili, ecologisti, soprintendenti regionali, rappresentanti delle autorità locali), gli utilizzatori (artigiani) nonché in generale l’opinione pubblica, sulla corretta prassi di utilizzo della pietra da costruzione, sull’uso sostenibile delle risorse minerarie, e sul mantenimento dei beni naturali e del patrimonio culturale. La Regione Adriatica condivide la storia geologica, specie quella degli ultimi 200 milioni di anni. I platy limestone (calcari tabulari) giurassici, cretacici e paleocenici sono stati ampiamente utilizzati come materiale da costruzione in tutta l’area e rappresentano un importante elemento comune ai popoli adriatici. L’utilizzo di pietre calcaree come materiale da costruzione tradizionale è proseguito sino ai giorni nostri dando un’impronta particolare al paesaggio della costa adriatica. In questo volume vengono descritte le caratteristiche litologiche e le modalità estrattive dei calcari tabulari. Vengono inoltre presentati gli studi condotti su 10 edifici, religiosi e civili, tipici dell’area carsica (5 per l’Italia e 5 per la Slovenia) che presentano elementi architettonici in calcare tabulare. Pri projektu RoofOfRock, ki je bil izbran za sofinanciranje v okviru 2. poziva Jadranskega čezmejnega programa IPA 2007–2013, sodeluje deset projektnih partnerjev iz štirih držav, in sicer iz Slovenije, Italije, s Hrvaške ter iz Bosne in Hercegovine. Projekt se je začel izvajati oktobra 2012 in se bo zaključil konec septembra 2015. Pri projektu sodelujeta tudi italijanski pokrajini Furlanija - Julijska krajina kot deležnik in Benečija kot pridruženi partner. Namen projekta RoofOfRock je vzpostaviti skupni temelj za trajnostno rabo, zaščito in promocijo ploščastih apnencev ter oblikovati uporabne smernice za trajnostno upravljanje ploščastih apnencev kot skupne naravne in kulturne vrednote na celotnem projektnem prostoru. Poglavitni cilji projekta so: analizirati uporabo gradbenega kamna na kraški jadranski obali skozi zgodovino in prepoznati primere dobre in slabe prakse; opredeliti osnovne naravne značilnosti apnencev, ki se uporabljajo kot gradbeni material, ter natančno opredeliti naravne značilnosti in pojavljanje ploščastih apnencev; opredeliti izvor gradbenega kamna, uporabljenega v izbranih objektih, in raziskati pojavljanje teh kamnin v naravi; opredeliti naravna nahajališča ploščastih apnencev in analizirati pogoje za trajnostno rabo te mineralne surovine; pripraviti strokovno podlago za skupni zakonodajni okvir na celotnem projektnem območju; ozavestiti in izobraziti deležnike (prostorski načrtovalci, arhitekti, gradbeniki, naravovarstveniki, konservatorji, predstavniki lokalnih in državnih oblasti), uporabnike (obrtniki) in širšo javnost o dobri praksi uporabe gradbenega kamna, trajnostni rabi mineralnih surovin ter ohranjanju naravnih vrednot in kulturne dediščine na primeru ploščastih apnencev. Območje Jadrana deli skupno geološko preteklost, dolgo najmanj 200 milijonov let. Apnenec, nastal na plitvi karbonatni platformi, so na celotnem projektnem območju uporabljali kot glavni gradbeni material in ima eno najpomembnejših vlog pri oblikovanju skupne zgodovine. Uporaba ploščastega apnenca kot tradicionalnega gradbenega materiala se je ohranila do današnjih dni in jadranski obali daje poseben pečat. V pričujočem delu so opisani litološke značilnosti in načini pridobivanja ploščastega apnenca ter uporaba tega materiala pri gradnji desetih značilnih sakralnih in posvetnih stavb z območja matičnega Krasa (petih iz Italije in petih iz Slovenije), v katerih so zastopani arhitekturni elementi iz tovrstnega kamna. The RoofOfRock Project is being implemented under 2nd call for ordinary projects of Adriatic IPA CBC Programme 2007, joining 10 partners from 4 countries Slovenia, Italy, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It started in October 2012 and is going to be implemented until the end of September 2015. Two Italian Regions Friuli Venezia Giulia and Veneto are participating as stakeholder and associate partner . The RoofOfRock intention is to establish joint platform for platy limestone sustainable use, preservation and promotion, to create the relevant guidelines and to upgrade both individual and joint capacities in preserving such common natural and cultural heritage. The specific objectives of the project are: To analyze the use of building stone in Adriatic karst through time and to identify examples of best and bad practice; To define general natural characteristics of limestone used as building material dimension stone and to characterize precisely the natural characteristics and extent of natural appearance for the specific platy limestone; To identify provenience of stone used in architecture and to analyze the spatial distribution of the specific rock types in nature; To identify remaining natural resources and analyze conditions for sustainable use of this mineral commodity and to prepare grounds for common legislation in the project area; To prepare grounds for common legislation in the project area; To educate the stakeholders (spatial planners conservators, and local government), craftsmen and general public in best practice use of building stone in project area and to promote the sustainable use, preservation of cultural heritage and natural heritage. The entire Adriatic Region shares at least 200 million years of common geological history. The limestone formed on this platform was used as a primary building material throughout the whole project area and takes one of the most important roles in creating common human history. The specific platy limestone as the basic construction material gives the Adriatic coastline and its hinterland the primary character. In this booklet, the lithological characteristics and the exploitation techniques for platy limestones are described. Moreover, the traditional use of this building material is presented through 10 typical civil or religious buildings from Classical Karst area, 5 from Italy and 5 from Slovenia, where architectural elements made of platy limestone are present.

The paper aims to present the geology of the western part of the Classical Karst (NW Dinarides), located at the border between Slovenia and Italy. The work is based on archive, published and new data collected by Slovenian and Italian researchers within several scientific national and Cross Border Cooperation projects. The map, produced at a scale of 1:50,000, summarizes the lithological and structural setting and is supplemented by three geological cross-sections of the study area.

The active landslide Slano blato above Lokavec in the Vipava valley, Slovenia, is a complex phenomenon. The hinterland of the landslide consists of the large fossil block of Mala Gora that slid about 300 m down the slope of Mt. Čaven, and was tilted with respect to the slope. We presume that the corresponding failure surface is concavelyshaped. The block consist in its lower part of Eocene flysch beds and in its upper part of Triassic carbonate rocks that are thrust over the flysch. It is probable that due to gravitational slumping the flysch basement obtained a concave shape, that serves as a catchment structure for retaining the ground water. It slowly percolates throughthe crushed calcarenitic layers in flysch. According to available data the Slano blato was triggered in 1887 by earthworks, and in 2000 by natural erosion processes. The structural characteristics allow the assumption that movement occurs in crushed and weathered flysch beds that are percolated by a steady or periodical supply ofgroundwater from the structural reservoir in the Mala Gora fossil slumped block. Coexistence of the older structural and the younger active weathered material landslides can be observed also at other localities along the thrust front of the Trnovo and Hrušica (Nanos) nappe. Especially interesting in this respect are the Razdrto and Strane landslides.

Two sections located in the northwestern part of the Palaeogene Adriatic carbonate platform (PgAdCP) were measured and sampled to document the complexity of changes at the Palaeocene–Eocene boundary. Carbon and oxygen isotope records in combination with a detailed study of larger benthic foraminifera (LBF) are used to describe the turnover of foraminifera and to refine the shallow benthic zonation scheme.

Cretaceous shallow-marine carbonate rocks of SW Slovenia were deposited in the northern part of the Adriatic Carbonate Platform. A 560-m-thick continuous Upper Cenomanian to Santonian carbonate succession has been studied near Hrusica Village in Matarsko Podolje. With regard to lithological, sedimentological, and stratigraphical characteristics, the succession has been divided into nine lithostratigraphic units, mainly reflecting regressive and transgressive intervals of larger scale. During the latest Cenomanian and Early Turonian, hemipelagic limestones were deposited on top of shallow-marine lagoon and peritidal Upper Cenomanian deposits indicating relative sea-level rise. Subsequently, the deeper marine depositional setting was gradually filled by clinoform bioclastic sand bodies overlain by peritidal and shallow-marine low-energy mainly lagoonal lithofacies. Similar lithofacies of predominately inner ramp/shelf depositional settings prevail over the upper part (i.e., Coniacian to Santonian) of the succession. In the area, the Upper Cetaceous carbonate rocks are separated from the overlying Lower Eocene (Upper Paleocene?) carbonate sequence by regional unconformity denoted by distinct paleokarstic features. On the Adriatic Carbonate Platform the deeper marine carbonate setting, developed at the Cenomanian/Turonian boundary, is usually correlated with OAE2 and related eustatic sea-level rise. Similarly, subsequent reestablished shallow-marine conditions are related to Late Turonian long- and short-term sea-level fall. However, we are suggesting that deeper marine deposits were deposited in a tectonically induced intraplatform basin formed simultaneously with the uplift of the northern and northeastern marginal parts of the Adriatic Carbonate Platform.