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• Channel dynamics of pseudomeandering rivers is poorly known. • The study river reacted very rapidly to sediment supply changes. • Deforestation resulted in an increase of sediment supply and in a braided channel. • Reforestation and gravel mining caused river incision and a low sinuosity channel. • Post mining sediment supply increase was a key factor in shaping channel morphology. Typically, pseudomeandering rivers are gravel-bed streams considered unstable and prone to turning into braided or meandering channels under the effect of external forcings. Channel changes of pseudomeandering rivers have not been investigated in detail so far. This paper analyses the response of a pseudomeandering river (the Cecina River in western central Italy) to variations of sediment supply resulting from streambed material mining and land use change throughout the last two centuries. Old maps and 11 sets of aerial images from 1954 to the present of four representative sites were used to measure the variation through time of bankfull width and channel sinuosity. The changes in the number of bends, chute channels, bank erosion, bend extension, migration and retraction were recorded and the main processes which favoured pseudomeandering river channel changes were investigated. The old maps indicate that in the first half of the XIX century, the study river had probably a braided morphology in response to the increase in sediment supply following the liberalization of deforestation. From the beginning of the XX century to the present, the river had a predominantly single thread, pseudomeandering morphology which did not change during about 20 years of intense gravel mining (the 1960s – mid-1980s) when the main response of the river was channel incision and narrowing. A few years after bed material extraction stopped the river started to widen, to increase channel sinuosity and consolidate its pseudomeandering morphology. The study confirms that marked variations in sediment supply are more effective than floods in triggering river channel changes. The study also shows that the pseudomeandering configuration is less unstable than previously highlighted in other scientific works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Rapid geomorphological evolution occurred in the erodible lithology and semiarid climate of southern Italy. • A deposition phase during the Little Ice Age (LIA) was the last global cold climatic phase. • Badland incision occurred during Mediaeval Warm Period and continued in stably alternating phases until 1700 CE. • Valley aggradation ended early in 1850 as a phase of historic arroyo cutting began. • Geomorphological evolution around Basilicata during the LIA was very rapid and controlled by extreme surface process sensitivity to climate change. There is a general consensus that the increased frequency of extreme climatic events will quickly change the morphology of the landscapes in the Mediterranean area. Knowing and understanding the expected changes becomes crucial for defining future adaptive strategies. This paper deals with the very rapid geomorphological evolution in an emblematic Mediterranean area, the Basilicata region of southern Italy, during the last 300 years. The results show that the landscape evolution was mainly controlled by the extreme sensitivity of surface processes to climate change. Landslides, a new cycle of the formation of badland landforms such as calanchi and biancane, and an aggradation/incision phase in the main river valleys have completely reshaped the landscape of the Bradanic Trough, whereas fresh eroded material was moved to the coast. New data on valley-fill alluvium in the Basento River and one of its main left tributaries, the Vella stream, show ages ranging from 1700 to 1850. This deposition phase coincides with the Little Ice Age, an epoch of global climate variability. Previous literature showed that the alluvium of this age consists of a mappable stratigraphic unit outcropping in all the large alluvial valleys of the Basilicata and Mediterranean regions. Palaeoclimate and high-resolution palaeoflood data indicate that valley-fill alluviation occurred during a long humid period. Valley aggradation ended in approximately 1850 with the beginning of a new phase of historic arroyo cutting, mainly due to high magnitude-low frequency rainy events within prolonged drought periods. The stream incision drew the terminal dissection of the clayey slopes into biancana rounded morphologies. These data seem to be confirmed by the comparable heights of about 3 m, both of the biancane and of the fluvial terraces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the past sixty years, the social and economic development causes a change of traditional activities and a movement of the population towards urbanized areas in different regions of Italy. The replacement of vegetated land surface with impervious surface areas changed the hydrologic fluxes of a drainage basin with important consequences on the basin resilience to rainfall events. The main objective of this paper is to present the methodology and the results of a study for quantifying and analysing the hydrological responses to land use and climate changes by means of ArcSWAT model. The case study was the runoff dynamic of the Elsa river basin which was analysed by climate and land use change along more than fifty years (1954–2007). Results showed that, the model was effective in simulating daily base, peak and total runoff, scoring a very good performance. Analysis indicated that given the same climatic conditions, changes in land use played a considerable role since in peak and total runoff formation that were increased with the increase of artificial surfaces and specialised agriculture. This type of analysis proved to be effective in analysing past and future hydrological dynamics of the basin. Our findings suggest that such an approach could help policymakers involved in the land use planning in taking into account land use change, since it can amplify the effects of climate and demographic changes on basin hydrodynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • New empirical estimates are provided for monthly R-factors over Italy for 1981–2010. • R-factor is currently larger in autumn and summer, lower in spring and winter. • 29 EURO-CORDEX projections for 2021–2050 and 2051–2080 under three RCPs are used. • Future anomalies are critical in autumn (whole Italy), and in summer (North). • There is a large variability associated with the use of an ensemble of projections. The estimation of rainfall erosivity in the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) requires long series of sub-hourly rainfall observations. Due to the endemic unavailability of this information, at least with the required degree of detail and coverage, empirical models are frequently used for the estimation of rainfall erosivity basing on easily retrievable rainfall values at the monthly or annual scale. In this paper, an empirical model is calibrated for Italy to bridge the annual to monthly scale gap by means of 10-year series of monthly rainfall observations at 171 Italian rain gauges, and then applied using the ERA5-Land gridded rainfall dataset to obtain maps of monthly and seasonal rainfall erosivity covering the reference period 1981–2010. Successively, 29 EURO-CORDEX bias-corrected rainfall projections for two future horizons (2021–2050 and 2051–2080 under RCP 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5) are used to obtain expected anomalies of seasonal rainfall erosivity over Italy with respect to the reference period. Statistical and visual analysis of results shows that positive percentage anomalies are expected in large portions of the country, especially under RCP 2.6 but with significant increases expected also under RCPs 4.5 and 8.5, especially in autumn and, secondarily, in summer. This intra-annual rainfall erosivity anomaly pattern entails the existence of increasing trends in the erosion hazard that cannot be captured by empirical models only relying on annual rainfall. The position of those results in the related literature is deeply discussed, providing significant insights on uncertainty sources and possible future research developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Watercourses play a key role in transferring sediments from mountain to the coast. • Calabrian streams were intensely regulated with check dams in the lower reaches. • In the studied fiumara check dam system traps large amount of sediments. • Coastal retreatment is intimately correlated to sediments stored behind check dams. Currently, most of the world's coastal territories are subject to erosive processes, often caused by an alteration of sediment balance due to both natural and anthropogenic factors. This issue is relevant in many Mediterranean territories such as Calabria region, in southern Italy. Here, considerable anthropogenic pressures affect about 750 km of coast on which debouch short torrential rivers locally termed 'fiumare'. The regional climate, hydrology and geomorphology leads to intensive fiumare catchment erosion and high fluvial solid loads. The work focuses on the Gallico fiumara , chosen as case study affected by an intense hydraulic regulation programme in order to investigate the poorly studied effects of engineering control works on shoreline changes. The paper has considered the effects of the 264 check dams (completely filled a few years after their realization) only investigating the relationships between the volume retained by the structures and shoreline change during the several arrangement campaigns. Although the work does not consider the other processes that explain the complexity of the watershed-coast sediment balance, it has been clearly demonstrated an influence of check dam system on the evolution of the shoreline, especially due to the hydraulic works installed in the lower part of the watershed. In the light of the results obtained, it would be desirable to promote a debate on the opportunity to convert or demolish the check dams in the torrent reaches closest to the coast, where, moreover, the engineering control most reduced the already limited natural riverbed slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The first genetic model for wavy flowstone carbonate deposits. • Wavy flowstones only form because of high rainfall rates (storms) • Wavy flowstones are new promising hydroclimatic indicators. Speleothems show an array of shapes. Flowstones are commonly tabular sheet-like deposits, which cover cave floors and walls. They can procure detailed information about past hydrogeological conditions through their morphology, geochemical composition and stratigraphic properties, which in turn are related to the climate conditions at the surface. This is possible if the climate and environmental factors controlling the formation of these deposits are well understood. In Bossea Cave (north-east Italy), we have investigated highly symmetrical wavy flowstones that have never been described in detail before. These deposits show a cyclical repetition of sloped and sub-vertical layers, with knickpoints migrating downslope. This paper investigates the origin of these peculiar carbonate deposits, using: i) terrestrial laser scanning surveys; ii) petrographic observations; iii) oxygen and carbon stable isotope analyses; iv) hydrochemical monitoring data of feeding waters. According to these analyses, we have generated a genetic model that demonstrates: 1) laminar flow of CaCO 3 –rich water prevails during the deposition of the flowstone; in accordance, the final flowstone architecture does not appear to be influenced by random irregularities of the underlying bedrock substrate. 2) The peculiar morphology is inherited by ripples occurring in the flowing water films during carbonate deposition, which trigger the precipitation of regularly spaced CaCO 3 deposits along the bedrock slopes. Because of these ripple-induced initial deposits, calcite then deposits as sloped and sub-vertical layers, giving rise to a wavy-like morphology. 3) Wavy calcite layers are only deposited after heavy rainfall events occurred within two to four consecutive rainy days (10 to 20 mm/hour during rainfall peaks; average rates between 3.5 and 7.0 mm/hour); in contrast, calcite deposition cannot occur during low rainfall events (less than 5 mm/hour during rainfall peaks, average rates around 0.8 mm/hour). We therefore propose that the studied wavy flowstones are hydroclimatic indicators, testifying the occurrence of flashy type recharge related to heavy rainfall events. Similar deposits could record these same hydro-climatic conditions in other karst areas. In recent decades, storms have caused more frequent flooding in highly populated Mediterranean areas, especially in Italy. Wavy flowstones may offer a new archive to gain a better understanding of the long-term dynamics of intense precipitation events and, thus, help to improve future climate scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper deals with the development of a multidisciplinary research on weathering profiles of granitoid and gneissic rocks related to tectonic and landscape evolution of the western Sila Grande Massif (Calabria, southern Italy). Field scale observations and petrographical and mineralogical features are used to characterize in detail the weathering processes. The weathering profiles of the granitoid cut slopes are generally simple showing a progressive weathering increase toward the top of the slopes, whereas the weathering profiles of the gneissic cut slopes are generally complex with irregularities in the spatial distribution of weathered horizons. The microfabric and petrographic analyses show that gneissic samples (classes V–VI of weathering grade) are characterized by higher percentage of altered minerals and microfracture and void rather than granitoid samples (classes V–VI of weathering grade). The main mineralogical changes concern the partial transformation of biotite and the partial destruction of feldspars (mainly plagioclases), associated with the neoformation of secondary minerals (clay minerals and Fe-oxides) and with a substitution of the original rock fabric. Neoformed clay minerals and ferruginous products replaced feldspars and biotite during the most advanced weathering stage. Referred as physical changes coupled with chemical variations, the final results of weathering process are a soil-like material characterized by sand–gravel grain-size fraction for the granitoid rocks and by both silt–clay and sand–silt grain-size fraction for the gneissic rocks. This generally produces a greater value of the SGI (Sand Generation Index) for granitoids and explains the great productivity in sandy deposits of this lithology. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Including runoff in USLE-type empirical models is expected to improve plot soil loss prediction at the event temporal scale and literature yields encouraging signs of the possibility to simply estimate runoff at these spatial and temporal scales. The objective of this paper was to develop an estimating procedure of event soil loss from bare plots (length=11–44m, slope steepness=14.9–16.0%) at two Italian sites, i.e. Masse, in Umbria, and Sparacia, in Sicily, having a similar sand content (5–7%) but different silt (33% at Sparacia, 59% at Masse) and clay (62% and 34%, respectively) contents. A test of alternative erosivity indices for the Masse station showed that the best performances were obtained by the USLE-MM, originally developed at the Sparacia station. This model includes an erosivity index equal to a power (exponent>1) of the runoff ratio, QR , times the single-storm erosion index, EI 30. The fitted models at the two stations were found to coincide for highly erosive events (i.e., QREI 30 >6MJmmha−1 h−1). A parallelism of the two models was detected for low erosivity events. In conclusion, runoff was an important predictor of soil erosion, and local soil characteristics had a more noticeable effect on soil loss for events with a relatively low soil detachment and transport ability. A wider applicability of the USLE-MM scheme can be suggested than for the Sparacia station alone. Additional testing of the model in other environments and development of accurate procedures to estimate plot runoff coefficient at the event temporal scale are required. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • We tested a rapid workflow to estimate the anthropogenic reworked soil of terraces. • High-resolution topographic surveys enabled a detail assessment of terrace features. • Geomorphological features were fundamental to estimate terrace soil volumes. • Terrace volume estimation provides new benchmarks for soil erosion/C budget models. • The terrace volume data give new perspectives for management and preservation. High-resolution topographic (HRT) techniques allow the mapping and characterization of geomorphological features with wide-ranging perspectives at multiple scales. We can exploit geomorphometric information in the study of the most extensive and common landforms that humans have ever produced: agricultural terraces. We can only develop an understanding of these historical landform through in-depth knowledge of their origin, evolution and current state in the landscape. These factors can ultimately assist in the future preservation of such landforms in a world increasingly affected by anthropogenic activities. From HRT surveys, it is possible to produce high-resolution Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) from which important geomorphometric parameters such as topographic curvature, to identify terrace edges can be extracted, even if abandoned or covered by uncontrolled vegetation. By using riser bases as well as terrace edges (riser tops) and through the computation of minimum curvature, it is possible to obtain environmentally useful information on these agricultural systems such as terrace soil thickness and volumes. The quantification of terrace volumes can provide new benchmarks for soil erosion models, new perspectives to stakeholders for terrace management in terms of natural hazard and offer a measure of the effect of these agricultural systems on soil organic carbon sequestration. This paper presents the realization and testing of an innovative and rapid methodological workflow to estimate the anthropogenic reworked and moved soil of terrace systems in different landscapes. We start with remote terrace mapping at large scale and then utilize more detailed HRT surveys to extract geomorphological features, from which the original theoretical slope-surface of terrace systems were derived. These last elements were compared with sub-surface information obtained from the excavations across the study sites that confirm the reliability of the methodology used. The results of this work have produced accurate DTMs of Difference (DoD) for three terrace sites in central Europe in Italy and Belgium. Differences between actual and theoretical terraces from DTM and excavation evidence have been used to estimate the soil volumes and masses used to remould slopes. The utilization of terrace and lynchet volumetric data, enriched by geomorphometric analysis through indices such as sediment conductivity provides a unique and efficient methodology for the greater understanding of these globally important landforms, in a period of increasing land pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper reports the results of a field investigation aiming at characterizing the morphology and hydraulics of both rills and ephemeral gullies (EGs) monitored at Sparacia experimental area, Sicily, Italy. The comparison between rill and interrill erosion measurements showed that sediment delivery processes occurred in some erosive events and that the rill erosion rate was dominant in many cases. The measurements were used for testing both the empirical relationships between the channel (rill, EGs and gully) length and its eroded volume and among the morphological variables (length, width, depth and volume) describing the channelized process. Finally, the rill and EGs hydraulic geometry was modelled by three well known power equations relating the discharge with the mean flow velocity, with the flow depth and with the width of each channel segment, respectively. The rill measurements also showed that the flow velocity was affected by the rill segment slope while the flow depth and width were controlled by the plot slope. Therefore, three equations, taking into account these slope effects, were proposed to estimate the hydraulic characteristics of the rills monitored at the Sparacia area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The best possible model to predict the erosion from an area of land has been suggested to be a physical model of the area that has similar soil type, land use, size, shape, slope and erosive inputs. Therefore, a replicated plot has to be considered the best possible, unbiased, real world model. In this paper the physical model concept was tested by using soil loss data collected on plots of different length at the experimental station of Sparacia, in Sicily (South Italy). This investigation supported the conclusions that i) a coefficient of determination between measured and predicted soil loss values of 0.77 has to be considered as the best-case prediction scenario and ii) an uncalibrated deterministic erosion model would not give more accurate results than those obtained by a replicated plot measurement. An effectiveness coefficient of 0.47–0.49 was obtained by applying the original USLE to predict event soil losses at Sparacia. The difference between the value of 0.6, corresponding to what we can expect from an uncalibrated erosion model, and the effectiveness coefficient of the selected model represents the maximum gap that has to be covered to obtain the realistically best estimate of plot soil loss at the event temporal scale. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents the main results of a series of geomorphological studies, aimed to the quantitative direct and indirect evaluation of denudation processes in Central Italy. These studies, which started in some sample areas since long ago, were further deepened and extended to a wider number of drainage basins, representative of a variety of morphostructural conditions. The complex cause/effect relationships among factors influencing both the morphogenesis and the plano-altimetric configurations of drainage basins resulted in a large variability in the values of the denudation index (Tu), which ranged from 200 to 2500 t/km2/year. Very high values (Tu>10,000 t/km2/year) were obtained for small catchments belonging to the wider basins of Ombrone River and Tevere River, where fast morphological modifications occur due to the action of surface running waters and gravity. In the drainage basins affected by the most powerful denudation processes direct measurements of denudation were performed: several monitoring stations were equipped with iron stakes and disks to record the local modifications of the topographic surface with time. Whereas some of these stations have been working continuously since 1993, some others have been running only periodically. Direct measurements pertinent to periods longer than a decade indicated that mean annual values of denudation range between 1 and 2.5 cm/year for slopes affected by sharp-edged and/or rounded edged badlands. Higher denudation rates (3–4 cm/year) were obtained for shorter observation periods; still higher rates were recorded for short periods at the gully bottom or in coincidence with mass movements before bench marks were turned up or damaged. Denudation processes are likely to occur discontinuously. They show a step-like trend with time and are triggered by rainfall events distributed over a number of consecutive days, though not greatly intense. Particularly, their amount should overcome the threshold of 60 mm per 5 consecutive days. Below this threshold the surface runoff does not seem to reach the power necessary to induce significant modifications of the topographic surface in the study area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the present paper, the preliminary results of a study concerning the fan dynamics in the valley of the Mucone River (Sila Massif, southern Italy) are presented. In the study area highly weathered Palaeozoic crystalline rocks crop out, ranging from residual soils to moderately weathered rocks. Because of the rugged topography and the abundance of weathered deposits, mass movements affect the great majority of the catchments. The most common instability phenomena are represented by rotational and translational slides, with subordinate rockfalls on steep to near vertical slopes. Debris-flow and debris-avalanche scars occur at the upper-middle reaches of many catchments. They are caused by mobilization of colluvial and weathered materials during large storms and are usually channelized in the main canyon of the basin. At the catchment mouth, deposition of debris-flow material occurs, contributing to the building up of fans. In order to assess the fan morphodynamics and the slope evolution in the temporal range 1955–1996, multi-year air-photo interpretation and field surveys concerning morphodynamic processes and vegetation cover features were carried out. Field observations allowed discriminating the type of fan deposits (debris-flow or water-flow dominated, mixed deposits) and the successional stages of vegetation. Results showed that fans were concerned by different activity and dissection modality, in addition to diverse evolution patterns in vegetation communities, according to the fan aspect. At the basin scale, from 1955 to 1996 changes in land use and in the disturbance regime involved a considerable expansion of natural vegetation cover at the expense of cultivated lands. Such occurrences very likely played a major role in determining a remarkable attenuation in slope instability at the basin scale and a progressive trend toward inactivity of the fans. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), soil erosion is one of the main causes of desertification in the Northern Mediterranean. Recently, the role of channelled erosion in sediment delivery has been underlined by several studies. The aim of this paper is to describe a simplified experimental methodology settled up for studying the relationships between gully erosion and land use. The experimental site, which is wide about 720 ha, is located in a hilly area threatened by desertification in Central Eastern Sardinia (Italy). This area is characterised by irregular morphology with steep slopes, where agropastoral activities, particularly tillage with heavy machinery and overgrazing, are causing severe soil erosion and compromising agricultural productivity. Previous studies carried out in the same area highlighted the need to quantify and monitor soil erosion in order to outline management guidelines for farmers. In this study, an integrated methodology that uses aerial photographs and field surveys was applied to inventory the gullies of the area. The degree of activity and morphological characteristics of gullies were assessed in the field by measuring the position and shape of gully heads, and their width and depth. Total gully volume was also estimated. Relationships among distribution, density and morphological characteristics of gullies, and geomorphological features, land use and land use historical dynamics of the area have been studied. The results show the very significant impact of agricultural activities on gully activity and density. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines the implications of changes in precipitation and land use to soil erosion from 1955 to 2002 in Basilicata, a hilly portion of southern Italy. Analysis of daily precipitation records reveals statistically significant trends using both non-parametric and parametric approaches. The inter-annual variability of precipitation increases in intensity; primarily between October and January. From 1955 to 2000, the length of dry spells greatly increased, while wet days decreased. A land use change map was produced for the three study areas using aerial photos (1955) and orthophotos (1997 and 2002), integrated with field surveys. Results show that land use is highly dynamic in Basilicata, especially due to the application of the European Union''s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) measures. The EU policies resulted in reclamation of badlands and degraded grasslands for agriculture, principally the cultivation of durum wheat. This farming practice and the abandonment of some of the remodeled areas have increased the risk of soil erosion and desertification processes, and is manifest in land degradation by rill networks and gullying. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Recent research has shown the importance of ephemeral gully (EG) erosion in the context of global erosion and, at the same time, the lack of adequate models to estimate it. At present, the ephemeral gully erosion model (EGEM) is the only conceptual model specifically developed for ephemeral gully erosion estimation. The main aim of the paper is to evaluate the performance of EGEM model adapted to local conditions compared with that of simple empirical equations. A data set of 92 ephemeral gullies formed between 1995 and 2000 in a wheat-cultivated study area in Sicily, Italy, was used for the purpose. In order to improve EGEM performance, two important adaptations were made. Both the rain distribution type and the causative rainfall of the hydrological component of EGEM were modified to reproduce local conditions. The EGEM assumption of a constant depth for the entire length of the ephemeral gully was also modified. EGEM performance was tested with two different rain distribution types, three different causative rainfalls and two different EG depths. The adaptation of the EGEM hydrological component improves the volume prediction with respect to the standard version of EGEM; the improvement is mainly due to the rain distribution type, whereas causative rainfall seems to be less important. The use of adjusted EG depths is, however, essential to minimise the errors between measured and predicted volumes. The capability of EGEM to predict the ephemeral gully cross-section is weak and non-significant relationships were found between measured and estimated width. A regression analysis between ephemeral gully-eroded volume and different morphological, topographical and hydrological parameters confirms the great importance of EG length to explain eroded volume (R2=0.64 for the simple correlation between volume and length). Considering that the adaptation of the hydrological component and the measurement of EG depths are necessary for the EG volumes estimated by EGEM to be reliable, it seems more simple, as suggested by other authors, to use empirical relations between eroded volume and length performed in different environments, until more precise physically based models are developed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper deals with the relationship between the temporal occurrence of landslides and climatic changes in the Italian Dolomites since the Late glacial. After an introduction on the state of the art, with particular reference to the Alpine region, the results of recent investigations in the two study sites are illustrated. At Cortina d''Ampezzo, several landslides were dated mainly by the radiocarbon method. The most ancient landslide event there involved large rock slides, which affected the dolomitic slopes following the withdrawal of glaciers after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), and also slides and flows mainly occurring in pelitic materials of the valley floors (from 13,000 to 10,000 cal BP). A later series of flows occurred between 5500 and 2500 cal BP. In the Upper Badia Valley (Alta Badia), the most ancient events go back to 10,000 and 9000 cal BP, and correspond with earth flows that followed vast rotational slides affecting the bedrock up to a depth of about 50 m. More recent earth flows, involving more modest amounts of material, took place between 6500 and 2300 cal BP.By analysing the dates from the two study areas, it was possible to correlate the recorded increase of landslide activity with the climatic changes occurring at the boundary between the Late glacial and the Holocene and between the Atlantic and the Subboreal, and to compare the results with those derived from other European regions. The types and causes of landslides taking place in these two periods were substantially different, reflecting the different morphoclimatic conditions that existed in the two areas when these mass movements were triggered. Finally, notwithstanding the importance of non-climatic causes, such as geological–structural factors and possible human influences, it is concluded that many of the dated landslides can be considered as indicators of climatic change. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Mapping and monitoring of slow-moving landslides. • Remote Sensing, statistical and ground-based measurements have been combined. • Integration of Machine Learning and InSAR techniques for landslide risk assessment. This paper describes a novel methodology where Machine Learning Algorithms (MLAs) have been integrated to assess the landslide risk for slow moving mass movements, processes whose intermittent activity makes challenging any risk analysis worldwide. MLAs has been trained on datasets including Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and additional remote sensing datasets such as aerial stereo photographs and LiDAR and tested in the Termini-Nerano landslides system (southern Apennines, Italy). The availability of such a wealth of materials allows also an unprecedented spatio-temporal reconstruction of the volume and the kinematic of the landslides system through which we could generate and validate the hazard map. Our analysis identifies fifteen slow-moving phenomena, traceable since 1955, whose total area amounts to 4.1 × 105 m2 and volume to ~1.4 × 106 m3. InSAR results prove that seven out of the fifteen slow-moving landslides are currently active and characterized by seasonal velocity patterns. These new insights on the dynamic of the landslides system have been selected as the main independent variables to train three MLAs (Artificial Neural Network, Generalized Boosting Model and Maximum Entropy) and derive the landslide hazard for the area. Finally, official population and buildings census data have been used to assess the landslide risk whose highest values are located in the crown area, south of Termini village, and nearby Nerano. This new methodology provides a different landslide risk scenario compared to the existing official documents for the study area and overall new insights on how to develop landslide risk management strategies worldwide based on a better understanding of slope processes thanks to the latest satellite technologies available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An extensive and inactive inland dune field has been identified in southern Italy. • Dune sands are coarse-grained, moderately sorted, positively skewed and mesokurtic. • Quartz and minor feldspars dominate sand petrographic composition. • Typical wind-generated features of sand grains were displayed by SEM analyses. • The dune field was active during the period going from 28 ka to VI-IV century B.C. Geomorphological investigations coupled with sedimentological, petrographical, and SEM analyses allowed to identify, for the first time, a paleo-fixed and inland aeolian dune field in the Gioia Tauro Plain, on the Tyrrhenian side of southern Calabria (southern Italy). The aeolian landforms, extended over an area of 43 km2, are characterized by smoothed and elongated NW-SE trending vegetation-fixed linear dunes, varying in height from a few meters up to 20 m. Forty sand samples were collected from dunes to perform laboratory analyses. Grain size analyses showed that samples are composed of unimodal coarse-grained sands (Mz = 0.820 φ), moderately sorted (σ = 0.862), positively skewed (Sk1 = 0.173) and mesokurtic (KG = 1.115). Petrographic analyses highlighted a composition dominated by quartz and minor feldspars. Modal data, and especially the high F/Q ratio and the Rg:Rs:Rm triangular plot, suggest a plutoniclastic supply from the Aspromonte Massif crystalline source rocks. SEM analyses of sand grains clearly displayed the presence of typical wind-generated features mainly represented by rounded form with low relief, bulbous edges, and dish-shaped depressions. These results combined with morphological analyses showed that these aeolian deposits fall into the category of sand sheets. Furthermore, geological and geoarchaeological data evidenced that dune field was formed in the time interval between ~28 ka and the VI - IV century B.C. The dune filed formation has been interrupted presumably by the combined effect of Holocene tectonics, along the Gioia Tauro-San Ferdinando normal fault, and the lowering of sea level, during the Last Glacial period, originating a natural barrier to windblown sand particles. The findings of the paper will help in understanding both inland aeolian products in southern Europe associated to the second colder phase of the Last Glacial period in the Mediterranean area and the complex patterns of spatial and temporal distribution, as well as the control factors determining preservation of the aeolian sediments throughout the rock record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Elements' concentration in near surface sediments of a coastal area were analysed. • Geochemical mapping allows to visualize element distribution in the area. • Factor/cluster analysis have permitted to distinguish different sediment origin. • Higher Cu, Pb and Zn cencentrations were detected in urban near surface sediments. • Sampling depth should be likely increased in urban areas' investigations. The study reports the results of a geochemical survey in a coastal area of northern Italy with focus on the distribution of chemical elements in near surface sediments as result of both sediment origin and anthropogenic activities. In addition to emphasizing the source-to-sink element dynamics in the area, the main purpose of this paper is to ascertain if anthropic presence could have altered the composition of near surface sediments in urban and industrial areas. We considered 173 sampling sites, and collected soil material from a depth of 90–110 cm. Major and trace elements assessment on milled 2 mm fraction was conducted using WDXRF for Al, As, Ba, Ca, Ce, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, La, Mg, Mn, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Si, Sr, Th, Ti, V, Y, Zn and Zr. In addition, Loss On Ignition (LOI) was determined. Principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) were performed for data interpretation. The distribution of element concentration is heavily related to sediment origin. The major presence of Al, Fe, K, LOI, Mg, Nb, Rb and V characterizes alluvial plain sediments. These materials of Apenninic origin have a finer texture and a major presence of carbonates in respect to the other sediments of the area. Coastal sediments display a general wider range of variation in element concentrations (i.e. Al, Ca, Cr, K, Mg, Mn, P, Si, Ti and Zr) due to a dual origin. In particular, the greater Cr, Mn and Zr content is related to sediments enriched by heavy minerals (e.g. garnet, chromite, zircon) of Alpine origin, while the lesser concentrations trace back to Apenninic origin. Near surface sediments of urban and industrial areas always contain higher Cu, Pb and Zn concentrations with respect to the same sediments not impacted by urban and industrial settlements. This is likely a consequence of the movement of materials made by men over the last 2000 years. These results suggest that the adopted depth of sampling for the calculation of background values might need to be increased in urban and industrial areas to reach unaltered near surface sediments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An interdisciplinary research of weathering profiles was performed. • Weathered profiles are complex and reach a thickness of 70 m. • Physical changes coupled to chemical variations are described in detail. • The XRD patterns show high content of clay minerals (mixed-layer minerals). • The more weathered samples show higher CIA, CIW, PIA and CIW' values. The paper focuses on the weathering processes affecting gneissic rocks of the western Sila Grande Massif (Calabria, Italy) through the development of an interdisciplinary research based on field studies and investigations, minero-petrographical analyses and geochemical modeling. Both physical and chemical weathering affect gneissic rocks of the study area, where the combination of tectonic and past climatic conditions played an important key role in the development of complex and deep weathering profiles. Field surveys and cut slope analyses highlight articulated and complex geometric relationships between various classes of weathering (i.e., out-of-sequence weathering horizons giving rise to a partial, or even complete inversion of the "normal" weathering profile). The weathering profile has turned out particularly intense, as classes IV, V and VI are widespread. Among the class VI, the colluvial soils are prominent in comparison whit the residual soils. Borehole logs, that confirm the intensity and complexity of weathering profiles in deep, allow to estimate the presence of weathered rocks to be at least 70 m in thicknesses. The main mineralogical modifications linked to weathering processes concern the partial transformation of biotite and the partial destruction of feldspars (mainly plagioclases), associated with the neoformation of secondary mineralogical phases (clay minerals and Fe-oxides). Neoformed clay minerals (such as sericite, illite and mixed layer phases) and ferruginous products replaced feldspars and biotite during the most advanced weathering stage. Results of XRD analyses and geochemical modelling provide a good indication on the secondary mineral assemblage due to the increase of the weathering intensity (form class III to class VI) that reflects the different contributions of chemical elements provided by dissolution of silicate minerals into the surrounding groundwater system. The chemical composition of the studied rock samples and the oxides variations suggest a removal of some alkali (Na and K) and alkaline earth (Ca and Mg) into solution as a consequence of weathering reactions. The chemical analysis and the weathering indices (CIA, PIA, CIW and CIW') show a marked alteration process, with ferromagnesian minerals and feldspars probably dissolved and leached into the surrounding groundwater system. The CO2-controlled dissolution of plagioclase appears to be the most important reaction during chemical weathering. The progressive dissolution results then dominated by biotite, followed by a minor amounts K-feldspar, chlorite and garnet; whereas the sillimanite shows a neglectable amounts. The secondary solid phases observed during the geochemical modeling (illite, followed by vermiculite, ferrihydrite and saponite) are similar to those found in this natural system. The proposed approach could be used to characterize weathered crystalline rocks and related weathering profiles in similar geological setting, and the obtained results represent a key point for the evaluation of the control exerted by weathering on landscape evolution under current environmental settings in terms of sediment generation, soil erosion rates, and mass movements, and for the mechanical characterization of weathering profiles for engineering geological purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]