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In this paper we propose a mesoscale model for polar fluids and numerically investigate its validity by considering well known benchmark cases: the steady and unsteady Poiseuille and the low Reynolds lid-driven cavity flow. Analytical and numerical results are compared with our numerical results and a very good agreement is found. Then we consider not yet investigated high Reynolds lid-driven cavity flow cases, obtaining consistent and interesting results, which encourage to apply the proposed model to more complex cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is aimed at assessing the ability of the Lattice-Boltzmann Method (LBM) in reproducing the fundamental features of lock-exchange gravity currents. Both two- and three-dimensional numerical simulations are presented at different Reynolds numbers ( 1000 ≤ R e ≤ 30,000 ). Turbulence has been accounted for by implementing an equivalent Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model in the LBM framework. The advancement of the front position and the front velocity obtained by LBM numerical simulations are compared with laboratory experiments appositely performed with similar initial and boundary conditions and with previous results from literature, revealing that the dynamics of the gravity current as a whole is correctly reproduced. Lobes and clefts instabilities arising in three-dimensional simulations and the entrainment parameter are also analysed and comparisons with previous studies are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an entropic version of the lattice Boltzmann pseudo-potential approach for the simulation of multiphase flows. The method is shown to correctly simulate the dynamics of impinging droplets on hydrophobic surfaces and head-on and grazing collisions between droplets, at Weber and Reynolds number regimes not accessible to previous pseudo-potential methods at comparable resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tsunami waves are generated by sea bottom failures, landslides and faults. The concurrent generation of hydro-acoustic waves (HAW), which travel much faster than the tsunami, has received much attention, motivated by their possible exploitation as precursors of tsunamis. This feature makes the detection of HAW particularly well-suited for building an early-warning system. Accuracy and efficiency of the modeling approaches for HAW thus play a pivotal role in the design of such systems. Here, we present a Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) for the generation and propagation of HAW resulting from tsunamigenic ground motions and verify it against commonly employed modeling solutions. LBM is well known for providing fast and accurate solutions to both hydrodynamics and acoustics problems, thus it naturally becomes a candidate as a comprehensive computational tool for modeling generation and propagation of HAW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to accurately and efficiently model the intrusion of salt wedges into river beds is crucial to assay its interaction with human activities and the natural environment. We present a 2D multi-layer Shallow Water Lattice Boltzmann (SWLB) model able to predict the salt wedge intrusion in river estuaries. The formulation usually employed for the simulation of gravity currents is here equipped with proper boundary conditions to handle both the downstream seaside outlet and the upstream river inlet. Firstly, the model is validated against highly accurate semi-analytical solutions of the steady state 1D two-layer Shallow Water model. Secondly, the model is applied to a more complex, fully 3D geometry, to assess its capability to handle realistic cases. The simple formulation proposed for the shear interlayer stress is proven to be consistent with the general 3D viscous solution. In addition to the accuracy, the model inherits the efficiency of the Lattice Boltzmann approach to fluid dynamics problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is shown that the single relaxation time (SRT) version of the Lattice Boltzmann (LB) equation permits to compute the permeability of Darcy's flows in porous media within a few percent accuracy. This stands in contrast with previous claims of inaccuracy, which we relate to the lack of recognition of the physical dependence of the permeability on the Knudsen number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a lattice Boltzmann realization of Grad's extended hydrodynamic approach to nonequilibrium flows. This is achieved by using higher-order isotropic lattices coupled with a higher-order regularization procedure. The method is assessed for (low across parallel plates and three-dimensional flows in porous media, showing excellent agreement of the mass flow with analytical and numerical solutions of the Boltzmann equation across the full range of Knudsen numbers, from the hydrodynamic regime to ballistic motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The solution of fluid dynamics problems has recently witnessed a remarkable increase in the formulation of Boltzmann-based approaches, mainly triggered by the numerous advantages stemming from the concrete possibility of employing a low number of allowed velocities, which is the basis of the Lattice-Boltzmann (LB) methods. The field of Shallow Water (SW) modeling also took advantage of these techniques, but there are still open problems related to the practical impossibility to simulate transcritical flows while retaining the intrinsic simplicity of the LB approaches. This problem is even more crucial if one considers that transcritical flows always develop whenever a transition over dry bed occurs. Since such vertically integrated models are currently the mostly employed ones for simulating technically interesting flows, and since these flows often require the flooding of an initially dry bed, the application of LB methods seems to be facing its limits. The Gas Kinetic Method (GKM) overcomes this issue, integrating the Boltzmann equations in continuous velocity space. In this work, we formulate and extensively test a GKM-based model for solving the SW equations, which is able to manage the propagation over uneven dry bed. The benchmarking, carried out against analytical, experimental and previously proposed numerical reference solutions, shows promising results of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, a numerical assessment of the suitability of a Single Relaxation Time (SRT) Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) model to simulate axisymmetric gravity currents is carried out. The model results are compared with both experimental data and other numerical models. The particular SRT formulation employed is known to converge, in the limit of low Knudsen number, to the two-layer 2D Shallow Water Equations (SWEs) set with a viscosity term featuring a closed theoretical formulation. Even with the lowest viscosity achievable by the method, its effect is shown to become important in most of the cases analysed, thus posing some serious constraints on possible application of the single relaxation time LBM method to simulate the lock-release generated-type gravity currents analysed here. The comparison with classical numerical models shows that the the viscous effects in the LBM model can be well reproduced employing coefficients derived from the above-mentioned theoretical formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study aims at investigating the value added by an explicit representation of floodplain processes in hydraulic models, by comparing the results of a pure 1D model to the ones of an integrated 1D–2D model. The analysis is performed on a 96km reach of the River Po (Italy). For this test site, two different model structures (1D and 1D–2D) are implemented and compared. The models are first calibrated using high water marks of a high magnitude event and then validated by means of a coarse resolution space-borne flood extent map of a low-magnitude event. The explicit inclusion of 2D features strongly improves the performance of the model, both in terms of accuracy and robustness. The possible causes of this behaviour are investigated and some statements are drawn based on the analysis of the features of the two flood events. Some general conclusions on the effect of the choice between 1D and 2D models arise from the analysis of the calibration–validation procedure. In this context a new measure of fit is proposed, to be used if binary (wet/dry) observations are available and is proven to be able to better distinguish among different sets of model parameters. Lastly, the study also shows the ability of timely low resolution satellite imagery to assist the selection of the most appropriate hydraulic model structure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary: Extreme hydrologic events are increasingly investigated and numerically simulated by means of complete 2D Shallow Water Equations (SWE). While the efficacy of this conceptual model has been proven several times, its numerical integration needs accurate schemes that still require an amount of computational effort. The use of less precise numerical methods does not justify the complexity of the full dynamic SWE model as they lower the overall correctness of the prediction. An approximation of the full SWE consists in neglecting the inertial terms, degrading the original hyperbolic to a parabolic model (PSWE). The effects of such a choice on simulating real flooding events are still not clear. Several conclusions are drawn in this work investigating the behaviour of a parabolic model compared to experimental data taken from Toce physical model. It resembles a dam break event in a steep valley, in which many transitions across critical flow together with multiple reflections occur and whose dynamic is not fully described by the PSWE model. Conclusions are taken on the reliability of conceptual model on the one hand, and on effectiveness of numerical scheme used to integrate it. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Numerous Deep-Seated Gravitational Slope Deformations (DSGSDs) occur throughout Italy, that originate from particular tectono-stratigraphic settings, relief, seismicity, deglaciation, as well as from intense and deep processes of chemico-physical weathering of crystalline–metamorphic rocks. These DSGSDs are particularly widespread in the Calabrian mountains. This study is focused on the Mt. Granieri–Salincriti slope, on the Ionian side of the Serre Massif, where granites and granodiorites (Stilo Unit, Palaeozoic) are in contact with metamorphites through a thermal–metamorphic aureole. This setting generates deep geochemical processes, inducing intense chemical weathering. These processes are mainly due to the interaction between groundwater and the sulphides that are contained in the local pegmatitic–hydrothermal intrusions, especially along the thermal–metamorphic contact belt. The Mt. Granieri–Salincriti slope has an important DSGSD, which is associated with many active and/or quiescent landslides. Among these landslides, the Salincriti rock avalanche-debris flow (about 2 M m3) represents the paroxysmal and terminal stage of the deep creep deformations of Mt. Granieri, typifying a geological setting that is common in the Calabrian Arc. This multi-disciplinary study assessed the weathering susceptibility of the local crystalline–metamorphic rocks, especially those lying along thermal–metamorphic contact belts, by characterising the weathering horizons and the spatial distribution of weathering in the rock mass. The study was also aimed at identifying the relations between weathering, above all deep geochemical processes, effects on rocks and slope morphodynamics. The methodology was based on detailed geological data, geological–engineering surveys, geomorphology and surface hydrogeology analyses, as well as physico-mechanical laboratory tests. These investigations, supported by a monitoring program, led to the development of an engineering–geological model of the slope. Geological character (attributed to a thermal–metamorphic contact belt), geomorphological evidence and geomechanical elements elucidated the interactions between deep geochemical processes and weak belts in the investigated rocks, as well as the critical role that these interactions play in the evolution of deep-seated creep deformations and associated shallow landslides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Depth averaged equations for submerged polydisperse shallow granular flows in water are obtained. • The Discrete Boltzmann Equation model is presented and proposed as a viable solution method. • The gravitational collapse of a loose rectangular granular pile in water is numerically simulated and compared to benchmark data. The collapse of a submerged granular pile under the action of the gravity force is investigated by means of a depth averaged model (hereinafter DAM). The granular pile is a mixture of solid particles and ambient liquid, totally covered by a layer of ambient liquid. The DAM is obtained by depth-averaging the mass and momentum equations of the mixture and the ambient fluid and is aimed at providing estimates of technical quantities regarding the considered phenomenon. The DAM is numerically solved by adopting an equivalent Discrete Boltzmann Equation model (hereinafter DBE) as solution method. The main advantage yielded by the DBE is the possibility to turn the original system of strongly non linear partial differential equations, which would require the resort to complex numerical schemes, into a purely advective, linear, first order one. Previously published experimental and numerical data, relative to the collapse of loose rectangular granular piles in water, are reproduced by the proposed model and a satisfactory agreement is found, revealing that the DAM is able to describe reliably the overall dynamics, in terms of quantities of technical interest as the height of the submerged granular flow and the instantaneous position of its front. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We provide numerical evidence of the transition from rank-ordered trains of internal solitary waves (ISWs) to multi-humped packets. We ascribe such peculiar and unexplored dynamics to the emergence of a long-range influence among waves, mediated by the hydrodynamic conditions developing in the wake of each ISW and promoting acceleration of the trailing waves. Both the train during the transition and its final multi-humped configuration share hydrodynamic features which are consistent with the recently proposed theory of ISWs propagating through moving stratified environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time resolved PIV encompassing moving and/or deformable objects interfering with the light source requires the employment of dynamic masking (DM). A few DM techniques have been recently developed, mainly in microfluidics and multiphase flows fields. Most of them require ad-hoc design of the experimental setup, and may spoil the accuracy of the resulting PIV analysis. A new DM technique is here presented which envisages, along with a dedicated masking algorithm, the employment of fluorescent coating to allow for accurate tracking of the object. We show results from measurements obtained through a validated PIV setup demonstrating the need to include a DM step even for objects featuring limited displacements. We compare the proposed algorithm with both a no-masking and a static masking solution. In the framework of developing low cost, flexible and accurate PIV setups, the proposed algorithm is made available through a freeware application able to generate masks to be used by an existing, freeware PIV analysis package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we numerically investigate the breakup dynamics of droplets in an emulsion flowing in a tapered microchannel with a narrow constriction. The mesoscale approach for multicomponent fluids with near contact interactions is shown to capture the deformation and breakup dynamics of droplets interacting within the constriction, in agreement with experimental evidence. In addition, it permits us to investigate in detail the hydrodynamic phenomena occurring during breakup stages. Finally, a suitable deformation parameter is introduced and analyzed to characterize the state of deformation of the system by inspecting pairs of interacting droplets flowing in the narrow channel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM) is a mesoscopic method founded on the kinetic theoryof Boltzmann and has been proven to describe successfully flows of hydraulic interest such asturbulent, multicomponent and multiphase flows. The main advantage of the LBM, comparedto more traditional methods of the Computational Fluid Dynamics, are: the simplicity of theset of explicit algebraic equations forming the computational algorithm, the ease ofdescription of complex boundaries and the proneness of the LBM to provide unprecedentedparallel scalability on a large number of architectures. Thus, the computational resourcesavailable nowadays make the employment of 3D models feasible to study large-scaleproblems as well. In this work, a fully 3D LBM model is developed and applied to the simulation of freesurface impulsive flows. The evolution of the free surface is here tracked by means of a 3Dinterface tracking model and coupled to the traditional LBM algorithm. Dam-breakevents are simulated and LBM numerical results are compared to both analytical andexperimental reference results. The latter are relative to symmetrical dam-break,asymmetrical dam-break, dam-break over a triangular obstacle, dam-break with anisolated building and the laboratory model of the Toce river test case. The accuracy ofthe model is assessed by comparing depth and velocity values, when available,at some gauge locations. The study shows that the LBM provides a remarkablyaccurate description of the phenomena. The results are very promising for futureapplications of this kind of models for the study of realistic hydraulic problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Polydisperse shallow granular flow equations are obtained. • The Discrete Boltzmann Equation model equivalent to the polydisperse shallow granular flow equations is presented and proposed as solution method. • Several 1 D and 2 D flows, concerned with the propagation of discontinuities in three-phase shallow granular flows are investigated. A polydisperse shallow mixture consisting of N p solid phases (N p ≥ 1) and one fluid phase (the ambient fluid) is a reliable model for several industrial and environmental flows, as e.g. landslides, avalanches, debris flows and fluidized beds. The description and prediction of these flows is of primary importance, mainly with respect to the mitigation and protection from natural hazards. This paper is aimed at deriving the polydisperse shallow granular flow equations by depth-averaging mass and momentum equations of the mixture and at formulating an equivalent Discrete Boltzmann Equation (hereinafter DBE) model as solution method. The reason is the simplicity and the versatility of the DBE, which consists of a set of purely advective, linear, first order partial differential equations, whose numerical integration does not need sophisticated methods. Both 1 D and 2 D benchmarks, concerning with the propagation of discontinuities in three-phase shallow granular flows, are obtained by applying the finite differences Lax-Friedrichs (hereinafter LF) method to the polydisperse shallow granular flow equations. The overall agreement is good, showing that the DBE and the LF numerical results are equivalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper a Discrete Boltzmann Equation model (hereinafter DBE) is proposed as solution method of the two-phase shallow granular flow equations, a complex nonlinear partial differential system, resulting from the depth-averaging procedure of mass and momentum equations of granular flows. The latter, as e.g. a debris flow, are flows of mixtures of solid particles dispersed in an ambient fluid. The reason to use a DBE, instead of a more conventional numerical model (e.g. based on Riemann solvers), is that the DBE is a set of linear advection equations, which replaces the original complex nonlinear partial differential system, while preserving the features of its solutions. The interphase drag function, an essential characteristic of any two-phase model, is accounted for easily in the DBE by adding a physically based term. In order to show the validity of the proposed approach, the following relevant benchmark tests have been considered: the 1D simple Riemann problem, the dam break problem with the wet–dry transition of the liquid phase, the dry bed generation and the perturbation of a state at rest in 2D. Results are satisfactory and show how the DBE is able to reproduce the dynamics of the two-phase shallow granular flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work a Discrete Boltzmann Model for the solution of transcritical 2D shallow water flows is presented and validated. In order to provide the model with transcritical capabilities, a particular multispeed velocity set has been employed for the discretization of the Boltzmann equation. It is shown that this particular set naturally yields a simple and closed procedure to determine higher order equilibrium distribution functions needed to simulate transcritical flow. The model is validated through several classical benchmarks and is proven to correctly and accurately simulate both 1D and 2D transitions between the two flow regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the accuracy and performance of the regularized version of the single-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann equation for the case of two- and three-dimensional lid-driven cavities. The regularized version is shown to provide a significant gain in stability over the standard single-relaxation time, at a moderate computational overhead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents the findings from a study on gravity-induced slope deformations along the northern slope of Mt. Nuria (Rieti-Italy). The slope extends from the village of Pendenza to the San Vittorino plain and hosts the Peschiera River springs, i.e. the most important springs of the Central Apennines (average discharge: about 18 m3/s). Detailed geological-geomorphological and geomechanical surveys, supported by a site stress-strain monitoring system and laboratory tests, led us to define the main evolutionary features of the studied phenomena. Based on the collected data, a “geological-evolutionary model” was developed with a view to identifying a spatio-temporal correlation between relief forms, jointing of the rock mass and its stress conditions. The geological-evolutionary model was expected to improve numerical simulations and to test our assumptions. The numerical model also allowed us to simulate changes in the stress-strain conditions of the rock mass and correlate them with jointing, seepage, as well as with site-detected and site-monitored forms and deformations. In particular, significant relations between seepage, tensile stresses within the rock mass, karst solution and collapse of cavities were identified. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Free-surface flows play an important role in many environmental hydraulic problems. Owing to their characteristic large spatial and temporal scales, reduced complexity models, such as depth-integrated shallow water (DI-SW) models, have so far been largely preferred to three-dimensional (3D) approaches. Even if they can reproduce water levels satisfactorily, DI-SW models do not natively provide flow velocity at the bed, which is pivotal for estimating scour effects induced by impulsive flows, such as those resulting from dam breaks. However, resort to fully 3D modeling is often impractical due to the high computational demand required; nonetheless, recent works have shown impressive performance of the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) compared to classical numerical methods while proving to be as accurate in many fields, suggesting LBM makes such computations affordable on desktop computers. So far, a comprehensive assessment of a LBM-based, fully 3D, free-surface model is still lacking. In this work, a LBM model is compared to data from a large series of dam-break-flow experiments, in terms of water levels and, where available, flow velocities. Comparisons with available DI-SW models are also carried out. Results show that the LBM model can correctly simulate both water levels and velocity distributions, the latter often being inaccurately reproduced by DI-SW models. To provide guidelines for the correct modeling of such flows, considerations are also given to opportunities to use either no-slip or free-slip boundary conditions, the latter being preferable if underresolved boundary layers are present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 pandemic in Italy displayed a spatial distribution that made the tracking of its time course quite difficult. The most relevant anomaly was the marked spatial heterogeneity of COVID-19 diffusion. Lombardia region accounted for around 60% of fatal cases (while hosting 15% of Italian population). Moreover, 86% of fatalities concentrated in four Northern Italy regions. The 'explosive' outbreak of COVID-19 in Lombardia at the very beginning of pandemic fatally biased the R-like statistics routinely used to control the disease dynamics. To (at least partially) overcome this bias, we propose a new index RI = dH/dI (daily derivative ratio of H and I, given H = Healed and I = Infected), corresponding to the ratio between healed and infected patients relative daily changes. The proposed index is less flawed than R by the uncertainty related to the estimated number of infected persons and allows to follow (and possibly forecast) epidemic dynamics in a largely model-independent way. To analyze the dynamics of the epidemic, starting from the beginning of the virus spreading—when data are insufficient to make an estimate by adopting SIR model—a "sigmoidal family with delay" logistic model was introduced. That approach allowed in estimating the epidemic peak using the few data gathered even before mid-March. Based on this analysis, the peak was correctly predicted to occur by end of April. Analytical methodology of the dynamics of the epidemic we are proposing herein aims to forecast the time and intensity of the epidemic peak (forward prediction), while allowing identifying the (more likely) beginning of the epidemic (backward prediction). In addition, we established a relationship between hospitalization in intensive care units (ICU) versus deaths daily rates by avoiding the necessity to rely on precise estimates of the infected fraction of the population The joint evolution of the above parameters over time allows for a trustworthy and unbiased estimation of the dynamics of the epidemic, allowing us to clearly detect the qualitatively different character of the 'so-called' second wave with respect to the previous epidemic peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM), thanks to its mesoscale approach, is a powerful tool when dealing with upscaling problems in Fluid Dynamics. In this study a numerical investigation on the flow through fractured porous media has been performed, based on a three dimensional LBM model developed at the Engineering Department of the Roma Tre University. Two different kinds of porous matrices, consisting of deterministic and random arrays of spheres, have been considered. The formers have been arranged both as a primitive and body centred cubic system. The latters are characterized both by monodisperse and by polydisperse diameters. In order to calculate the permeability of every considered porous medium, the Darcy's experiment has been simulated. Then a channel has been considered in every porous matrix, giving raise to different fractured porous media. The Darcy's experiment has been repeated with the fractured porous media and the LBM has been used as a numerical lab to verify the ranges of validity of upscaled models based on the analytical solution of flow in equivalent porous media. It has been found that numerical and analytical results are in good agreement when a fractured deterministic porous medium is considered. In this case the order of magnitude of the relative error, defined as the absolute value of the percentage difference between the numerical and analytical velocity on the axis of the channel, is equal to few percents. Moreover, the error decreases with the permeability: the greater the permeability, the smaller the error. LBM numerical results obtained considering random fractured porous media are characterised by a relative error larger than that corresponding to numerical results obtained considering deterministic fractured porous media, being equal permeability and hydrodynamic conditions. Future work is addressed to the understanding of how the parameters characterizing the random fractured porous media affect the results obtained by applying the LBM model and the difference with the reference results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we demonstrate that vertically vibrating a plate in a cornstarch suspension causes the suspension to vigorously ratchet up the plate. We show that this is a necessary consequence of the fact that cornstarch inwater is shear thickening: when the plate moves up it opposes gravity and so the fluid stiffens; when it moves down itworks with gravity and so the fluid flows. This produces asymmetric ratcheting that opposes gravity. We find several unusual states that result in this simple experimental system, and we reproduce the essential effect in two different numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional and teleseismic earthquakes can induce displacements along joints in a landslideinvolved rocky slope in Central Italy. The rarity of these effects is due to specific physical properties of the seismic signals associated with: (i) the energy content, (ii) the distribution of relative energy and peak of ground acceleration related to the ground motion components and (iii) the spectral amplitude distribution in the frequency domain; these properties allow the triggering earthquakes to be distinguished from the others. The observed effects are relevant when compared to the direction of the landslide movement and the dimensions of the involved rock mass volume. The landslide movement is less constrained in the direction parallel to the dip of the slope and the landslide dimensions are associated with characteristic periods that control the landslide deformational response in relation to the spectral content of the ground motion. The earthquake-induced displacements are significant because they have the same order of magnitude as the average annual cumulative displacement based on a decade of strain measurements within the slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ten small rock slides (with a volume ranging from 10 to 10 m) on a slope affected by working activities were detected, located, and timed using pictures collected by an automatic camera during 40 months of continuous monitoring with terrestrial SAR interferometry (TInSAR). These landslides were analyzed in detail by examining their pre-failure time series of displacement inferred from high-sampling frequency (approximately 5 min) TInSAR monitoring. In most of these cases, a typical creep behavior was observed with the displacement starting 370 to 12 h before the collapse. Additionally, an evident acceleration decrease of the displacement a few hours before the failure was observed in some rock/debris slides, thus suggesting the possibility of a mechanical feature of the slope that differs from the classical creep theory. The efficacy of the linear Fukuzono approach for the prediction of time of failure was tested by back-analyzing the ten landslides. Furthermore, a modified Fukuzono approach named average data Fukuzono (ADF) was implemented and applied to our dataset. Such an approach is able to improve forecasting effectiveness by reducing the error due to anomalies in the time series of displacement, like the acceleration decrease before failure. A prediction with a temporal accuracy of at least 2 h was obtained for all the analyzed rock/debris slides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Over the last decades, time-of-failure semi-empirical prediction functions have been developed and applied to different landslides with mixed results. In this study, a field experiment was carried out to calibrate these functions with the simultaneous consideration of small-size landslides and landslides that occur on slopes modified by human activities. Four years of continuous monitoring using an integrated platform consisting of both traditional sensors (i.e., inclinometers, piezometers, load cells, topographic measurement) and innovative remote-sensing equipment (i.e., Terrestrial SAR Interferometer) resulted in the collection of a notably large amount of data. Several landslides affecting different slopes (i.e., cut slopes, cut slopes covered by spritz-beton and slopes stabilised by anchored bulkheads) were observed as part of the experiment, thus facilitating the inference of detailed information for the pre-failure behaviour. Nine landslides were back-analysed, thus allowing for calibration of the failure prediction functions for different types of slopes. From these observations, it was found that events occurring on slopes modified by human interventions could be effectively predicted using the Voight function if suitable parameters are used. As a general remark, the landslides that originate from cut slopes in natural terrain behave similar to large landslides reported in the literature (similar values of A and α) while landslides that originate from cut slopes covered by spritz beton and slopes stabilised by anchored bulkheads show α values that are significantly lower and A values that are significantly higher than those of landslides on natural terrains. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The incision of a natural or an artificial slope in a clay deposit initiates a morphological evolution and determines variations of the internal state of stress in the deposit. This evolution can be analyzed considering the variations over time of the lateral stress at rest coefficient K0. This paper is focused on the evolution of the K0 in overconsolidated clay deposits submitted to the incision of natural slopes. The proposed idea is that, under specific morphological and evolutionary conditions, a value of K0 <1 could be considered reliable even for medium–high OC clay deposits. This idea is here discussed with the support of in-situ and laboratory data from: i) pressuremeter tests performed in overconsolidated clay deposits in Central Italy and ii) a scaled physical modeling experiment reproducing a normally consolidated clay deposit. This study suggests that when dealing with clay deposits subjected to a simultaneous vertical and horizontal unloading due to slope incision, the K0 coefficient should be considered a parameter variable as a function of the different stress–strain evolutions experienced by each portion of the deposit. The portions involved in the slope incision had different evolutions and are represented by different K0 values. As a consequence, diverse amounts of decrease distinguish the evolution of the K0 for natural rather than artificial slopes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Tyrrhenian portion of the Calabria region (southern Italy) is particularly prone to landslides as a consequence of intense morphodynamic processes. These processes affect the slopes that are composed of highly jointed metamorphic rock masses. Moreover, the frequent intense rainfalls and the up to Mw 7.0 regional earthquakes represent the main landslide triggering factors. An area of approximately $$45\,\hbox {km}^{2}$$ 45 km 2 was selected as a test site in the context of a regional project aimed at reconstructing possible earthquake-reactivated landslide scenarios (i.e., referred to already existing landslide masses). An inventory map led to the identification of 175 landslides, including rock slides, earth slides and rock falls. Ground-motion scenarios based on a spectral-matching method were derived to evaluate the expected earthquake-induced displacements of the existing landslides. Naturally recorded acceleration time histories were selected from international ground-motion databases based on a similarity index and considered representative of the seismological features of the considered seismic sources (i.e., epicentral distance, magnitude, focal mechanism). Spectral attenuation was considered, according to well-established attenuation laws, to define the expected response spectrum at the outcropping bedrock corresponding to each existing landslide. Subsequently, the selected natural records were modified to guarantee spectral matching with the attenuated response spectra at each landslide site. The derived time histories were used to compute co-seismic displacements via the classic Newmark’s sliding-block method. Different scenarios of co-seismic landslide displacements or collapse were generated for different pore-water pressure hypotheses. The strongest $$\hbox {Mw}>6$$ Mw > 6 seismic scenario (Messina Straits seismogenic source) indicated an exceedance probability of earthquake-induced co-seismic landslide collapse varying from 20 to 55 % with the increasing severity of the pore-water pressures. This probability corresponds to a percentage of co-seismic landslide displacements up to 40 % of the total inventoried landslides. The exceedance probability indicated that co-seismic landslide collapse drops below 20 % for $$\hbox {Mw}<6$$ Mw < 6 seismic scenarios. In contrast, if a uniform probability is assumed for the seismic action occurrence, i.e., return periods of 475 and 2,475 years, the total percentage of landslide co-seismic displacements could be as high as 70 and 90 %, respectively, for the considered pore-water pressures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The results of a study on gravitational induced lateral spreading phenomena are here reported. The lateral spreading processes are widely represented in the Italian Apennines due to the widespread overlapping of stiff rock masses on more ductile ones. The stress–strain evolution of these processes was investigated by combining an analogical and a numerical modelling approach. The analogue modelling reproduced the evolution of a carbonate ridge thrust over a clayey flysch with reference to the case-study of Mt. Roccatagliata–Mt. Sant'Angelo ridge. The rock mass juxtaposition was reproduced in a laboratory experiment by overlapping a brittle concrete on a viscous ductile material; these materials were selected with rheological properties, physically scaled with respect to the natural rock mass prototypes. The spreading phenomenon was modelled by opening horizontal panels in sequential stages and monitoring the resulting stresses within the ductile material during the experiment. A stress–strain modelling was also performed by an FDM numerical solution; this modelling replied the laboratory experiment by testing the use of different rheological constitutive laws. The resulting stresses and morphological evolutions are comparable with the analogical laboratory experiment only if a time-dependent rheological behaviour is assumed for the ductile material. The results show that lateral spreading processes can be properly investigated by combining analogue and numerical modelling techniques which take into account the viscous-plastic behaviour of the used materials. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: On 30 January 2009, a rock slide involving approximately 0.23Mm3 of highly jointed gneiss from the local Ercinic substratum was recorded in southern Italy. The landslide occurred after exceptional autumnal rainfalls and involved a quarry whose activity has been documented over the past 10years by aerial images. An engineering-geology model of the slope involved in the landslide was developed based on the geomechanical classification of the outcropping rock masses, the ISRM (2007) indexes Ib (the block size index) and Jv (the volumetric joint count), and the observed geological setting of the slope. An equivalent continuum approach was adopted to attribute strength and stiffness parameter values to the different classes of jointed rock masses. A simplified evolutionary model of the slope was developed, starting from 300ka (i.e., from the erosional phase following the deposition of the 300-m-a.s.l. marine terrace deposits overlaying the gneiss substratum) to 30 January 2009. The model took into account the main depositional phases as indicated by the Pleistocene marine terrace deposits and the documented stages of quarry activity. Time-dependent stress–strain numerical modelling was performed by the FDM software FLAC 6.0. A visco-plastic Burger model was used to back-analyse the landslide event and to define the values of the rheological parameters for the jointed gneiss. The results, which were strongly constrained by the geomorphological evidences and by the displacement field observed before and after the landslide, demonstrated a combination of i) time-dependent gravitational slope deformation and ii) anthropogenic release due to quarry activity, which induced a progressive failure process and an increase in the jointing within the gneissic rock mass located behind the cut-wall of the quarry. Failure was ultimately triggered by intense rainfalls that occurred in the 3months before the landslide. The stress–strain numerical modelling demonstrated the reliability of visco-plastic rheology for simulating the rock mass creep in this case history: viscosity values in the range of 1019–1023 Pa·s were derived. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper presents the results of a study on a deep-seated gravitational slope deformation affecting the eastern slope of the Mt. Rocchetta ridge (central Apennines, Italy). Fieldwork identified the ongoing deformational process and assisted in defining its mechanisms, evolution and controlling factors. An equivalent continuum approach was adopted to characterize the rock mass with some modification for the temporal and spatial scale of the process. A visco-elastic-plastic rheological model was adopted for the numerical analysis, which also took into account the groundwater flow feeding the Capo Volturno spring. The results of the numerical analysis are consistent with the observed geomorphic evidence and suggest a morpho-evolutionary model of the ridge characterized by an initial phase of rock mass creep followed by a rock mass spreading process, mainly controlled by the viscous behaviour but with a significant contribution from groundwater for the smaller scale instabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chrysomela populi beetles feed on poplar leaves and extensively damage plantations. We investigated whether olfactory cues orientate landing and feeding. Young, unexpanded leaves of hybrid poplar emit constitutively a blend of monoterpenes, primarily ( E)- β-ocimene and linalool. This blend attracts inexperienced adults of C. populi that were not previously fed with poplar leaves. In mature leaves constitutively emitting isoprene, insect attack induces biosynthesis and emission of the same blend of monoterpenes, but in larger amount than in young leaves. The olfactometric test indicates that inexperienced beetles are more attracted by adult than by young attacked leaves, suggesting that attraction by induced monoterpenes is dose dependent. The blend does not attract adults that previously fed on poplar leaves. Insect-induced emission of monoterpenes peaks 4 d after the attack, and is also detected in non-attacked leaves. Induced monoterpene emission is associated in mature leaves with a larger decrease of isoprene emission. The reduction of isoprene emission is faster than photosynthesis reduction in attacked leaves, and also occurs in non-attacked leaves. Insect-induced monoterpenes are quickly and completely labelled by 13C. It is speculated that photosynthetic carbon preferentially allocated to constitutive isoprene in healthy leaves is in part diverted to induced monoterpenes after the insect attack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]