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A limited sector of the left side Sinni River, including Episcopia village, has been investigated matching geological and geomorphological data to In-SAR Interferometry analysis. A large Deep-Seated Gravitational Slopes (DSGSD), affecting the Episcopia slope, has been documented for the first time. The DSGSD largely develops within phyllites belonging to the Liguride Units and, in the upper portion of the slope, within the sandy and conglomerate deposits of the Sant’Arcangelo Basin. Field survey has shown typical DSGSD features as well as trenches at the top and an evident bulge at the base corresponding to the Sinni River. These data allow us to hypothesize a listric geometry of the DSGSD plane reaching a depth of about 700 m.

Landuse/cover evolution dynamic is a subject widely and thoroughly investigated, especially concerning consumption of natural and other lands, due to anthropogenic activities. This paper focuses on a region in southern Italy, where soil consumption is known to represent a urging matter of concern. However, although negative impacts of soil consumption are well known, to our knowledge there are no case studies presenting a precise quantitative measurement of the intensity of such phenomenon for the region of interest. This study aims at forecasting the development of urban settlements through the application of the cellular automata model SLEUTH; the first region to be investigated has been the Municipality of Altamura (Apulia region, Italy). This area has been used as a pilot case study to explore many difficulties and advantages in applying such a methodology to the whole southern Italian region. The final goal was to frame and populate an atlas of soil consumption in southern Italy, which intends to offer useful support to sustainable planning and policies.