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GASAKe is an empirical-hydrological model aimed at forecasting the time of occurrence of landslides. Activations can be predicted of either single landslides or sets of slope movements of the same type in a homogeneous environment. The model requires a rainfall series and a set of dates of landslide activation as input data. Calibration is performed through genetic algorithms, and allows for determining a family of optimal kernels to weight antecedent rainfall properly. As output, the mobility function highlights critical conditions of slope stability. Based on suitable calibration and validation samples of activation dates, the model represents a useful tool to be integrated in early-warning systems for geo-hydrological risk mitigation purposes. In the present paper, examples of application to three rock slides in Calabria and to cases of soil slips in Campania are discussed. Calibration and validation are discussed, based on independent datasets. Obtained results are either excellent for two of the Calabrian rock slides or just promising for the remaining case studies. The best performances of the model take advantage of an accurate knowledge of the activation history of the landslides, and a proper hydrological characterization of the sites. For such cases, GASAKe could be usefully employed within early-warning systems for geo-hydrological risk mitigation and Civil Protection purposes. Finally, a new release of the model is presently under test: its innovative features are briefly presented.

In the framework of VIGOR Project, a national project coordinated by the Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources (CNR-IGG) and sponsored by the Ministry of Economic Development (MiSE), dedicated to the evaluation of geothermal potential in the regions of the Convergence Objective in Italy (Puglia, Calabria, Campania and Sicily), is expected to evaluate the ability of the territory to heat exchange with the ground for air conditioning of buildings. To identify the conditions for the development of low enthalpy geothermal systems collected and organized on a regional scale geological and stratigraphic data useful for the preparation of a specific thematic mapping, able to represent in a synergistic and simplified way the physical parameters (geological, lithostratigraphic, hydrogeological, thermodynamic) that most influence the subsoil behavior for thermal exchange. The litho-stratigraphic and hydrogeological database created for every region led to the production of different cartographic thematic maps, such as the thermal conductivity (lithological and stratigraphical), the surface geothermal flux, the average annual temperature of air, the climate zoning, the areas of hydrogeological restrictions. To obtain a single representation of the geo-exchange potential of the region, the different thematic maps described must be combined together by means of an algorithm, defined on the basis of the SINTACS methodology. The purpose is to weigh the contributions of the involved parameters and to produce a preliminary synthesis map able to identify the territorial use of geothermal heat pump systems, based on the geological characteristics and in agreement with the existing regulatory constraints.