General Overview of the Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, with particular reference to the fields of interest, numbers, research groups and collaborations.
16. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 16
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
• Main topics and Highlights
• Centre of Competence for Civil Protection
• Research groups
• Highlights from young scientists
19. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 19
GEOMORPHIC RESPONSE TO EXTREME EVENTS
DOCUMENT &
MODEL THE
TRANSIENT
GEOMORPHIC
RESPONSE
TO EXTREME
EXTERNAL
FORCING
ACCURATE LANDSLIDE EVENT INVENTORY
FROM SATELLITE IMAGERY IN TAIWAN
20. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 20
LANDSLIDES ON THE MOON & MERCURY
PLANETARY LANDSLIDE RESEARCH
MAP & STUDY
THE SIZE
STATISTICS
OF LANDSLIDES
ON PLANETS
AND MOONS
23. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 23
INTEGRATED SLOPE MODELLING
MODEL
LANDSLIDES
FOR EARLY
WARNING AND
SHORT TO
LONG TERM
DYNAMICS IN A
CHANGING
CLIMATE
EL PORTALET DEEP-SEATED
LANDSLIDE, SPANISH PYRENEES
24. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 24
INTEGRATED SLOPE MODELLING
MODEL
LANDSLIDES
FOR EARLY
WARNING AND
SHORT TO
LONG TERM
DYNAMICS IN A
CHANGING
CLIMATE 3D FEM OF EL PORTALET LANDSLIDE
CONSTRAINED BY DINSAR & DEEP
MEASUREMENTS
25. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 25
LANDSLIDE & FLOOD WITH HUMAN
IMPACT IN ITALY IN 2009 - 2013
VULNERABILITY TO GEO-HYDROLOGICAL HAZARDS
VULNERABILITY OF
POPULATION
TO LANDSLIDES
AND FLOODS,
AND ITS VARIATION
26. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 26
COMPETENCE CENTRE FOR CIVIL PROTECTION
Centre of Competence on geo-hydrological
hazards & risk for the national Department of
Civil Protection, an office of the Prime
Minister.
27. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 27
Costa Concordia ship wrecked
at Isola del Giglio, Tyrrhenian Sea
COMPETENCE CENTRE FOR CIVIL PROTECTION
Montaguto landslide,
Campania, southern Italy
28. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 28
COMPETENCE CENTRE FOR CIVIL PROTECTION
landslide forecasts
based on rainfall
measures & forecasts
NATIONAL
OPERATIONAL
LANDSLIDE
EARLY
WARNING
SYSTEM
29. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 29
RESEARCH GROUPS
• Hydrology
• Hydrogeomorphology
• Geomorphology
• Geohazard Monitoring
• Hydrogeology
• Applied geology in karst areas
• GeoClimAlp
Female
Male
Permanent
Non Permanent
Associate
Staff
Gender
30. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 30
6
43
2
5
F MP N A
HYDROLOGY GROUP
• Hydro-meteorological
monitoring
• Hydrological and hydraulic
modelling
• Extreme events forecasting
• Hydraulic risk assessment
• Coordinates (ABOT) & participates
to EC (FLIRE), Eumetsat, ESA&
national projects
Comprehensive view of the R&D activities
conducted by the hydrology research group
31. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 31
2
3
2
6
1
F MP N A
HYDROGEOMORPHOLOGY GROUP
• Flash flood meteo-hydrology &
impact
• Debris flow monitoring
• Geomorphometry of mountain
catchments
• Participates to EC (SedAlp,
Connecteur, HyMeX) and national
projects
Analysis of rainfall conditions that initiate flash
floods in a mountain catchment
(Magra River basin, 25 October 2011)
32. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 32
9
3
1
0
F MP N A
1
1
1
1
GEOMORPHOLOGY GROUP
• Landslide detection & mapping
• Susceptibility, hazard & risk
modelling
• Forecasting & early warning
(SANF)
• Risk to the population
• Coordinated FP7 (DORIS,
LAMPRE) & participates to ESA&
national projects
50 m0
GEOEYE-1, 27 May 2010
polaris.irpi.cnr.it
LANDPLANER
CumulatedRainfall,E(mm)
Rainfall Duration, D (h)
T5 : E = (7.50.3)×D0.390.01
S
A
N
F
33. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 33
6
2
F MP N A
3
11
3
GEOHAZARD MONITORING GROUP
• Monitoring, modelling &
forecasting of deformations
• Designs instruments (AIS)
• Operates an airborne Lidar
• Works for National Civil Protection
• Participates to EC (LAMPRE) &
national projects
• Supports the IAEG
Monitoring glaciers
Monitoring landslides
34. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 34
HYDROGEOLOGY GROUP
• Aquifer characterization,
vulnerability & groundwater
degradation
• Seawater intrusion
• Groundwater & geothermal
resources
• Participates to national projects
• Advises foreign authorities (Malta
Gov.)
3D view of layers and modelled salinity at 2040 of
Salento coastal aquifer6
2
F MP N A
6
1
1
35. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 35
APPLIED GEOLOGY IN KARST AREAS GROUP
• Karst systems & processes
• Sinkholes and their hazard
• Karst resources & pollution
• Mapping of natural and
anthropic caves
• Participates to national projects
• Italian Speleological Society
Sinkholes and their consequences
Numerical modelling of underground voids
Cumulatedvertical
displacement(m)
0.64
0.04
8
5
9
1
3
F MP N A
36. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 36
GEOCLIMALP GROUP
• Glacial & periglacial
environments
• Past climate archives
• Hazard scenarios in a changing
climate
• Participates to national projects
(NextData)
• Italian Glaciological Committee
1897
Druetto
2012
Mercalli L.
Prè de Bar Glacier, Mont Blanc Massif
Glacial area vs. mean air temperature in the
W Italian Alps – 1850-2010
Observation Period
GlacialArea(km2)
Stard.AnomalyIndex(°C)
222
1
1
F MP N A
37. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 37
HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR YOUNG SCIENTISTS
• River discharge estimates from space
• Sediment connectivity index
• Automatic inclinometer system
• Fibre optic sensors for monitoring
38. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 38
RIVER DISCHARGE ESTIMATES FROM SPACE
RIVER
DISCHARGE
FROM FLOW
VELOCITY
(MODIS) AND
FLOW AREA
OBTAINED
FROM WATER
LEVEL (RADAR
ALTIMETRY)
FLOW VELOCITY
RIVER DISCHARGE
39. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 39
INDEX OF SEDIMENT CONNECTIVITY
SEDIMENT
CONNECTIVITY
INDEX TO MEASURE
LINKAGES
CONTROLLING
SEDIMENT FLUX
THROUGHOUT AN
ACTIVE LANDSCAPE
40. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 40
AUTOMATIC INCLINOMETER SYSTEM
MEASURES
ACCURATELY
AND IN “NEAR
REAL TIME” DEEP
SEATED GROUND
DEFORMATION IN
DEEP
BOREHOLES
Frontera de El Portalet
1800 m asl
France
Spain
2100 m
PAT. N. 0001391880 (2008, 2012)
A-axis B-axis Resultant
Depth(m)
41. WWW.IRPI.CNR.IT 41
FIBRE OPTIC SENSORS FOR MONITORING
LOW COST PLASTIC
OPTICAL FIBRE
SENSORS FOR
CUMULATED CRACK
MONITORING
in
cooperation
with
Jan 22
08:00
Jan 24
08:00
Jan 26
08:00
Jan 28
08:00
Jan 30
08:00
0.6
0.4
0.2
FOS[V]
Extensometer[mm]
26.57
26.56
26.55
The presentation illustrates the Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection (IRPI), in the Department of Earth System Sciences & Environmental Technologies (DTA), of the Italian National Research Council (CNR).
These are the topics covered in the presentation.
The mission of the Institute
Figures on the staff, the productivity and the budget.
The main research & development activities.
The outreach efforts.
The mission of the Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection (IRPI) is three-folds.
It consists in executing research & development activities on natural hazards, primarily geo-hydrological hazards but also environmental protection and the use of geo-resources.
In designing products & services to help detect, map, model and mitigate geo-hydrological hazards, for land planning and the sustainable use of the environment.
And in advising public authorities, enterprises and businesses and in informing citizens on geo-hydrological hazards and their consequences.
We also collaborate with universities, supporting PhD programmes.
To accomplish the mission the Institute operates at all geographical and temporal scales in different climatic, physiographic and organizational environments.
The maps show where we work. We work globally, mostly in Europe. In Italy for our research but also for our consulting activities.
Data and information on the Institute, including figures on our locations, the staff, the papers published, our budget, and our clients.
IRPI has five branches in different Italian regions, and we operate as a distributed network of laboratories and skills. This helps us investigating the hazards close to where they occur, and facilitates interactions with public authorities.
In the Institute operate about 140 people. The majority (65%, shades of blue in the chart) are research scientists, post docs and associates many of which are PhD students; 17% of the staff works in the administration.
This chart shows the distribution of the staff in our five centres.
This chart shows the distribution of the staff by gender.
The chart shows the number of papers in journals from 2009 to 2014.
The chart summarizes our budget of the Institute split into five main categories.
The chart shows the proportion of the costs covered by the revenues.
The Institute has a relatively large portfolio of clients, most of which are public administrations. We also work for industries, which is good.
The following slides illustrate our research and development activities, focusing on:
the main research topics demonstrated with a few highlights,
the work executed as a Centre of Competence for Civil Protection,
the main research groups and their activities, and
four highlights from young scientists.
Main topics of our research include:
Meteo-hydrological processes and hazards, at all scales.
Quality and availability of groundwater resources. Karst systems and their hazards.
Sediment dynamics & hydro-geomorphology for landscape modelling and hazard/risk assessment.
Landslides & ground deformations, including monitoring, modelling, forecasting and risk assessment.
And the effects of climate & land changes on geo-hydrological hazards.
We produce innovative global rainfall products obtained from satellite soil moisture data using the SM2RAIN algorithm developed by our hydrologists. Here I show results obtained by this algorithm compared to a similar product of the NASA Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP). This product is of interest to the EUMETSAT Support to Operational Hydrology and Water Management - H-SAF.
We document and model the transient geomorphological response to extreme forcing on landscapes produced by earthquakes or typhoons. For this scope, we developed advanced semi-automatic methods for the accurate mapping of landslides from post-event satellite imagery.
We map landslides on other planets and moons. These are failures in craters on Mercury and the Moon.
We exploit a variety of technologies and tools to monitor slope deformations in near-real time, and to execute dedicated LiDAR & topographic surveys.
For the purpose, we operate an airborne LiDAR sensor for the production of high-resolution terrain models and digital photography.
We integrate satellite, surface and subsurface measurements using numerical models for early warning and the long term assessment of the dynamics of landslides in the context of a changing climate.
And this is a 3D Finite Element Model for the El Portalet landslide constrained using advanced DInSAR products, deep deformation measurements from an automatic inclinometer system patented by our Institute, and geotechnical information.
We study the vulnerability to landslides and floods of the population, and its geographical and temporal variations due to local and global changes. The map shows the location of the sites where landslides and floods have caused an impact on the population of Italy in the period 2009 - 2013. In this 5-year period, we counted 170 deaths and more than 40,000 homeless and evacuees.
The Institute is a Centre of Competence on Geo-Hydrological Hazards & Risk for the Italian National Department for Civil Protection, an office of the Prime Minister.
For the National Department of Civil Protection we have monitored critical infrastructures affected by landslides, including the Montaguto landslide shown here, one of the largest active landslides in Europe. We have used the same technology to monitor the Costa Concordia Ship wrecked at the Isola del Giglio, in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
For the Department of Civil Protection we have designed and we operate a national landslide early warning system to forecast the possible occurrence of rainfall induced landslides, in Italy.
This is a unique system, globally.
Every hour of every day, the system issues a new forecast for the next 24 hours, for all of Italy.
The maps have shown examples of our hourly forecasts.
Many of our scientists organize themselves in thematic, multi-disciplinary research groups. We now briefly present the topic and expertise of the different groups. The following slides will also give information on the location, the size and the gender balance of the groups.
The hydrology group in Perugia has a wide and comprehensive research programme covering hydro-meteorological monitoring, hydrological and hydraulic modelling, extreme events forecasting, and hydraulic risk assessment, including vulnerability assessment in a changing climate. The group has coordinated the ABOT EC project (DG-ENV), and participates to a wide range of EC, ESA, Eumetsat-HSAF, and national and regional projects.
The hydro-geomorphology group in Padua consists of forest-hydrologists and mountain geomorphologists that specialize in the study of flash floods and debris flows. They contribute to implement an European catalogue of flash flood events and develop innovative morphometric techniques to study sediment dynamics in mountain catchments. They are active in EC, national and regional projects.
The geomorphology group, in Perugia, has a wide-ranging R&D programme covering landslide identification & mapping, susceptibility, hazard and risk modelling, landslide forecasting, early warning systems and outreach. The group manages the POLARIS web site, and the SANF national landslide early warning system for the National Civil Protection Department. They coordinated the DORIS and LAMPRE FP7 projects, and participates to EC, ESA and national and regional projects.
The Geohazard Monitoring Group in Torino monitors, models and forecasts deformations using consolidated and new tools, including automatic total stations, airborne and terrestrial Lidar, and ground based radar. They developed an automated inclinometer system (AIS) and the Three-dimensional Displacement Analysis (3DA) software for producing 3D deformation maps.
The hydrogeology group in Bari consists of engineers, geologists, chemist and statistician dedicated to the study of aquifers, groundwater, and their vulnerability. They study seawater intrusions, and groundwater & geothermal resources. They are experts on hydrogeological and geochemical surveying and modelling, and provide hydrogeological advice for engineering and mining works, and landfills. They are advisors to the Government of Malta on groundwater resources.
The group for applied geology in karst areas, in Bari, investigates karst phenomena and processes at all scales, including hazards posed by sinkholes and flash floods in urban and rural areas. They map surface and underground karst systems, maintain a national catalogue of sinkhole events and their consequences in Italy, and perform numerical modelling of underground voids for hazard assessment. They support the Italian Speleological Society.
The GeoClimAlp Group, in Torino, investigates glacial and periglacial environments, mostly in the Alps.
They compile past climate archives, and construct hazard scenarios considering climate and environmental changes.
They participate to national projects, and provide support to the Italian Glaciological Committee.
In the following we show four highlights obtained from our young scientists, including:
a method to estimate river discharge from space,
advancements in the sediment connectivity index,
an innovative automatic inclinometer system, and
fibre optic sensors for deformation monitoring.
Angelica Tarpanelli and her colleagues in the hydrology group have developed a method for determining river discharge in un-gauged sites using remote sensing data. The discharge is determined as the product of the flow velocity (obtained from MODIS) and the flow area calculated as a function of the water level derived from radar altimetry. The approach was tested in European rivers and the agreement with the observed discharge has errors of about 35%
Sediment connectivity measures the linkage controlling sediment flux throughout a landscape, and has implications for modeling geomorphic systems and sediment transfer processes. Mauro Cavalli and his co-workers have modified the concept of Sediment Connectivity originally proposed by Borselli et al. (2008), at the time in our Institute, and have developed freeware SW to determine the Index of Sediment Connectivity (IC).
Paola Allasia has develop an innovative automatic inclinometer system that allows for almost “near-real-time” accurate measurement of deep-seated ground deformations in deep boreholes. The slide shows an installation in the El Portalet Landslide, in the Spanish Pyrenees, at 1800 m of elevation, where the system has been operating for 12 months.
Luca Schenato is investigating the use of low cost plastic optical fiber sensors for measuring the cumulated deformation of cracks.
The slide shows an application for monitoring cracks in the concrete wall of a road tunnel.
The research is conducted in cooperation with Avago, a global technology provider.
The Institute has a lively programme of outreach activities, a number of national and international collaborations, and does work on responsible research and innovation.
The Institute maintains the POLARIS web site to disseminate information on the population at risk to landslides and floods in Italy.
Every 6 months, we issue a new report on the risk posed by landslides and floods to the population of Italy.
The report shows where landslides and floods with human consequences have occurred in Italy, for different periods.
From the same web site we provide advice on what to do (and not to do) before, during and after an event.
The Institute has a number of national and international collaborations with universities and research centres.
Finally, a few of us are involved in debates on the role of science and scientists in our society.
A topic of particular interest given the applied and practical interest of our research, and our involvement with public administrations, communities and citizens, and the media.
