Rainfall Infiltration Processes and Their Effects on Landslide Hazard

Dear Colleagues,

Rainfall-induced landslides are among the most diffuse geohazards all over the world, causing heavy damages and fatalities every year. However, the triggering of landslides is only indirectly linked to rainfall, as slope failure is determined by the increase of water pressure in the soil, which requires rainwater to penetrate and remain stored within the soil. Hence, whereas infiltration is not balanced by the various kinds of drainage processes occurring in the slope (e.g., deep leakage, overland and subsurface runoff, evapotranspiration), failure conditions may be attained. The water balance of the slope is controlled not only by the hydraulic properties of the potentially unstable soil mass, but also by the hydraulic conditions at its boundaries. Often, hydrological processes, developing in spatial domains larger than the landslide, have to be considered to assess the failure conditions.

This Special Issue aims at collecting and presenting innovative research about rainfall-induced landslides, showing the importance of infiltration and drainage processes to correctly predict landslide hazard in various geomorphological contexts. Studies dealing with the effects of heterogeneity of soil properties, the role of vegetation, of superficial and buried topography, the assessment of initial conditions predisposing to slope failure, the influence of the presence of cracks and other macropores on rainwater infiltration, and the nonlinearity of infiltration and drainage processes would be very appreciated. Both experimental and modeling studies are welcome.

Dr. Roberto Greco
Dr. Emilia Damiano
Dr. Giovanna Capparelli
Guest Editors

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