Search Results (136)

We inspected a sector of the Apennines (central–southern Italy) in geographic and structural continuity with the Quaternary-active extensional belt but where clear geomorphic and seismological signatures of normal faulting are unexpectedly missing. The evidence of active tectonics in this area, between Abruzzo and Molise, does not align with geodetic deformation data and the seismotectonic setting of the central Apennines. To investigate the apparent disconnection between active deformation and the absence of surface faulting in a sector where high lithologic erodibility and landslide susceptibility may hide its structural evidence, we combined multi-scale and multi-source data analyses encompassing morphometric analysis and remote sensing techniques. We utilised high-resolution topographic data to analyse the topographic pattern and investigate potential imbalances between tectonics and erosion. Additionally, we employed aerial-photo interpretation to examine the spatial distribution of morphological features and slope instabilities which are often linked to active faulting. To discern potential biases arising from non-tectonic (slope-related) signals, we analysed InSAR data in key sectors across the study area, including carbonate ridges and foredeep-derived Molise Units for comparison. The topographic analysis highlighted topographic disequilibrium conditions across the study area, and aerial-image interpretation revealed morphologic features offset by structural lineaments. The interferometric analysis confirmed a significant role of gravitational movements in denudating some fault planes while highlighting a clustered spatial pattern of hillslope instabilities. In this context, these instabilities can be considered a proxy for the control exerted by tectonic structures. All findings converge on the identification of an ~20 km long corridor, the Castel di Sangro–Rionero Sannitico alignment (CaS-RS), which exhibits varied evidence of deformation attributable to active normal faulting. The latter manifests through subtle and diffuse deformation controlled by a thick tectonic nappe made up of poorly cohesive lithologies. Overall, our findings suggest that the CaS-RS bridges the structural gap between the Mt Porrara–Mt Pizzalto–Mt Rotella and North Matese fault systems, potentially accounting for some of the deformation recorded in the sector. Our approach contributes to bridging the information gap in this complex sector of the Apennines, offering original insights for future investigations and seismic hazard assessment in the region. Full article

Wooded grasslands are agroforestry systems of high biological and cultural value, which are increasingly threatened by land-use abandonment in Mediterranean marginal areas. In the central-southern Apennines, little is known about their ecological dynamics under different management regimes. This study assesses how three management intensities (High: mowing plus grazing; Low: grazing only; and Abandoned: no management for ~50 years) affect the wooded grasslands in a protected area of the Central Apennines. Vascular plant composition and cover were recorded along radial transects from isolated Fagus sylvatica L. trunks to the adjacent grassland, with plots grouped in four positions (Trunk, Mid-canopy, Edge, and Grassland). The canopy cover, shrub height, species richness, and ecological roles of species were analysed. The results show that light availability, driven by canopy and shrub cover, shapes a gradient from shade-adapted species near the trunk to heliophilous grassland species in open areas. In the Abandoned site, shrub encroachment reduces light even beyond the canopy, facilitating the spread of shade-tolerant and pre-forest species, accelerating succession towards a closed-canopy forest. High-intensity management preserves floristic gradients and grassland species, while Low-intensity management shows early signs of succession at the canopy edge. These findings highlight the importance of traditional mowing and grazing in maintaining the biodiversity and ecological functions of wooded grasslands and emphasize the need for timely interventions where management declines. Full article

This work presents the use of remote sensing data for land cover mapping with a case of Central Apennines, Italy. The data include 8 Landsat 8-9 Operational Land Imager/Thermal Infrared Sensor (OLI/TIRS) satellite images in six-year period (2018–2024). The operational workflow included satellite image processing which were classified into raster maps with automatically detected 10 classes of land cover types over the tested study. The approach was implemented by using a set of modules in Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS) Geographic Information System (GIS). To classify remote sensing (RS) data, two types of approaches were carried out. The first is unsupervised classification based on the MaxLike approach and clustering which extracted Digital Numbers (DN) of landscape feature based on the spectral reflectance of signals, and the second is supervised classification performed using several methods of Machine Learning (ML), technically realised in GRASS GIS scripting software. The latter included four ML algorithms embedded from the Python’s Scikit-Learn library. These classifiers have been implemented to detect subtle changes in land cover types as derived from the satellite images showing different vegetation conditions in spring and autumn periods in central Apennines, northern Italy. Full article

This work combines geomorphological and historical research to decode the landscape in the world’s most famous painting: the Gioconda. The background of the painting was analysed in detail, and numerous morphological correspondences with the Montefeltro area in Central Italy were found. The upper valley of the Senatello stream features the Fumaiolo Massif, renowned for its springs that feed the River Tiber. The region is composed of the limestones and sandstones of the San Marino and Monte Fumaiolo Formations, alongside clay formations from the “Valmarecchia Nappe”. This lithological variety, the intense fracturing of the limestone rocks, and climatic and tectonic events during the Middle to Upper Pleistocene produced a complex and varied geomorphology. The landscape is marked by large landslides and significant debris deposits, reflecting its recent evolution. The painting, as well as historical documents and Leonardo’s drawings from his time in the Romagna region, provide evidence of a large lake beneath Mount Aquilone. The area was affected by a significant change in the morphology of the slopes, probably caused by a landslide that occurred in the period 1500–1700, a period characterised by climatic and tectonic upheavals, which may have led to the disappearance of the lake. Full article

The sonoscape of a small town at the foot of the Northern Apennines Mountains in north–central Italy was studied using a regular grid of automatic recording devices, which collected ambient sounds during the spring of 2024. The study area is characterized by high landscape heterogeneity, a result of widespread suburban agricultural abandonment and urban development. Sonic data were analyzed using the Sonic Heterogeneity Index and nine derivative metrics. The sonic signatures from 26 stations exhibited distinct, spatially explicit patterns that were hypothesized to be related to a set of 11 landcover types and seven landscape metrics. The unique sound profile of each sample site was consistent with the emerging heterogeneity of landcover typical of many Mediterranean regions. Some sonic indices exhibited stronger correlations with landscape metrics than others. In particular, the Effective Number of Frequency Bins Ratio (ENFBr) and Sheldon’s Evenness (E) proved particularly effective at revealing the link between sonic processes and landscape patterns. The sonoscape and landscape displayed correlations significantly aligned with their variability, highlighting the ecological heterogeneity of the sonic and physical domains in the study area. This case study underscores the importance of selecting appropriate metrics to describe complex ecological processes, such as the relationships and cause-and-effect dynamics of environmental sounds among human altered landscapes. Full article

Landslides are one of the most serious problems affecting large parts of the world. There are two approaches that are used to study the organization of these land cover features: firstly, an approach utilizing lithostratigraphic tools, where soils are described and interpreted in accordance with specific geological/lithological patterns, and, secondly, through pedological instruments, where the pedogenetic patterns are identified, and the sequences are identified via standardized criteria and organized according to modern classification systems. In the present review, a comparison between the two above approaches is outlined, using the Campania Apennine reliefs (Southern Italy) as the reference environment because they are periodically and dramatically affected by mass movements mainly associated with rainfall events. These reliefs are strongly influenced by the products emitted by the Phlegraean Fields and the Somma–Vesuvius volcanoes. These products affect surface structures either through their direct alteration, with the formation of pedogenized products, or through their reworking, mainly stimulated by rainfall events, which is also responsible for the movement of pedogenized materials along the slopes. This results in complex surface architectures, knowledge of which is a crucial step in the assessment of robust monitoring systems. This review covers the Cervinara area, located in the central portion of the Campania Apennines, which was overwhelmed by dramatic landslide events in 1999. Our aims were to critically analyze the impact and the potential of lithostratigraphic and pedological approaches in studying the soils of the area in question and to provide an inventory of the scientific papers in which, with different aims, descriptions and interpretations of the local soil covers are reported. We examined and selected the national and international literature available in major scientific online databases, and these were split into groups on the basis of citations and type of approach. The reviewed literature showed that the stratigraphic approach was by far the most preferred, although significant potential was offered by pedological tools in this field of investigation. A high number of hydraulic and geotechnical articles was also found, in comparison to geological and pedological papers, which confirmed the significant levels of interest in the land cover type in question, specifically regarding landslide processes, and in their role in risk mitigation practices. On the whole, the latter approach has been proven to offer a greater exploration potential through the use of rigorous classification systems and, thus, the possibility of identifying and correlating soil properties over large areas. Full article

This article explores the methodological framework and examines the learning and scientific outcomes of a workshop activity centred on the innovative integration of digital heritage approaches with design thinking methodologies. The workshop was developed in the Italian central Apennines and it investigated the design implications of working on heritage contexts in marginal areas using innovative digital tools, as well as the impact of this approach on the community. The activities engaged international students and professors, employed a multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary, and trans-scalar approach encompassing field research, data processing, dialogue, and collaborative visioning. The findings are both methodological and thematic. Methodologically, the workshop introduced a novel approach to architectural education by integrating digitalization in the design process and by fostering an urban vision that bridges research with local needs. Thematically, the outputs explore new uses for “potential spaces”, sustainable mobility, heritage-led strategies, and tourism, emphasizing community involvement. The workshop’s originality lies in its cognitive, narrative, and design processes, where digital data are part of the creative process. Despite the workshop’s compressed timeline, it successfully fostered creative thinking and practical solutions, demonstrating the value of intense, interdisciplinary collaborative visioning for heritage regeneration. The workshop’s broader implications include potential spin-offs into future community engagement and knowledge-transfer activities, highlighting its social and practical relevance. Full article

The accurate knowledge of groundwater availability and its variations is crucial for sustainable groundwater management; in this framework, the water balance is a useful tool to assess the availability of water resources. Currently, the management authority needs a more precise evaluation of groundwater availability to face the rising freshwater demand. In this work, water balance has been determined for the main aquifers in the central Apennines (Italy)—over 2000 km² wide—and the calculated outflow was compared with springs’ discharge from the data. Inflow data were collected over a 6-year period, from 2018 to 2023, considering both rainfall and snow; the contribution of the snow melting has often been omitted or rarely considered as immediate liquid contribution in the previous works, where usually only liquid inflows from rain have been considered. The snow contribution has been properly evaluated from a recent network of snow gauges and included in the total precipitation for more accurate results. Indeed, for each aquifer, monthly inflow datasets from rain gauges have been interpolated inside the structure using the equations obtained from regression lines and then used for a water balance assessment. An initial comparison of water balances, estimated with and without snow data, demonstrates that neglecting the snow contribution can lead to an underestimation of infiltration values. A comparison between calculated outflows including the snow melt and the measured springs’ discharge has shown a good correspondence for each investigated aquifer. Full article

Forest ecosystems are important for biodiversity conservation, climate regulation and climate change mitigation, soil and water protection, and the recreation and provision of raw materials. This paper presents a dataset on forest type and tree species composition for 934 georeferenced plots located in Italy. The forest type is classified in the field consistently with the Italian National Forest Inventory (NFI) based on the dominant tree species or species group. Tree species composition is provided by the percent crown cover of the main five species in the plot. Additional data on conifer and broadleaves pure/mixed condition, total tree and shrub cover, forest structure, sylvicultural system, development stage, and local land position are provided. The surveyed plots are distributed in the central–eastern Alps, in the central Apennines, and in the southern Apennines; they represent a wide range of species composition, ecological conditions, and silvicultural practices. Data were collected as part of a project aimed at developing a classification algorithm based on hyperspectral data. The dataset was made publicly available as it refers to forest types and species widespread in many countries of Central and Southern Europe and is potentially useful to other researchers for the study of forest biodiversity or for remote sensing applications. Full article

The advent of geomatic techniques and novel sensors has opened the road to new approaches in mapping, including morphological ones. The evolution of a land portion and its graphical representation constitutes a fundamental aspect for scientific and land planning purposes. In this context, new paradigms for geomorphological mapping, which are useful for modernizing traditional, geomorphological mapping, become necessary for the creation of scalable digital representation of processes and landforms. A fully remote mapping approach, based on multi-source and multi-sensor applications, was implemented for the recognition of landforms and processes. This methodology was applied to a study site located in central Italy, characterized by the presence of ‘calanchi’ (i.e., badlands). Considering primarily the increasing availability of regional LiDAR products, an automated landform classification, i.e., Geomorphons, was adopted to map landforms at the slope scale. Simultaneously, by collecting and digitizing a time-series of historical orthoimages, a multi-temporal analysis was performed. Finally, surveying the area with an unmanned aerial vehicle, exploiting the high-resolution digital terrain model and orthoimage, a local-scale geomorphological map was produced. The proposed approach has proven to be well capable of identifying the variety of processes acting on the pilot area, identifying various genetic types of geomorphic processes with a nested hierarchy, where runoff-associated landforms coexist with gravitational ones. Large ancient mass movement characterizes the upper part of the basin, forming deep-seated gravity deformation, highly remodeled by a set of widespread runoff features forming rills, gullies, and secondary shallow landslides. The extended badlands areas imposed on Plio-Pleistocene clays are typically affected by sheet wash and rill and gully erosion causing high potential of sediment loss and the occurrence of earth- and mudflows, often interfering and affecting agricultural areas and anthropic elements. This approach guarantees a multi-scale and multi-temporal cartographic model for a full-coverage representation of landforms, representing a useful tool for land planning purposes. Full article

At least three tephra layers, with ages around 2 Ma, crop out in the Pleistocene marine sequence of the Crotone basin, in southern Italy. We present the petrography and the mineral and glass chemistry of these layers, in order to correlate them with other Pleistocene sequences and, possibly, to identify the volcanic source(s). The oldest layer (a1) contains glass shards with homogeneous rhyolitic composition, together with crystals of ortho- and clinopyroxene, plagioclase and amphibole. The age, petrography and major elements’ glass composition allow for correlation with coeval tephra layers cropping out in the southern Apennines, near the town of Craco, in Valle Ricca, near Rome, and in the Periadriatic basin, in central Italy. Two other younger tephras (a3 and a4) can be distinguished by the absence of hydrous phases in a3 and the occurrence of biotite in a4. They show a higher variability in glass composition, which may be related to multiple volcanic sources. A fourth tephra of unknown position, but probably intermediate between a1 and a3, was also recognized. The volcanic source of the tephra layers was identified in a submerged paleo-arc in the central Tyrrhenian Sea, possibly corresponding to the Ventotene ridge. The paper also provides a dataset of glass trace elements’ composition for future correlations. Full article

Basin-scale dolomitization of carbonate sequences occurs over long time spans and results from diagenesis, burial, and tectonically driven fluid fluxes. Depicting the different geological processes producing dolomitized carbonate sequences requires combining accurate field, petrographic, and geochemical analyses. Here, we investigate the dolomitization processes in carbonates of the Norian to Toarcian age exposed in the Gran Sasso Massif, Central Apennines of Italy, by integrating field observations, standard and CL petrography, carbon, oxygen, strontium and clumped isotopes, minor elements, and X-ray diffractometry. The carbonates show pervasive replacive dolomitization, and dolomite cements are observed in bed-parallel and thrust-related veins. Replacive dolomites show incomplete replacement from modified seawater in oxidizing conditions, with minimum temperatures of 40–65 °C and a ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr lower than coeval seawater. The first dolomitization event started at shallow burial in the Late Triassic–Early Jurassic and was later affected by replacement at intermediate burial depths. Bedding-parallel dolomite veins crystallized due to fluid overpressures at deep burial depths in a rock-buffered system without variations in geochemistry. Fault-related dolomites cemented thrust-related fractures during compressional deformation in the Messinian–Early Pliocene from seawater modified by mixing with external fluids. Precipitation temperatures of replacive, bedding-parallel, and fault-related dolomite veins are similar. Despite the dolomite types being characterized by different textures and petrographic features, rock-buffered conditions resulted in insignificant variations of their geochemical properties. Full article

It is suggested that the occurrence of tectonic activity in the northern Nubian belts (Tell-Rif and Atlas systems) since the Late Pliocene can be interpreted as one of the processes that were produced in the central and western Mediterranean zones by the collision of the Adriatic continental promontory with the Anatolian–Aegean Tethyan system. Since then, the consumption of the residual low-buoyancy domains in the Mediterranean area was allowed by a major change in the plate mosaic and the related kinematics. The new tectonic setting started with the decoupling of a large portion of the Adriatic domain (Adria plate) from Nubia, through the formation of a long discontinuity crossing the Ionian domain (Victor Hensen–Medina fault) and the Hyblean–Pelagian domain (Sicily channel fault system). Once decoupled, the Adria plate underwent a clockwise rotation, at the expense of E–W shortening in the Hyblean–Pelagian domain and in the northern Nubian margin. The shortening in the Pelagian domain was accommodated by the northward escape of the Adventure wedge, which in turn caused the northward displacement of the eastern Maghrebian sector. The indentation of these structures into the Alpine–Apennine material lying east of the Corsica–Sardinia block induced an east to southeastward escape of wedges (southern Apennines and Calabria). This occured at the expense of the remnant Ionian Tethys oceanic domain and the thinned Adriatic margin. The extensional regime that developed in the wake of the migrating wedges led to the formation of the central and southern Tyrrhenian basins. In the northern Nubian belts, the westward push of the Adria–Hyblean–Pelagian domain has been accommodated by oroclinal bending, thrusting and uplifting across the Tell and Atlas belts. This geodynamic context might explain some features of the seismicity time pattern observed in the Tell system. Full article

The transition from a perennial to an intermittent regime in newly intermittent rivers (nIRs) negatively affects both taxonomic and functional diversity, with significant repercussions on freshwater ecosystem processes and services. However, to better understand how changes in the natural flow regime may influence the structure and functioning of freshwater ecosystems, it is fundamental to assess variations in abiotic and biotic parameters throughout the hydrological phases characterizing nIRs. For these reasons, we evaluated the temporal changes in community structure and composition during the drying phase of a Central Apennines stream (Italy) over two consecutive drought years. We demonstrated that the different hydrological regime of the pre-drought phase profoundly affected the structure and composition of freshwater communities. The reduced discharge during the low-flow conditions of 2024 led to a transition from insect- to non-insect-dominated communities, with small-sized, lentic-adapted and generalist taxa replacing rheophile and more sensitive insect taxa. We also found marked interannual differences in temporal beta diversity. However, in both years, taxa richness did not exhibit a negative stepped response pattern during the sequence of channel contraction, flow cessation and pools formation. Consequently, we can assume that in newly intermittent Apennine rivers, the response of freshwater communities to drying is strictly dependent on the local and interannual variable hydrological context. This study emphasizes the need for further investigation to better understand the ecological impacts of increasing intermittence in formerly perennial streams and rivers. Full article

Artemisia eriantha is a subendemic species of the Central Apennine, valued locally for its applications in ancient and traditional medicine for its antibacterial, antifungal, anthelmintic, digestive, and antispasmodic effects. Several of these properties are also found in other species within the same genus, including recent findings highlighting their anti-tumor actions. However, the presence of cytotoxic or anti-tumor activity has never been studied in A. eriantha. The aim of this study was thus to assess the potential anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic, and antimetastatic effects of this plant using in vitro models of hepatocarcinoma cells (HepG2 and Huh7 cells). Treatment with A. eriantha extract (130 μg/mL) resulted in the reduced proliferation of HepG2 and Huh7 cells, driven by the dysregulation of proteins involved in the cell cycle (such as cyclin D1, cyclin E, and p27) and the activation of the p53-p21 pathway, leading to an increase in apoptotic activity. In addition, the treatment also lowered the healing capability after scratch wounds in Huh7 cells, which are characterized by a remarkable migratory capacity, suggesting that the A. eriantha extract may also be effective in controlling the migration and spread of metastatic cells. In conclusion, A. eriantha extract 130 μg/mL appears to interfere with key factors of HepG2 and Huh7 cell proliferation and invasion and emerges as a potential new adjuvant for the prevention and/or treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma. Additional research is necessary to establish if the effects observed are cell-specific and to elucidate the mechanisms of action and signaling pathways underlying its effectiveness. Full article