The geomorphological change detection through the comparison of repeated topographic surveys is a recent approach that benefits greatly from the latest developments in topographical data acquisition techniques. Among them, airborne LiDAR makes the monitoring of geomorphological changes a more reliable and accurate approach for natural hazard and risk management. In this study, two LiDAR digital terrain models (DTMs) (2 m resolution) were acquired just before and after a complex 340 000 m3 landslide event (4 November 2010) that generated a debris flow in the channel of the Rotolon catchment (eastern Italian Alps). The analysis of these data was used to set up the initial condition for the application of a dynamic model. The comparison between the pre- and post-event DTMs allowed us to identify erosion and depositional areas and the volume of the landslide. The knowledge of the phenomenon dynamics was the base of a sound back analysis of the event with the 3-D numerical model DAN3D. This particular code was selected for its capability to modify the rheology and the parameters of the moving mass during run-out, as actually observed along the path of the 2010 debris flow. Nowadays some portions of Mt. Rotolon flank are still moving and show signs of detachment. The same soil parameters used in the back-analysis model could be used to simulate the run-out for possible future landslides, allowing us to generate reliable risk scenarios useful for awareness of civil defense and strategy of emergency plans.

Dealing with engineering structures that are not easily replaceable requires frequent assessment of the damage state of the construction in order to estimate its durability and reliability. The procedures that allow damage to be detected and identified are broadly defined as Structural Health Monitoring (SHM). In this work, a SHM network has been deployed in a road tunnel that intersects a massive landslide, whose movements are causing the formation of cracks along the tunnel lining. The monitoring system measures in real time the displacements across major cracks and the rotation of the tunnel segments; data are gathered and made easily accessible through a web-based platform. The mechanisms by which the tunnel deforms under the landslide-induced stress have been defined through the analysis of three years of monitoring data. The factors triggering an increase in deformation rates and causing damage to the structure have also been investigated. This evidence will support the design of mitigation works to extend the life-span of the tunnel.

Collisions between aircraft and birds, birdstrikes, pose a serious threat to aviation safety. The occurrence of these events is influenced by land-uses in the surroundings of airports. Airports located in the same region might have different trends for birdstrike risk, due to differences in the surrounding habitats. Here we developed a quantitative tool that assesses the risk of birdstrike based on the habitats within a 13-km buffer from the airport. For this purpose, we developed Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) with binomial distribution to estimate the contribution of habitats to wildlife use of the study area, depending on season. These GLMs predictions were combined to the flight altitude of birds within the 13-km buffer, the airport traffic pattern and the severity indices associated with impacts. Our approach was developed at Venice Marco Polo International airport (VCE), located in northeast Italy and then tested at Treviso Antonio Canova International airport (TSF), which is 20 km inland. Results from the two airports revealed that both the surrounding habitats and the season had a significant influence to the pattern of risk. With regard to VCE, agricultural fields, wetlands and urban areas contributed most to the presence of birds in the study area. Furthermore, the key role of distance of land-uses from the airport on the probability of presence of birds was highlighted. The reliability of developed risk index was demonstrated since at VCE it was significantly correlated with bird strike rate. This study emphasizes the importance of the territory near airports and the wildlife use of its habitats, as factors in need of consideration for birdstrike risk assessment procedures. Information on the contribution of habitats in attracting birds, depending on season, can be used by airport managers and local authorities to plan specific interventions in the study area in order to lower the risk.