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Flash-flood hyperpycnal flows generating shallow-water landslides at Fiumara mouths in Western Messina Strait (Italy)

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Abstract

On October 1, 2009, a small area along the Sicilian coast between the villages of Scaletta Zanclea and Giampilieri was struck by intense and concentrated rainfall causing countless small landslides widespread over the catchment area of steep subaerial creeks, locally known as Fiumara. Dense and quick debris flows were channelized within the Fiumara and destructively hit the villages and entered the sea, where they likely transformed into hyperpycnal flows. The availability of pre- and post-flood high-resolution bathymetry allows us to recognize the main features and the most significant morphological variations related to the impact of the flows on the seafloor. The passage of hyperpycnal flows on the seafloor possibly produced a suite of mass-wasting events, encompassing sheet landslides (i.e. erosive scours), retrogressive slope failure on loose sediment at the canyon headwall and rock-falls on the conglomeratic bedrock along canyon sidewall. The possible causes of these events are discussed on the basis of available morphological evidence and geotechnical considerations. Finally, the widespread occurrence of mass-wasting features (i.e. submarine landslide scars) morphologically similar to those generated by the 2009 flash flood allows us to hypothesize, from one side, a strong correlation between this catastrophic event and the evolution of submarine canyons, and from the other side, the possible use of these features for the assessment of flash-flood occurrence.

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Acknowledgments

Crews of the R/V Urania and Universitatis are gratefully acknowledged along with researchers and students participating the surveys as well as Vigili del Fuoco and Dipartimento per la Protezione Civile Nazionale. In particular Captain Vincenzo Lubrano, thanks to his ability and goodwill, was able to sail the 60 m long Urania Vessel close to the coast, allowing the complete reconstruction of the mass-wasting features produced in shallow water. Two anonymous reviewers and the guest editor A. Cattaneo are acknowledged for useful suggestions that greatly improved the quality of the paper. The study is part of the MaGIC project (www.magicproject.it). Some figures were realized through the use of Global Mapper v.10.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CNR, Istituto di Geologia Ambientale e Geoingegneria, Rome, Via Salaria km 29.300, Monterotondo Stazione, 00016, Rome, Italy

    D. Casalbore, P. Tommasi & A. Sposato

  2. Dip. Scienze della Terra, University of Rome Sapienza, P.le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy

    F. L. Chiocci & G. Scarascia Mugnozza

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  1. D. Casalbore
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  2. F. L. Chiocci
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  3. G. Scarascia Mugnozza
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  4. P. Tommasi
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  5. A. Sposato
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Correspondence to D. Casalbore.

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Casalbore, D., Chiocci, F.L., Scarascia Mugnozza, G. et al. Flash-flood hyperpycnal flows generating shallow-water landslides at Fiumara mouths in Western Messina Strait (Italy). Mar Geophys Res 32, 257–271 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11001-011-9128-y

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