The book deals with the most striking landscapes and landforms of Italy. Attention is given to landform diversity and landscape evolution through time which has been controlled by very diverse geological conditions and dramatic climate changes that have characterized the Italian peninsula and islands since the end of the last glaciation. In addition, various examples of human impact on the landscape are presented.
Landscapes and Landforms of Italy contains more than thirty case studies of a multitude of Italian geographical landmarks. The topics and sites described in this book range from the Alpine glaciers to the Etna and Vesuvius volcanoes, taking into account the most representative fluvial, coastal, gravity-induced, karst and structural landscapes of the country. Chapters on the geomorphological landmarks of the cities of Rome and Venice are also included.
The book provides the readers with the opportunity to explore the variety of Italian landscapes and landforms through informative texts illustrated with several color maps and photos. This book will be relevant to scientists, scholars and any readers interested in geology, physical geography, geomorphology, landscape tourism, geoheritage and environmental protection.
About the editors
Mauro Soldati is an Associate Professor of Geomorphology at the Faculty of Sciences of Modena and Reggio Emilia University. He carries out basic and applied research activity in the field of Geomorphology. Lately he has concentrated his activities on the relationships between slope instability processes and Late Pleistocene and Holocene climatic changes in the Alps. In this respect, he was National Coordinator of a national Project Geomorphological evolution of slopes and climate changes: landslide analysis and paleoclimatic reconstructions. He previously participated in numerous Italian and European research projects.
He has authored over 140 publications. He teaches Geomorphology and Geological Risks and Civil Protection in the degree courses in Geological Sciences. He was also a teacher in the intensive courses of the “European School of Climatology and Natural Hazards” of the EC. He is Socrates/Erasmus Coordinator since 1999. He is a Member of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Geomorphologists since 2001 and of the Editorial Boards of the journals Geomorphology, Landform Analysis, The Open Geology Journal, Finisterra, Cuaternario y Geomorfología and Geografia Fisica e Dinamica Quaternaria.
Mauro Marchetti graduated in Geology in 1983 with the highest honors from the University of Modena.
He is a qualified geologist (Bologna, 1987) and obtained a PhD in Earth Sciences from the University of Milan in 1992. He is a winner of a two-year scholarship for post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Milan ( 1993–1994). He was the winner of the competition for the post of Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural D02 group D02: the Physical Geography, Geomorphology and Geology, Physical Geography and Geomorphology subsector (1994).
Obtained the title of Associate Professor in November 2001 for Physical Geography and Geomorphology.
Mauro Marchetti has given numerous courses on geomorphological topics on varying levels at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. Currently, he teaches in Physical Geography and Geomorphology of Geological Sciences, Natural Sciences, Primary Education and Cultural Heritage in degree courses. He has written about ninety publications on geomorphological mapping, geomorphology of rivers and Environmental Impact Assessment.
