Thermohydraulic numerical modelling of SVA interaction at the Monte Faito pyroclastic slope cover

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4. Thermohydraulic numerical modelling of SVA interaction at the Monte Faito pyroclastic slope cover

Flow-like landslides are among the most destructive slope movements and often involve partially saturated pyroclastic soil covers overlaying carbonate bedrocks, as for many locations in Campania (Southern Italy). Prediction of the onset of these shallow landslides has often relied on semi-empirical or simplified numerical modelling, neglecting the role on landslide hazard of the hydromechanical slope behaviour, the vegetation cover, and the presence of geomorphological irregularities. This paper presents coupled thermohydraulic (TH) modelling of a pyroclastic soil cover, accounting for several slope processes that may predispose the slope to landslide activation and should be represented in physically based models of failure onset to set up reliable early warning systems. The Mount Faito test site, located in the Lattari Mountains, has been selected as a prototype slope for the geomorphological and hydromechanical scenarios of reference, given the extensive field and laboratory characterization of the soil cover available from previous studies. After validation against field monitoring data, the TH model was used to assess the annual soil water balance - a recognized preparatory factor for flow-like landslide occurrence - and to evaluate the influence of local factors on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of the slope.

3rd International Workshop on Soil-Vegetation-Atmosphere Interaction (RootS2025)

1d. Coupled numerical thermo-hydraulic modelling of soil-vegetation-atmosphere interaction