Seismically induced landslides in Abruzzo (Central Italy): morphostructural control.

Recent earthquakes show that damages due to collateral effects could, in some cases exceed the economic and social losses directly connected to the seismic shaking. Among the effects induced by the seismic energy release, landslides are one of the most significant in terms of hazard and related risk, owing to the occurrence of exposed elements.
This work analyzes the geomorphological effects, and particularly the rock falls, which occurred in the L’Aquila area during and immediately after the April 2009 earthquake. The analysis is focused mainly on the rock fall distribution related to the local morphostructural setting. As regards the rock falls, on the base of geomorphological and morphostructural analysis, the >60 cases surveyed are referable to three main morphostructural settings:
1) calcareous faulted homoclinal ridges;
2) calcareous rock slopes of karst landforms;
3) structural scarps on conglomerates and breccias of Quaternary continental deposits.
These elements provide useful indications both at local scale, for seismic microzonation studies and seismic risk prevention, and at regional scale, for updating studies and inventory of landslides.