Slope instability along the Adriatic coast of Salento, southern Italy

The Salento coastline, in the Apulia region of southern Italy, is intensely affected by slope instability favoured by geological and structural setting, development of karst processes, and action of marine erosion. Landslides occur as rock falls and topples, with subordinate detachment as slides and wedges. A sample area of the coastline is analysed in this paper; choice of the area was dictated by the presence of many elements at risk, including archaeological sites of great importance for the Apulian history. Rock failures in the selected area are described, starting from the available historical documentation, which, integrated by the interpretation of multi-year aerial photographs, allowed to document more than 50 landslide events from 1943 to the present. A particular focus is eventually given on some of the most relevant factors which influence the stability of the cliffs, namely the karst processes and the effect of biological erosion.