Integrated Study of Landslides in the Southern Apennines (Val d'Agri: Basilicata Region) Using a Multidisciplinary Approach

Sediments and circulating waters in a landslide next the village of Montemurro (Southern Italy, Basilicata region) were sampled in order to study the role of the sediment composition and the rock-water interaction processes in the slope stability. This research is intended to identify possible correlations between landslides and compositional characters of the soil and waters circulating, in order to define potential geochemical and mineralogical risk factors for slope stability. Several surveys and geognostic holes were performed in the landslide area. A borehole inclinometer broke at about 14 m in depth, reflecting on-going activity and allowed the identification of a slip zone at that depth. Mineralogical and geochemical characterization of sediments show sheet silicates are suddenly more abundant from 14 m below ground level and the cation exchange capacity abruptly increases at a depth between 14 and 15 m, then decreases again progressively. The laboratory tests have determined that the sheet silicate content has a negative correlation with the residual friction angle.