Geo-Tourist Map of the Natural Reserve of Salse di Nirano (Modena Apennines, Northern Italy)

This article illustrates the criteria and methods applied for implementing a Geo-Tourist map of the Natural Reserve of “Salse di Nirano”. This map is an “original” cartographic elaboration in the field of Italian thematic mapping.The “Salse” are small mud volcanoes genetically linked to the ascent to the surface of salty and muddy waters mixed with gaseous (methane) and, to a lesser extent, fluid hydrocarbons along tectonic discontinuities produced by overthrusting along the front of the Apennine chain. The mud volcanoes of the Modena Apennines have been known since a long time and have always aroused great interest: they are described in many papers, starting as early as Pliny the Elder, in around 50 A.D.Since the “Salse di Nirano” are one of the best developed mud-volcano phenomena of the entire Italian territory and among the largest in Europe, in 1982 a Natural Reserve was established in the area by the Emilia-Romagna Region; the reserve territory covers a total area of about 200 ha with elevations ranging from 140 to 308 m.By means of ArcView GIS computer program a Digital Terrain Model (DTM), a Geomorphologic map and a Geo-Tourist map have been elaborated and will be displayed at the Visitor Center of the Reserve. The orographic arrangement of the territory is effectively illustrated by DTM, which was implemented on the basis of altimetric data of the Regional Technical Map (CTR) of the Emilia-Romagna Region. The detailed geomorphologic features are represented in a Geomorphologic map, elaborated on the basis of bibliographic research, interpretation of aerial photographs and field survey. In the study area, where silty-clay soil types (Plio-Pleistocene in age) crop out, landforms and deposits resulting from the endogenetic activity of the mud volcanoes, running water, gravity, anthropogenic activities and polygenetic landforms were recognized.The Geo-Tourist map was derived (with appropriate simplifications and integration) from the Geomorphologic map. The Geo-Tourist map combines the most evident geomorphologic features (mud volcanoes, badlands, landslides, anthropogenetic landforms, bedrock, surface deposits, ponds, marshes etc.) – which can be observed and recognized even by non-experts – with fundamental tourist information (main roads, parking places, visitor center, excursion trails, picnic areas, panoramic points, restaurants and places to stay). The Geo-Tourist map and DTM are the characterizing documents of a new tourist map of the Reserve (Tourist-Environmental map). In particular, the Geo-Tourist map is a foldable, pocket-size, front/rear printed map, with explanatory notes in Italian and English: it was published with the financial support of the Municipality of Fiorano Modenese.This article proves that geomorphologic research can effectively contribute to the implementation of documents and maps useful in the field of tourism