Groundwater-atmosphere interaction in unsaturated pyroclastic slopes at two sites in Italy

In Campania (Italy) there have been rapid landslides in recent decades caused by heavy rainfall on unsaturated soil covers resting on steep bedrock. The triggering mechanism of these landslides has been extensively investigated and is well known, being associated with fluctuations of the pore pressure regime. In this respect, the hydraulic condition at the ground surface largely prevails over the other factors which regulate the pore pressure regime. Thus changes in weather conditions represent the basic factor affecting the stability of the slopes in question. We present the results of ongoing monitoring at two test sites in the municipalities of Monteforte Irpino and Cervinara, selected for their geological and geomorphologic features which are highly representative of mountain areas in the Campania region. Supplemented by wide-ranging laboratory investigation, the data enabled complete characterization of the pore pressure regime as a response to weather action