Satelite tecniques for natural hazard in the internal area of Basilicata Region southern Italy – the case history of Stigliano town

Abstract

The inner areas of the Basilicata Region are particularly exposed to hydrogeological instability phenomena due to the intrinsic dynamics that led to the genesis of these territories. Satellite observation systems and remote sensing applications make it possible to objectively assess ongoing processes, also with the aim of supporting appropriate decision-making for land and environmental protection. The research activity focused on a case study of a town in Basilicata: Stigliano, in the province of Matera, which can be considered a pilot site. In particular, the study aimed to analyze slow-moving ground deformations, which are not always immediately detectable but may represent precursory signs of more rapid and paroxysmal events, as occurred between January and February 2014 on the southern outskirts of the settlement. The gravitational deformation phenomena affecting the town of Stigliano (MT) are partly known, but they have never been adequately investigated, mainly because they involve slow deformations whose monitoring was partly problematic before the development of techniques based on interferometric data. The study was carried out using interferometric datasets available through the EGMS portal (https://egms.land.copernicus.eu). The work conducted so far has made it possible to identify and quantify the significant deformations affecting the north-eastern sector of the town, characterized by continuously evolving dynamics. The analysis of satellite data shows, for area a), a trend with a settlement rate of about 4 mm/year, and a westward displacement of about 2.4 mm/year. In fact, the entire sector is characterized by comparable movements, showing a settlement of about 3–3.5 mm/year and a displacement towards the north-east. These movements are consistent with the mechanics of lateral spreading phenomena.