3D modelling of the catastrophic 1963 Vaiont landslide (N Italy) with implicit surface methods: pre- and post-slide models.

@inproceedings{SuperchiGM2011,
 abstract = { The Vaiont landslide (Venetian Alps, Northern Italy) is one of the best known and most tragic examples of a natural disaster induced by human activity. On October 9th 1963, a catastrophic landslide occurred on the northern slope of the Monte Toc: a rock mass of approximately 270 Mm 3 collapsed into a reservoir at velocities of up to 30 m/s, generating a wave that overtopped the dam and swept into the populated Piave Valley below, resulting in about 2000 victims.
The landslide has been the object of numerous studies, because of its catastrophic consequences and unexpected behavior. Several interpretations of the event have been attempted during the last 48 years, but a comprehensive explanation of both triggering and dynamics of the phenomenon still remains elusive.
To date, all the slope analyses on the Vaiont rockslide have involved just 2D modeling. In order to better clarify the mechanics and dynamics of the 1963 event, we are reconstructing a 3D geological model, which will allow to investigate structures, kinematics and the spatial/temporal development of the failure surface. The input data for this model consist in: pre- and post-landslide geological maps, pre- and post-landslide digital elevation models, pre- and post-landslide orthophotos, structural data, aerial Lidar data, seismics sections and boreholes stratigraphy. The model is being reconstructed with both conventional, explicit surface, and implicit surface methods. This approach is very effective in modeling very complex, heavily faulted and folded structures, where both surface, subsurface and geophysical data can be considered at the same time. },
 author = { Superchi, L. AND Bistacchi, Andrea AND Genevois, R. AND Massironi, Matteo },
 booktitle = { Proc. 31st Gocad Meeting, Nancy },
 title = { 3D modelling of the catastrophic 1963 Vaiont landslide (N Italy) with implicit surface methods: pre- and post-slide models. },
 year = { 2011 }
}