The characterization of slope damage at the Civita di Bagnoregio plateau using a remote sensing approach

Civita di Bagnoregio, in Central Italy, is a small village located on top of a volcanic rocky plateau overlying softer clay shales. Over the centuries, the weathering, softening, and erosion of the clay shales promoted the detachment of blocks and columns from the edges of the volcanic plateau. In this paper, we employ long-range terrestrial laser scanning and terrestrial photogrammetry to build the first high resolution 3D model of the Civita di Bagnoregio plateau. Using remote sensing data, we provide insight on the factors controlling the erosion process affecting Civita di Bagnoregio and investigate the potential role of brittle fracturing on the stability of the plateau. Finally, we provide a discussion on the potential methods that can be employed to simulate the instability phenomena affecting the cliffs of the plateau.