Field Trip: Civita di Bagnoregio

Field trip to Civita di Bagnoregio and the Tuff Cities: a living laboratory for Geomorphometry

Topics of the trip:

1. Geomorphological arrangement and Natural Hazard

2^. Quantitative methods for assessing erosion rate

3^. Geological heritage

Program summary (maximum length two pages, including at least one figure showing the itinerary)

1^st topic: Geomorphological arrangement and Natural Hazard

Stop 1 (Lubriano) and stop 2 (Belvedere) are devoted to the geological and geomorphological arrangement of the area. Focusing on the mesa where Civita di Bagnoregio is located, the geological evolution of the entire area is summarized. In particular the geomorphological arrangement clarifies the connection between mass wasting, river erosion and slope washout and the morphological evolution of the territory. Natural hazards due to seismic, gravitational, fluvial and anthropic causes are highlighted.

2^nd topic: Quantitative methods for assessing erosion rate

The erosion processes on the basal clay control the entire geomorphological evolution of the area. In the stop 4 (the Badland Valley) and stop 5 (Torbido River) the quantitative approach and the results obtained in several decades of measurements for the estimation of the erosion rate are presented starting from the observation of the badlands.

3^rd topic: Geological heritage

Civita di Bagnoregio is a perfect prototype for showing how a risk derived from a geological hazard may be an economic resource. Stop 3 (the “Geological and Landslide Museum”) and stop 6 (closing the field trip) are referred to describe how Civita is born-again, exploiting the natural hazards as a resource. The experience of the thematic museum and the educational and touristic initiatives are proposed to underline the potential value of geodiversity, Geoheritage and geotourism on a suited territory.

STOP 1 – Lubriano. An overview on Civita di Bagnoregio: the domain of natural hazard

STOP 2 – The saddle of Civita: a marker of erosion rate in historical times

STOP 3 – The “Geological and Landslide Museum” in Civita

STOP 4 – The “Badlands Valley”

STOP 5 – The Erosion rate in the Torbido River catchment: a multisciplinary approach for a quantitative assessment

STOP 6 - A Cathedral in the desert: when a risk becames a resourse