A correlation between slope failures and accelerometric parameters: the 26 September 1997 earthquake (Umbria–Marche, Italy)

After the occurrence of the 26 September 1997 earthquake in Umbria–Marche an extensive survey was performed to individuate surface effects induced by the ground motion. Several types of effects occurred on bedrock, calcareous debris and sandy-clay deposits. Shallow soil slides and dry debris slides were mapped by field survey and aerial photograph interpretation in the epicentral area close to Nocera Umbra. This gave the opportunity for testing the prediction maps that can be obtained with the use of empirical laws, proposed by several authors, based on a simple method (Geotechnique 15(2) (1965) 139). Accelerometric records from the permanent and mobile seismic network of the Seismic Survey of Italy have been processed and interpolated to obtain strong ground motion parameters at each site, e.g. Peak Ground Acceleration, Spectral Intensity, Arias Intensity, etc. The different predictions have been tested with the real landslide data to verify their performances. Some of the proposed methods explain quite well the behaviour of slopes during the application of a time history and can therefore be employed for future landslide hazard zonation.