Slow-moving landslides are complex systems characterized by marked spatial and temporal variability in deformation, which may be difficult to capture using landslide-wide displacement measures. This study investigates the Gimigliano landslide (Calabria, southern Italy), a large, long-lived and urbanized slope instability, by integrating multi-temporal Sentinel-1 SBAS-InSAR observations, data-driven kinematic segmentation, geomorphological analysis and rainfall–deformation relationships. InSAR time series were clustered to identify spatially coherent kinematic domains, which were subsequently compared with independently mapped geomorphological sectors. Continuous and event-based analyses were then used to investigate the temporal relationship between rainfall and landslide deformation. Four kinematic domains were identified, with the highest domain-averaged deformation rates reaching approximately −12.8 mm/yr in the vertical component and −4.8 mm/yr in the east–west component. The identified domains show a clear spatial correspondence with the geomorphological elements of the landslide. Rainfall–deformation relationships showed the highest-magnitude correlations for 60–120 days rainfall accumulation windows, with maximum correlations occurring at lags of approximately 30–35 days for the vertical component and 60–75 days for the east–west component. Event-based analysis further highlighted variable response magnitudes among domains and delayed responses within a few weeks. The results indicate that deformation is associated with antecedent hydrological conditions while retaining substantial spatial heterogeneity, highlighting the value of integrating InSAR, geomorphological and rainfall information for the interpretation of slow-moving landslide dynamics.
Activity and Rainfall Response of the Gimigliano Landslide (Southern Italy): Insights from SBAS-InSAR Data Analysis
Cianflone G
;Dominici R;Ietto F;Conforti M
2026-01-01
Abstract
Slow-moving landslides are complex systems characterized by marked spatial and temporal variability in deformation, which may be difficult to capture using landslide-wide displacement measures. This study investigates the Gimigliano landslide (Calabria, southern Italy), a large, long-lived and urbanized slope instability, by integrating multi-temporal Sentinel-1 SBAS-InSAR observations, data-driven kinematic segmentation, geomorphological analysis and rainfall–deformation relationships. InSAR time series were clustered to identify spatially coherent kinematic domains, which were subsequently compared with independently mapped geomorphological sectors. Continuous and event-based analyses were then used to investigate the temporal relationship between rainfall and landslide deformation. Four kinematic domains were identified, with the highest domain-averaged deformation rates reaching approximately −12.8 mm/yr in the vertical component and −4.8 mm/yr in the east–west component. The identified domains show a clear spatial correspondence with the geomorphological elements of the landslide. Rainfall–deformation relationships showed the highest-magnitude correlations for 60–120 days rainfall accumulation windows, with maximum correlations occurring at lags of approximately 30–35 days for the vertical component and 60–75 days for the east–west component. Event-based analysis further highlighted variable response magnitudes among domains and delayed responses within a few weeks. The results indicate that deformation is associated with antecedent hydrological conditions while retaining substantial spatial heterogeneity, highlighting the value of integrating InSAR, geomorphological and rainfall information for the interpretation of slow-moving landslide dynamics.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
