Surface processes and climate change
Research area: Applied Earth Sciences
Coordinators: Sara Savi, Farncesco Zucca, Roberto Seppi, Michael Maerker
ERC sectors: PE10_13 Physical geography, geomorphology; PE10_20 Geohazards; PE10_18 Cryosphere, dynamics of snow and ice cover, sea ice, permafrosts and ice sheets
1. Quantifying Sediment Volumes and Transport Rates in the Alpine Environment
The research focuses on quantifying the volumes of sediment that can be introduced into the hydrographic network and transported downstream under different climate scenarios, in order to ensure proper management of Alpine environments and related hydrogeological risks.
2. Impact of Climate Change in High Mountain Areas
Assessment of the impact of climate change on deglacializing basins. Analysis of slope stability, morphological changes, and landslide or debris flow triggering to evaluate possible future scenarios.
3. Connectivity and Sediment Cascade for Hydrogeological Risk Analysis
Analysis of how morphological changes influence the transmission of hydrogeological events downstream, analyzing changes in connectivity and the influence of various climate parameters on sediment transport.
Savi, S., Pitscheider F., Engel M., Coviello V., Strecker M.R., and Comiti F. (in review). Sediment export from an Alpine proglacial area under a changing climate: budgets, rates, and geomorphological processes. Submitted to Geomorphology.
Savi, S., Buter, A., Heckmann, T., Theule, J., Mao, L. and Comiti, F. (2023). Multi-Temporal Analysis of Morphological Changes in an Alpine Proglacial Area and Their Effect on Sediment Transfer. CATENA, ISSN 0341-8162, v 220(B), 106701, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2022.106701
Savi S., Norton K.P., Delunel R., Akçar N., Picotti V., Brardinoni F., Kubik P.W, and Schlunegger F., (2014). Quantifying sediment supply at the end of the last glaciation: Dynamic reconstruction of an alpine debris-flow fan. Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 126 no. 5-6 p. 773-790.
Engel M., Coviello V., Savi S., Buter A., Andreoli A., Miyata S., Marchetti G., Scorpio V., Rathburn S., Nicholson L., and Comiti F. (2024). Meltwater driven sediment transport dynamics in two contrasting Alpine proglacial streams. Journal of Hydrology, 635, 131171. Doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131171
Coviello V., Vignoli G., Simoni S., Bertoldi W., Engel M., Buter A., Marchetti G., Andreoli A., Savi S., Comiti F. (2022). Bedload fluxes in a glacier-fed river at multiple temporal scales. Water Resources Research, 58 (10); DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2021WR031873
Savi S., Comiti F., and Strecker M.R. (2021). Pronounced increase in slope instability linked to global warming: a case study from the Eastern European Alps. ESPL, 2021, 1-20; DOI: 10.1002/esp.5100.
Savi S., Delunel R., and Schlunegger F., (2015). Efficiency of frost-cracking processes through space and time: An example from the eastern Italian Alps. Geomorphology, 01/2015; 232.
Buter A., Heckmann T., Filisetti L., Savi S., Mao L., Gems B., Comiti F. (2022). Effects of catchment characteristics and hydro-meteorological scenarios on sediment connectivity in glacierised catchments. Geomorphology 402, 108128, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2022.108128
Savi S., Comiti F., and Strecker M.R. (2021). Pronounced increase in slope instability linked to global warming: a case study from the Eastern European Alps. ESPL, 2021, 1-20; DOI: 10.1002/esp.5100.