Dataset of Gravity-Induced Landforms and Sinkholes of the Northeast Coast of Malta (Central Mediterranean Sea)

Stefano Devoto, Linley J. Hastewell, Mariacristina Prampolini and Stefano Furlani
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Stefano Devoto: Department of Mathematics and Geosciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy
Linley J. Hastewell: School of the Environment, Geography and Geosciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 3HE, UK
Mariacristina Prampolini: National Research Council, Institute of Marine Sciences, 40129 Bologna, Italy
Stefano Furlani: Department of Mathematics and Geosciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy

Data, 2021, vol. 6, issue 8, 1-16

Abstract: This study investigates gravity-induced landforms that populate the North-Eastern coast of Malta. Attention is focused on tens of persistent joints and thousands of boulders associated with deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DGSDs), such as lateral spreads and block slides. Lateral spreads produce deep and long joints, which partially isolate limestone boulders along the edge of wide plateaus. These lateral spreads evolve into large block slides that detach thousands of limestone boulders from the cliffs and transport them towards the sea. These boulders are grouped in large slope-failure deposits surrounding limestone plateaus and cover downslope terrains. Gravity-induced joints (n = 124) and downslope boulders (n = 39,861) were identified and categorized using Google Earth (GE) images and later validated by field surveys. The datasets were digitized in QGIS and stored using ESRI shapefiles, which are common digital formats for storing vector GIS data. These types of landslides are characterized by slow-moving mechanisms, which evolve into destructive failures and present an elevated level of risk to coastal populations and infrastructure. Hundreds of blocks identified along the shore also provide evidence of sinkholes; for this reason, the paper also provides a catalogue of sinkholes. The outputs from this research can provide coastal managers with important information regarding the occurrence of coastal geohazards and represent a key resource for future landslide hazard assessment.

Keywords: gravity-induced joint; megaclast; lateral spread; block slide; GE image; Malta (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C8 C80 C81 C82 C83 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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