Rockfall Threatening Cumae Archeological Site Fruition (Phlegraean Fields Park—Naples)

Rita De Stefano, Leopoldo Repola, Luigi Guerriero, Domenico Iovane, Vincenzo Morra, Fabio Pagano and Diego Di Martire
Additional contact information
Rita De Stefano: Monte Sant’Angelo Campus, Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Resources, Federico II University of Naples, 21, Cinthia Street, 80126 Naples, Italy
Leopoldo Repola: Department of Humanities, Suor Orsola Benincasa University, 10, Suor Orsola Street, 80135 Naples, Italy
Luigi Guerriero: Monte Sant’Angelo Campus, Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Resources, Federico II University of Naples, 21, Cinthia Street, 80126 Naples, Italy
Domenico Iovane: Department of Architecture, Federico II University of Naples, 36, Forno Vecchio Street, 80134 Naples, Italy
Vincenzo Morra: Monte Sant’Angelo Campus, Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Resources, Federico II University of Naples, 21, Cinthia Street, 80126 Naples, Italy
Fabio Pagano: Phlegraean Fields Archeological Park, Rione Terra, Palazzo De Fraja, 80078 Pozzuoli, Italy
Diego Di Martire: Monte Sant’Angelo Campus, Department of Earth Sciences, Environment and Resources, Federico II University of Naples, 21, Cinthia Street, 80126 Naples, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 3, 1-15

Abstract: Natural hazards threaten many archaeological sites in the world; therefore, susceptibility analysis is essential to reduce their impacts and support site fruition by visitors. In this paper, rockfall susceptibility analysis of the western slope of the Cumae Mount in the Cumae Archaeological Site (Phlegraean Fields, Naples), already affected by rockfall events, is described as support to a management plan for fruition and site conservation. Being the first Greek settlement in southern Italy, the site has great historical importance and offers unique historical elements such as the Cumaean Sibyl’s Cave. The analysis began with a 3D modeling of the slope through digital terrestrial photogrammetry, which forms a basis for a geomechanical analysis. Digital discontinuity measurements and cluster analysis provide data for kinematic analysis, which pointed out the planar, wedge and toppling failure potential. Subsequently, a propagation-based susceptibility analysis was completed into a GIS environment: it shows that most of the western sector of the site is susceptible to rockfall, including the access course, a segment of the Cumana Railroad and its local station. The work highlights the need for specific mitigation measures to increase visitor safety and the efficacy of filed-based digital reconstruction to support susceptibility analysis in rockfall prone areas.

Keywords: rockfall; cultural heritage fruition; photogrammetry; kinematic analysis; geomechanical analysis; Phlegraean Fields (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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