Soil erosion and degradation in a rapidly expanding industrial area of Eastern Mediterranean basin (Thriasio plain, Greece)

Georgios Sigalos (), Vassiliki Loukaidi (), Socrates Dasaklis (), Paraskevi Drakopoulou (), Luca Salvati (), Pere Serra Ruiz () and Anastasios Mavrakis ()
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Georgios Sigalos: ArcEnviro – Makrygianni 1 str
Vassiliki Loukaidi: Athens–Sounio Avenue, Mavro Lithari
Socrates Dasaklis: ArcEnviro – Makrygianni 1 str
Paraskevi Drakopoulou: Athens–Sounio Avenue, Mavro Lithari
Luca Salvati: Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-RPS)
Pere Serra Ruiz: Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona
Anastasios Mavrakis: Department of Economic and Regional Development, Institute of Urban Environment and Human Resources, Panteion University

Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, 2016, vol. 82, issue 3, No 37, 2187-2200

Abstract: Abstract This study investigates soil erosion in a rapidly expanding industrial region of Eastern Mediterranean basin (Thriasio plain, Greece), controlling how geomorphology, topography, soil drainage and vegetation cover shape the local erosivity rate. Our results show that Thriasio plain is characterized by medium–low classes of soil vulnerability in the actual environmental conditions. However, in an ‘extreme conditions’ scenario, areas with sharp slope, a branched hydrographical network and low vegetation cover are classified at high vulnerability to soil erosion. A field study has been implemented considering extreme natural conditions (January 2004) driven by rapid snow melting determining an exceptionally high volume of water flooding down to the sea through a seasonal stream. This episode was considered a ‘natural experiment’ when assessing extreme soil erosion conditions. Based on theoretical calculations and field measurements, our results confirm the estimated value of soil erosion under the ‘extreme conditions’ scenario illustrated above.

Keywords: Erosivity; Soil drainage; Parent material; Urban growth; Sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11069-016-2288-y

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