The present work proposes a study on the presence of capillary barrier effects in a particular soil stratigraphy, characterized by an alternation of layers with contrasting differences in permeability. This is a common situation on the slopes of Pizzo D’Alvano (Campania, Southern Italy), where severe landslides were triggered on may 1998, and in many other geological environments, where geological, sedimentological, geomorphologic and pedological processes might have produced a sequence of soils with different hydraulic conductivity. During prolonged rainfall events, particularly at low rainfall rates, such phenomena can condition infiltration processes and lead to a significant increase in saturation within the least permeable soil layers, due to particular water infiltration patterns. Results of laboratory column infiltration tests and evidence of capillary barrier effects are presented and used in calibration of numerical unsaturated flow models.
On Capillary barrier effects in unsaturated layered soils, with special reference to pyroclastic covers of Pizzo d’Alvano in Campania, Italy / Mancarella, D.; Simeone, Vincenzo. - In: BULLETIN OF ENGINEERING GEOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. - ISSN 1435-9529. - 71:4(2012), pp. 791-801. [10.1007/s10064-012-0419-6]
On Capillary barrier effects in unsaturated layered soils, with special reference to pyroclastic covers of Pizzo d’Alvano in Campania, Italy
SIMEONE, Vincenzo
2012-01-01
Abstract
The present work proposes a study on the presence of capillary barrier effects in a particular soil stratigraphy, characterized by an alternation of layers with contrasting differences in permeability. This is a common situation on the slopes of Pizzo D’Alvano (Campania, Southern Italy), where severe landslides were triggered on may 1998, and in many other geological environments, where geological, sedimentological, geomorphologic and pedological processes might have produced a sequence of soils with different hydraulic conductivity. During prolonged rainfall events, particularly at low rainfall rates, such phenomena can condition infiltration processes and lead to a significant increase in saturation within the least permeable soil layers, due to particular water infiltration patterns. Results of laboratory column infiltration tests and evidence of capillary barrier effects are presented and used in calibration of numerical unsaturated flow models.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
