The 1998 Sarno landslides: Conflicting interpretations of a natural event

Landslides affecting on 5-6 May 1998 the towns of Sarno, Quindici, Siano and Bracigliano in Southern Italy represent a case history of great significance both from a scientific and technical point of view. The casualties, the huge economic damage and the severe destruction attracted great attention on the part of the scientific community. Following the landslides, both the national and international scientific community and technicians have given rise to numerous studies in order to provide suitable elements for designing remedial works. From the scientific side, till 2010 hundreds of articles and reports were produced concerning researches carried out on the Sarno-type landslides. In order to make comparisons not only on different methodologies adopted but even on contrasting interpretations and results concerning landslide triggering and propagation mechanisms in a global and comprehensive picture of the knowledge, more than 200 scientific papers on this type of instabilities, published on national and international journals and conference proceedings, were collected. Analyses on specific aspects of the landsliding frequently show huge disagreements among different authors and research groups. The discussion particularly focuses on landslide classification aspects, criteria adopted and their real application. Wide-ranging ambiguities cause uncertainties in applying landslide classification criteria. © 2011 Casa Editrice Università La Sapienza.