A Cellular Automata Model for Flow-like Landslides with Numerical Simulations of Subaerial and Subaqueous Cases

Abstract

Numerical modelling is a major challenge in the prevention of risks related to the occurrence of subaerial and subaqueous landslides. SCIDDICA-SS2 and SCIDDICA-SS2blocks are Macroscopic Cellular Automata models, developed for the simulations of combined subaerial-subaqueous flow-like landslides. SCIDDICA-SS2 was firstly validated on the 1997 subaerial subaqueous debris flow at Lake Albano (Rome, Italy). This paper outlines the last version of the model, slightly improved and which was extended in order to simulate landslide characterized by large blocks inside the main landslide debris. The paper presents applications of the model to a completely submarine landslide, occurred between November 2007 and September 2008, in the nearshore of Bagnara Calabra town (Italy) and to the catastrophic M. Pacì rock-avalanche occurred on February 6, 1783 (Scilla, Italy). Simulation results of Bagnara Calabra submarine landslide by SCIDDICA-SS2 show a strong convergence between the real and simulated areas affected by the event. Furthermore, numerical analyses by SCIDDICA-SS2blocks demonstrate the ability of the model to simulate rock avalanches characterized by large blocks.