GIS for an integrated and accomplished approach to territorial study. The Laboratory of Applied Geomorphology at the POLIS Department
(University of Genova)

Guido Paliaga

POLIS Department, Faculty of Architecture
University of Genova (IT)

The Laboratory of Applied Geomorphology is settled at the POLIS department in the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Genova. The research laboratory supports scientific and academic activities through an interdisciplinary approach to the physical and environmental factors of the landscape. The didactical activity is carried out with six teachings in the laurea degree courses of Landscape Architecture, Architecture and Urban planning. The research activity is carried out by means of local, national and international projects.
The main fields of interest are related to the geomorphic asset of the territory, to the applied climatology and to conservation and valorisation of geological heritages. GIS is an essential and powerful tool for all the researches.
The geologic and geomorphic features of the substratum are the physical basis of the landscape. The strong linkage between this basis and all the other factors of the landscape is clearly visible in the ligurian area. The region is characterised by the strong steepness of the slopes and by short hydrological basins. These features cause the intense relationship between the hinterland and the coastline, especially as regards geomorphic hazard: landslides are spread in both hinterland and coastal territory and floods damage towns and villages along the coast with an increasing frequency. The lack in managing the hinterland is one of the reasons of the raising of flood hazard along the coastline
GIS are an important tool of analysis and of acquisition of the geomorphic parameters of the surface and in many research programs are used together with 3D analysis software. This approach makes possible the comparison between surveyed data, quantitative geomorphic parameters and DTM analysis which is followed by modelling techniques.
GIS are even a powerful tool in the field of census and in the following valorisation and protection of geological heritages. Many projects have been carried out together with local public institution and with APAT (the National Geological Survey) that is the national responsible of the census , together with the Geosites Documentation Centre, which is a part of the Laboratory.
Finally, as regards climate, the laboratory carries out some researches in the field of applied climatology, whose main topics are: the study of weathering processes, the monitoring of climatic parameters, the precise estimation of the solar radiation in urban and in natural area.