Mt. Etna eastern flank flooding hazard: a first evaluation based on GIS approach

Abstract

In the two last decades the eastern flank of Mt. Etna volcano was frequently affected by unexpected, violent and dangerous flooding phenomena. The municipalities most strongly involved are Giarre, Riposto and Acireale, where the floods caused heavy damage to the territory and human causalities. In particular, the most remarkable event is dated March 13, 1995 and caused the death of several people, whereas the most recent events occurred in 2014 and 2015 and, fortunately, generated only damages to infrastructures. With the aim to provide a starting point for studying the flooding hazard in the eastern flank of Mt. Etna, we have organized and elaborated on a GIS platform the relevant data from rainfall, topography, lithology and land use. The data were combined to produce, for the first time, a run-off predisposition map that can represent a useful base for future studies aimed at flooding hazard mapping along the eastern flank of Mt. Etna volcano.