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The Proposed Geosite of Volano Landslide and a Geomorphological Itinerary Within the Valdelsa Basin (Montespertoli, Tuscany, Italy)

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Abstract

The town of Montespertoli (Florence, Italy) is located in the Valdelsa basin, on a NW-SE-oriented ridge, which reaches the maximum altitude of 260 m a.s.l. The inhabited centre develops on Plio-Pleistocene continental, transitional and marine deposits. The study area is affected by a series of gravitational movements mainly induced by the complex geological setting, consisting in the interbedding of pebbly, sandy, silty and clayey deposits. Composite and complex landslides, flows and rotational and translational slides are the salient features of Montespertoli slopes. A detailed 1:10,000 scale geomorphological map has been produced based on field survey analysis coupled with remote multitemporal photointerpretation. Peculiarities and evolution of the main landslides affecting the proposed geosite of Volano have been described, since this area provides wonderful didactic examples of gravitational movements. The geomorphological itinerary is developed not only through the main streets of the town, from east to west, but also along the roads that lead to farms, castles and churches scattered in the neighbouring slopes with the intent of creating a path that combines geology, culture and knowledge of the territory. The aim of this work is to show the geomorphological evidences related to different types of gravitational movements, both actual and ancient, to increase the sensitivity and respect towards the landscape and lay the foundations for a critical analysis of the territory, encouraging the didactic purpose.

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Acknowledgments

This contribution builds on the Author’s PhD thesis project, carried out at the University of Siena and Florence under the cooperative advice of Prof. Mauro Coltorti. The constructive advice of three anonymous reviewers that led to a greatly improved manuscript is here gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy

    Sofia Tognaccini

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze Fisiche, della Terra e dell’Ambiente, Università degli studi di Siena, Siena, Italy

    Sofia Tognaccini

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  1. Sofia Tognaccini
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Correspondence to Sofia Tognaccini.

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This article is part of the Topical Collection on Geoheritage: the foundation for sustainable geotourism

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Tognaccini, S. The Proposed Geosite of Volano Landslide and a Geomorphological Itinerary Within the Valdelsa Basin (Montespertoli, Tuscany, Italy). Geoheritage 11, 1447–1460 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12371-019-00392-z

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