The recent availability of high-resolution, open-access MT-InSAR data, alongside free tools for data interpretation such as ADAtools, has enabled the development of wide-area, value-added geospatial products. This study demonstrates the integration of data delivered by the European Ground Motion Service with open-access ancillary datasets and ADAtools to efficiently identify, map, and classify ground deformation phenomena across Spain between 2015 and 2021. By processing extensive datasets and clustering measurement points into Active Deformation Areas (ADAs), this approach reduces data complexity and simplifies the interpretation by focusing the analysis and classification on significant deformation areas. A central component of this study is the validation of the ADA classification results. Expert user validation addressed discrepancies and ensured the accuracy of the classifications, particularly in complex scenarios. In addition, the ADAclassifier output was compared with an independently generated map using a machine learning approach based on the extreme gradient boosting method. The high degree of consistency observed between the two methods reinforces the reliability of the ADAclassifier. The classification results highlighted subsidence and landslides as prevalent phenomena, aligning with known geohazard distributions. While the ADAclassifier effectively identified subsidence, landslides, and uplifts, it faced challenges in distinguishing construction settlement and sinkholes, indicating a need for further refinement. Future work should focus on refining decision-tree methodologies, integrating time-series data, and enhancing classification accuracy for overlapping deformation types. This methodology offers a scalable approach for systematic geohazard monitoring that can be adapted to other regions, supporting risk assessment and the development of targeted mitigation strategies.

Tearing at the edges of subducted slabs permits the migration of narrow orogenic arcs. Dynamic models predict that the active segment of subvertical tears migrates in the sense opposite subduction modifying the topography and tectonic regime along its path. However, the effects of slab tearing on surface deformation and landscape evolution, remains virtually unexplored. Here we show the landscape response to slab tearing, including drainage development and reorganization in the Betics, with analogies to the southern Caribbean arc. After approximately 400 km of slab tearing since 10 Ma the Betics show a transient topography with positive residual values over regions stripped from their subcontinental lithospheric mantle and negative anomalies outboard of the tear. The landscape evolves through crustal shortening and flexural uplift in the foreland of the active tearing segment producing land emergence and drainage development, with fluvial diversion around uplifting structures. Slab pull and orogen transverse extension inboard the active-tearing segment foster basin development followed by emergence and drainage reorganization by fluvial incision and capture. Mantle upwelling, flexural rebound and further extension affects teared regions, driving positive residual topography amplified in the footwall of extensional domes. Mantle flow around the slab drives uplift hundreds of km away from the slab edges.

The Urban Geo-climate Footprint (UGF) project has been developed in the context of the Urban Geology Expert Group of Euro Geo Surveys, aimed to define a new methodology to classify and cluster cities by geological and climatic point of view. The basic assumption of the UGF approach is that cities with similar geological-geographical settings should have similar challenges to manage, due to both common geological issues and climate change subsoil-related effects. Following this approach, a holistic tool consisting in a complex spreadsheet has been developed and applied to more than 40 European cities, in collaboration with several Geological Surveys of Europe. It is demonstrated as the Urban Geo-climate Footprint tool is currently capable of providing a semi-quantitative quick representation of the pressures driven by geological and climatic complexity in the analysed cities, providing for the first time such classification for the urban environment. Through the wide application of this methodology several benefits could be reached as the general awareness increase of non-experts and the enhanced reading-the-landscape capacity of decision makers about the link between geological setting and the increase in pressures due to climate change and anthropogenic activity. Furthermore, the UGF approach would facilitate the possibility to exchange best practices among similar cities for planning purposes, and it would support the decision processes to define and differentiate policies and actions, also supporting policy and cooperative geoscience and climate justice.

Sierra Nevada (Spain) is a mountain range thoroughly studied from a geological-geomorphological perspective due to its anomalously high local relief and the ongoing debate about its origin and geological structure. From the standpoint of slope dynamics, several studies have carried out, but it was not until last year that deep-seated gravitational slope deformations (DSGSDs) were described in this mountain range. Their recognition was facilitated by synergizing geomorphological assessments with data from two well-established techniques: Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) and Landscape Analysis using the normalized channel steepness index (ksn), a geomorphic index commonly used to outline landscape perturbations in tectonically-active mountain ranges. Systematic evaluation of ksn anomalies along rivers illuminated key DSGSD sectors that were studied in detail. This approach resulted in a novel inventory of 17 DSGSDs in the southwestern sector of the range, providing an initial figure of the widespread occurrence of large DSGSDs in Sierra Nevada. In a second phase, we conducted a detailed study of two slopes affected by DSGSDs in the Poqueira catchment, which provided new insights into Sierra Nevada’s DSGSDs. There, we characterized slope deformations by detailed morpho-structural mapping supported by fieldwork and interpretation of optical and LiDAR-derived imagery, resulting in morpho-structural maps and interpretative cross-sections. Collected data allowed setting up a series of 2DFEM multistage elasto-plastic models, parametrized by laboratory data and field rock mass assessment and validated with field evidence and DInSAR data. The studied cases are characterized by multiple nested landslides that become increasingly shallow, deformed, and active towards the valley. The geometry and kinematics of DSGSDs seem to be partially influenced by the orientation of foliation, indicating rock mass anisotropy, with dip slopes mainly exhibiting translational movements and anti-dip slopes demonstrating prevalence of rotational motions. We tested our initial hypothesis that these slope instabilities in the region were initiated because the development of fluvial incision, favored by the active tectonics and uplifting of the range. Preliminary findings of our analyses suggest that fluvial incision was a key trigger of DSGSDs in Sierra Nevada, but not the only one. Model simulations emphasize that, in addition to fluvial incision, rock mass anisotropy and long-term seismic activity played a crucial role in the onset and accumulation of large deformations of high slopes across the region, favoring the occurrence of significant mass movements. Considering this, rough estimates regarding the timing of incision and seismic activity suggest that initial DSGSD onset took place over a timescale of 104-105 years.

At present, worldwide population and economic expansion boosts the demand for environmental resources and urban development. According to the 2022 United Nations World Population Prospect, the global population may reach up to 9.7 billion people by 2050 of which nearly 70% will be residing in urban areas. As a result, the urban setting will become increasingly complex and with more geological and climate negative effects exacerbated by the increasing population, the unequal distribution of economic and energy resources, and the over-exploitation of the environment.To face these worldwide issues, a global approach to knowledge is required with concerted actions by all countries and cities. One possible solution addressing this need could be achieved firstly by classifying cities throughout the world as complex systems defined by geological, subsoil-related climate impact, environmental, and anthropic factors considered in a more holistic way.To achieve this objective, the Urban Geo-climate Footprint (UGF) project, aimed to define a new methodology to classify and cluster cities by geological and climatic point of view.The basic assumption of the UGF approach is that cities with similar geological-geographical settings should have similar challenges to manage, due to both common geological issues and climate change subsoil-related effects. Following this approach, a holistic tool consisting in a complex spreadsheet has been developed and applied to several European cities, in collaboration with several Geological Surveys of Europe.It is demonstrated as the Urban Geo-climate Footprint tool is currently capable of providing a semi-quantitative quick representation of the pressures driven by geological and climatic complexity in the analysed cities, providing for the first time such classification for the urban environment.Through the wide application of this methodology several benefits could be reached as the general awareness increase of non-experts and the enhanced reading-the-landscape capacity of decision makers about the link between geological setting and the increase in pressures due to climate change and anthropogenic activity.Furthermore, the UGF approach would facilitate the possibility to exchange best practices among similar cities for planning purposes, and it would support the decision processes to define and differentiate policies and actions, also supporting policy and cooperative geoscience and climate justice.

The disruption of vehicle traffic on important transport infrastructure has a major economic impact. Therefore, the instability of highway cut-slopes poses a significant risk for major infrastructures crossing mountainous regions and rocky coasts. The use of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is of great help in the prevention of road cut-slope failures and in emergency and rehabilitation of sites impacted by this type of landslides. Here, we show an example of UAV operations in emergency response and recovery in a highway cut-slope failure. We analyzed a failure that occurred on 11 March 2021 in a 52-m-high cut-slope located at 354.3 km of the A-7 Highway (S Spain). We also examine the applications of these analyses to help in risk evaluation and management. We acquired 3050 images and 6 videos with UAVs during 5 field surveys from 11 to 31 March 2021 to follow the evolution of the destabilized cut-slope. The videos taken by UAVs were of great help in the emergency response phase to guide the first steps in the removal of unstable rock blocks. The acquired images served to generate sequential Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and 3D models (i.e., point clouds and tiled models) using the Digital Photogrammetry technique. These models were used subsequently to identify changes in the topography and calculate volumes of both destabilized and excavated material. The volumetric analyses indicate that 6200 m3 of rock collapsed, producing a deposit of debris of 10,900 m3, and after the partial failure, 15,100 m3 of the slope remained unstable. Therefore, the volume of rock mobilized by the landslide was about 21,300 m3. The recovery activities involved the removal of the collapsed debris and the re-profiling of the slope. This involved the excavation, transportation, and deposition of 83,400 m3 of rock to reduce the slope’s inclination from 64° to 45–33°. We then analyzed the follow-up work generating sequential DEMs during the cut-slope excavation in order to forecast the approximate date of the highway reopening. Thus, an average excavation speed of 1075 m3/day was estimated, and with this value, by March 31, it was possible to initially forecast that the highway could be reopened in the first week of June, not far from June 10, the date on which it was finally reopened. These results were obtained with reduced equipment costs and field time over topography conventional methods, which indicates the usefulness of UAVs and Digital Photogrammetry (UAV-DP) in emergency response and recovery situations provoked by unstable slopes in roads.

Narrow Orogenic Arcs (NOA) on Earth are oftenly biodiversity hotspots, where biogeographic evolution is influenced by tectonic forcing. However, the relationships between tectonic mechanisms intrinsic to NOA, landscape evolution and speciation forming biodiversity hotspots have not been dwelt with. Different mechanisms inherent to NOA, such as slab roll back, slab tearing, edge delamination, mantle upwelling and flow around subducted slabs, basin and archipelago migration and volcanic arc growth drive a dynamic landscape evolution that fosters processes of dispersal and allopatric-speciation. Here, we show this with examples from the Western Mediterranean and Caribbean. Slab tearing drives migrating waves of tectonic uplift and subsidence at the edges of orogenic arcs, coupled with crustal thickening followed by heterogeneous extension, forming endorheic basins and marine gateways among high-elevation ranges. Furthermore, vicariant events by isolation in high-elevation mountain ranges, internal drainage basins, stranded back-arc and volcanic arc archipelagos- seem to have driven the distribution and diversification of many taxa. Dispersal events would have been promoted by- drifting forearc archipelagos, changes of river courses (captures) and land bridges between continents, where ancient lineage dispersal followed by allopatric speciation-multiple diversification resulted in the current complex biological assemblages. The characteristic time and space migration of NOA, fosters recurrent processes of dispersal and vicariance, including in situ diversification through time. In this setting, long-time emerged parts of both drifting-forearc or stranded-backarc archipelagos represent both refuge and diversification centers where insular fauna may relate to distant, previously- attached land masses or islands. This is the case of drifting islands like the late Miocene Alboran archipelago in the Gibraltar arc or the Present Margarita island in the Caribbean, bearing biota with most common recent ancestors in the Balearic islands or the Central Coastal Range of Venezuela, respectively. Insular lineages may disperse by the closure of marine gateways between the mainland continents and drifting archipelagos, a process that may also drive the isolation of confined seaways, like the Mediterranean during the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Topographic uplift closing marine gateways or restricting seaways may occur by lithospheric rejuvenation, following delamination or detachment of subducted subcontinental mantle slabs and also by the growth of a volcanic arc. The emergence of new land and islands in the forearc domain, results in speciation and less species-rich communities in the direction of slab retreat.

The availability of displacement maps based on Multi-Temporal Satellite SAR Interferometry (MT-InSAR) has greatly increased, particularly since the launch of the Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellites in 2014. These satellites provide open and free data, leading to services like the European Ground Motion Service (EGMS) which offers highly detailed displacement maps across Europe. Despite their potential for territorial management and risk assessment, the use of these maps is limited due to the complexity of the data and the lack of experience in interpreting MT-InSAR results. Projects such as RASTOOL and SARAI aim to address this by developing automated tools that simplify and expedite the analysis of EGMS data. The ADATools suite, including ADAFinder, ADAClassifier, and ADAImpact, automates the identification, classification, and impact assessment of active deformation areas (ADAs). These tools facilitate the use of displacement data for non-experts, supporting better management of territorial and infrastructural risks. Examples of ADATools applications to EGMS data highlight their strengths and future development potential, as part of the SARAI project.

Landslide research has benefited greatly from advances in remote sensing techniques. However, the recent increase in available data on land surface movement provided by InSAR techniques can lead to identifying only those areas that were active during data acquisition as hazardous, overlooking other potentially unsafe areas or neglecting landslide-specific geological settings in hazard assessments. Here, we present a case study that serves as a reminder for landslide researchers to carefully consider the geology and geomorphology of study areas where complex active movements are detected using InSAR technology. In an area extensively studied using InSAR and UAV-related techniques, we provide new insights by applying classical approaches. The area is the coastal stretch of La Herradura, and its importance lies in the fact that it has served as an illustrative example in the Product User Manual of the European Ground Motion Service, a platform that provides ground motion data on a European scale. Our approach is to revisit the area and carry out qualitative geological and geomorphological assessments supported by UAV surveys and GIS spatial analysis on a broader scale than previously published investigations. Our classical approach has yielded the following new observations, crucial for risk assessment and land management: active landslides identified by InSAR techniques since 2015 are bodies nested within large mass movements that affect entire slopes. A variety of processes contribute to slope dynamics, such as large slumps, marble rock spreading and block sliding, and surface rock falls and topples. The revised delineation of the landslide bodies reveals an area almost five times larger than previously mapped. These new findings in a well-known area highlight (1) the importance of updating and downscaling previous maps and (2) the ongoing importance of classical fieldwork and desk studies as basic complements to modern InSAR analyses.

An initiative is underway to assess the susceptibility of rockfalls along the "Caminito del Rey," a walkway situated within the Gaitanes Gorge in Malaga, Spain. This walkway, affixed to vertical rock walls, require a deep study to identify the sections most exposed to rockfalls. The comprehensive action plan includes the development of a 3D model, digital mapping, discontinuity analyses, identification of rockfall sources areas, and simulation of rockfalls. Although advanced surveying technologies have been employed to overcome the great challenge to develop the study, significant difficulties have been found during data acquisition and rockfall simulation. These challenges include generating a high resolution 3D model in an area with rock walls exceeding 300 m in height, classifying hazardous zones on these walls, calibrating simulations, and addressing the complexities of overhanging rock walls in the data acquisition and simulation.

In this work we presented the landspy Python library and its QGIS user interface. This Python library allows to perform landscape analysis from Digital Elevation Models (DEMs); extraction and analysis of the drainage network, calculation of some of the most used indices and metrics in tectonic geomorphology and a real-time knickpoint analysis. In its first release allows the computation of drainage networks and channels gradients (chi metric, Hack indexes, knickpoint analysis), river profile analysis, and hypsometry. The base Python library contains classes to read and manipulate raster and grids. To compute the drainage network, the flow is modelled as a directed acyclic graph (DAG), a novel approach that has demonstrated to be more efficient that the traditional methods based on the D8 algorithm. Results can be exported as raster / vector formats or viewing directly in QGIS as temporary layers. The QGIS interface allow using the library without programming knowledge through interactive toolboxes and windows. The user can analyze different kind of channel profiles (longitudinal profile, chi-elevation, logarithmic area-slope, and ksn profile) directly through an interactive window that synchronizes with QGIS current map. This allow a real-time knickpoint evaluation and analysis without needing to use different programs, thus constituting a power tool to the spatial analysis of drainage network anomalies. We will show an example of use in the Rif Cordillera (northern Morrocco), where tectonic play an important role in the configuration and evolution of drainage networks.

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This paper explores the mechanical behavior of phyllite rocks and their relationship with factors that can act as determinants in a slope failure: quartz content, tectonics and rock weathering. The rock failure occurred on the cut-slope of the A-7 highway (SE Spain), impacting metamorphic rocks such as phyllite, slate and quartzite sandstones. The geometric characteristics of the slope rupture resemble those of soil, despite the affected materials are rocks. Slope instability affects rocks within the hanging wall block of an E-dipping normal fault, while the footwall block, primarily composed of quartzite rocks, remained stable. This study reveals that in the fault gouge zone, the neoformation of expansive clay minerals takes place. Consequently, the pelitic nature of the phyllite rocks, combined with tectonically induced alteration, may have been the main determining factor causing these rocks to behave like soil.

Geographic Information Systems (GISs) cover a wide range of Earth and environmental science disciplines that have become essential for spatial data management, easing the digital transformation needs of our society. Despite the usefulness of GISs, they remain underutilised in academia, and many students do not understand the possibilities that these tools offer. To familiarise university students with the potential of GISs, we designed 11 short clips (less than 5 min long) recorded by Earth scientists with diverse backgrounds who shared their work experience with GISs to solve real-world problems. Through these short clips, we emphasised not only the multidisciplinary uses of GISs but also provided professional references for undergraduate students, including societal aspects such as gender equality, national and international mobility, private-to-public-sector transitioning, and different family circumstances. As a result, the students expressed their interest in the applications of GISs, many of which were completely new to them, highlighting the potential of GISs in terms of entrepreneurship and their usefulness in mitigating global change. Thus, we were able to transfer knowledge from research to university education and foster spatial data management skills in Earth science.

In carbonate coastlines, karst studies have traditionally focused on reconstructing Quaternary coastal uplift and sea level oscillations. However, their potential for investigating coastal subsidence remains unexplored in regions with limited sedimentary records and scientific monitoring. In line with this, our study delved into the utility of karst research for deciphering the Quaternary evolution of the Granada coast in southern Spain-a shoreline marked by a conspicuous scarcity of records and information regarding recent tectonic movements. The current labelling data and the absence of evidence for uplift led to the hypothesis that the Granada coast may be susceptible to subsidence, though this conjecture remained unconfirmed. While submerged marine terraces were clearly identified, they were previously interpreted as consequences of sea-level oscillations. Our multidisciplinary approach integrated karst vadose features, biostratigraphy, and the dating of 22 speleothems to address the potential uplifting or subsiding dynamics of the Granada coast. The findings indicated that the Granada coast experienced emersion between 3.5/2.4 Ma and 650 ka ago. Notably, this uplift predated similar occurrences in neighbouring coastal regions to the W and E, which occurred within the last 200-180 ka. These disparities in timing cannot be solely attributed to sea-level fluctuations, suggesting the involvement of the tectonic activity during the Quaternary. The tectonic likely led to the emergence of the Granada coast and its karstification, followed by subsidence. Furthermore, we identified the extensional faults that caused the coastal subsidence, previously documented in studies conducted in nearby regions. However, until now, their specific impact on the Granada coast had not been comprehensively stated. In summary, our research introduces a novel application of classical karst investigations in the understanding coastal subsidence and the extensional active tectonic. By comparing vadose cave ages with established chronologies in adjacent coastal areas, this approach sheds light on the complex tectonic evolution of coastal regions. Speleothems and fossils reveal coast emersion between 3.5/2.4 and 0.65 Ma. Granada coast is older than nearby shores uplifted during the last 200 ka. Chronological differences suggest local subsidence impacting the Granada coast. Quaternary extensional faults would cause the coastal subsidence. image

The historic center of Salobrefia (Granada, Spain), is located on the summit of a 100-meter-high promontory of Triassic marbles rock known as "La Pella del Castillo". In this area, rockfalls of different magnitudes have occurred, some of them at the foot of Salobrefia Medieval Castle. Recent events in November 2019 and June 2022 have caused significant social alarm due to their impact on the access roads and assets. Fortunately, there were no reported fatalities. To evaluate the fracturing of rock massif, data from discontinuities families were collected using (1) geomechanical in-situ stations, as well as (2) applying remote sensing techniques like LiDAR, and another tools, more cost-effective and accessible than LiDAR instrumentation, that combines drone flights and the applicationof Structure-from-motion (SfM) technique. After applying each technique individually, the discontinuity families have been evaluated and combined.

Quantitative landslide hazard models provide estimations of the number of landslides per area and time that might be expected in the near future. These models are essential to calculate landslide risk in monetary terms. Although they are very useful tools for managing the activity of unstable slopes, their production calls for a vast amount of spatial and temporal data. Here, we present a case where this was possible producing the quantitative landslide hazard map for the municipality of Loja, Ecuador. It is based on a model that integrates six causal factors (distance to faults, lithology, slope, geomorphology, topographic position index, land use) and a comprehensive multi-temporal inventory of landslides. First, a susceptibility map was generated with a good prediction capability (Area under prediction rate curve, AUPRC: 0.8) combining two widely used and tested probabilistic methods: “Matrix” and “Likelihood ratio”. Subsequently, this map was transformed into a hazard map by including the temporal frequency of landslides. The map assesses the annual probability of each pixel to be set in motion within one of these landslides. The preliminary temporal validation of the hazard map indicates that the pixels mobilized during two years after the map production fit reasonably well with our spatio-temporal forecast. The findings emphasize that classical spatial prediction methods, when augmented by robust and extensive data on landslide distribution and activity, can yield hazard models with reliable predictive capabilities. This suggests that in practical applications, models based on relatively simple calculations can provide effective and reliable starting points for managing landslide risks.

Urban resilience is critical to allow cities to withstand the challenges of the 21st Century. One factor that is often overlooked in such assessments is the role of the subsurface. A novel methodology called the Urban Geo-climate Footprint (UGF) has been developed to classify cities quickly and comprehensively from geological and climatic perspectives. The method operates on the fundamental assumption that cities with similar geological-geographical settings will face similar challenges, due to both common geological issues and associated climate impacts. The UGF approach has been applied to 41 European cities in collaboration with 17 Geological Surveys of Europe, the results of the UGF analysis are presented along with a regional classification of the geological resilience indicators. The UGF tool provides a semi-quantitative representation of the pressures driven by geological and climatic complexity for the cities presented, providing for a first time such classification of the urban environment. The advantage of this methodology lies in increasing awareness among non-experts and decision-makers of the interplay between geological settings, climate change pressures, and anthropogenic activities. Furthermore, it facilitates the exchange best practices among city planners to increase resilience, supporting knowledge based decision making to promote actions and policies, that enhance geoscience-informed climate justice.

The Andes region exhibits high susceptibility to landslides, leading to significant infrastructure, road, and agricultural damage. This study focuses on Ciudad Victoria, a housing program located in a geologically unstable area of Loja, Ecuador. Loja has experienced frequent landslides in recent decades, with Ciudad Victoria initially affected in 2011 and 2015, intensifying during the rainy season in early 2021. However, a comprehensive understanding of this case is currently lacking. Here, we evaluate terrain instability and structural damages through a comprehensive multi-technical approach. In this study, we integrate advanced techniques such as Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR), Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAV)-supported field surveys, geomorphological assessments, Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT), and a semi-quantitative evaluation of house damages using a Geographic Information System (GIS). The combined analysis of DInSAR, field surveys, and geomorphological observations reveals that soil instability in Ciudad Victoria is primarily influenced by slow-moving translation-type landslides occurring in the SW-NE and S-N directions. These landslides exhibit an average active displacement of 1-4 cm/yr, which increases during the rainy months, reaching velocities of up to 13 cm per month. ERT, supported by the aforementioned observations, indicates a displaced soil volume of approximately 5 Hm3, 3 , with dimensions of roughly 700 m (length), 400 m (width), and 20 m (thickness). A semi- quantitative evaluation reveals that four houses have irreversible structural damages, while 172 houses exhibit severe damage and 553 houses display moderate damages such as cracks and fractures, which also impact water and sewage pipelines. Additionally, we demonstrate how these building damages can be utilized to determine terrain movement, serving as (1) ground-truth information for validating DInSAR data, and (2) facilitating detailed movement characterization. This study exemplifies the effectiveness of coordination among a multidisciplinary team that utilizes diverse techniques and perspectives, ultimately leading to a more precise diagnosis of unstable areas.