Remote sensing investigation techniques for the analysis of rocky slope stability in remote areas: a test from the Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico

Marco Menichetti (a), Daniela Piacentini (a), Francesco Troiani (b), Guido Guidotti (c) & Agostino Napolitano (c)
(a) Dipartimento di Scienze Pure e Applicate, University of Urbino, Via Cà Le Suore 2/4, 61029, Urbino (PU), Italy. e-mail: marco.menichetti@uniurb.it (b) Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Sapienza University of Rome, P.le Aldo Moro, 5, Roma, Italy. (c) SAIPEM Spa, Via Toniolo, 1, Fano (PU), Italy.

Direct field survey to assess slope stability in steep and remote rocky cliffs is time demanding and highly consuming in term of human and economic resources. However, evolving technologies allow remotely sensed data integrated with GIS to theoretically provide equivalent information. Here we present a case study comparison of these methods applied to the Eastern valley-side of the Chinipas River, Sierra Madre Occidental, Mexico. Results show that remote sensing procedures provides the same discontinuity sets and equivalent attitude information with respect to the data acquired during field survey.