Geophysical surveys for non-invasive characterization of sinkhole phenomena: A case study of Murisengo

Abstract

The present research investigates the morphology and genetical mechanism of a sinkhole which occurred in 2019 in Murisengo (NW Italy). This landform is representative of several subsidence phenomena that often concern the Monferrato area (NW Italy). In concomitance with the appearance of the sinkhole at the surface, a cone of detrital material was found in the drifts of a nearby underground quarry. A geological survey was performed in the underground quarry in order to understand the interaction between the geological and geostructural features of the rock body and the generation of the sinkhole. Moreover, the underground sinkhole morphology was investigated through electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) surveys performed at the surface. The ERT outputs were combined to obtain a 3D image of the phenomenon and the 3D reconstruction was then compared with the geomorphological and structural setting of the area. Results suggest that a viscoplastic flow of clay-rich sediments within a conduit in the gypsum bedrock (suffusion process) generated the sinkhole.