Detection and Characterization of Sinkholes Through Integration of Field Surveys and Semi-automated Techniques

Sinkholes are among the most typical landforms of karst terrains. They may originate from a simple downward process, through dissolution of carbonate rocks, or through rapid, sometimes catastrophic, collapse, due to the presence of underground voids or cavities, from where the instability may eventually reach the ground surface. These two extremes imply a great variety in vulnerability of man-made structures, and damage to the population, which makes the analysis of sinkholes extremely important to society. In this contribution, we present an integrated workflow to detect, classify and analyze sinkholes. The ultimate aim is to evaluate the sinkhole susceptibility and hazard. The methodology used will be illustrated by means of an example from the karst of Apulia, south-eastern Italy.