Skip to main content

Kinematic Analysis of Rock Instability in the Archaeological Site of Delphi Using Innovative Techniques

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Transdisciplinary Multispectral Modeling and Cooperation for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage (TMM_CH 2018)

Abstract

The maintenance of the archaeological site of Delphi, as well as visitors and employers safety, is, directly, related to local geotechnical stability conditions. So, a first approach of understanding possible changes in slope geometry and knowledge of underlying engineering properties of the rock mass, was made, to minimize significant risks, which are associated with slope failures. This research, was conducted in the context of a PhD thesis, concerning the geotechnical risk related to the safety of archaeological sites. Laser scanning technology has been increasingly applied in geotechnical surveys, due to its high precision, high efficiency and ease of use, especially at inaccessible slopes that cannot be mapped manually. In this framework, a pilot survey was carried out at the northern rock cliff, overhanging the stadium, using LiDAR (Light detection and Ranging) technology. This research was aimed to image the rocky outcrop, produce virtual 3D computer models and collect discontinuity orientation data, in order to facilitate the geological and discontinuity mapping for its rapid evaluation of rock fall susceptibility and make a precursor mapping of the current situation in the research area, which is a typical example with high impact of rockfalls. Detailed three-dimensional models were created to distinguish the most unstable blocks, to define main rock fall source areas position, and to precisely distinguish outcropping materials and all elements at risk position. According to the results, rockfall is the most common form of landslide, as well as the most common failure mode likely to be triggered by a seismic event. As it is already known, the most important factor controlling rockfall trajectory is slope geometry. For this reason, discontinuity orientation data were collected and also their spacing and persistence on the limestone cliff were depicted. So, for investigating the existing stability conditions, kinematics of rock instability are presented.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
$34.99 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Christaras, B., Vouvalidis, K.: Rockfalls occurred in the archaeological site of Delphi. In: IAEG International Congress, Auckland (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Slob, S., Hack, R.: 3D terrestrial laser scanning as a new field measurement and monitoring technique. In: Hack, R., Azzam, R., Charlier, R. (eds.) Engineering Geology for Infrastructure Planning in Europe. LNEARTH, vol. 104, pp. 179–189. Springer, Heidelberg (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-39918-6_22

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Celet, J.: Contribution à l’étude géologique du Parnasse-Kiona et d’une partie des régions méridionales de la Grèce continentale. Ph.D. thesis, Annales Géologiques des Pays Helléniques, pp. 1–159 (1962)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Piccardi, L.: Active faulting at Delphi, Greece: seismotectonic remarks and a hypothesis for the geologic environment of a myth. Geology 28, 651–654 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Valkaniotis, S.: Correlation between neotectonic structures and seismicity in the broader area of Gulf (central Greece). Ph.D. thesis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, p. 223 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Marinos, P.: The archaeological site of Delphi, Greece. A site vulnerable to earthquake and landslides. In: IGCP 425 International Meeting Landslide Hazard Assessment and Mitigation for Cultural Heritage Sites and Other Locations of High Society Value, pp. 83–90. UNESCO, Paris (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Dewez, T.J.B., Girandeau-Montaux, D., Allanic, C., Rohmer, J.: Facets: a cloudcompare plugin to extract geological planes from unstructured 3D point clouds. In: ISPRS Congress (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Bellian, J.A., Kerans, C., Jennette, D.C.: Digital outcrop models: applications of terrestrial scanning lidar technology in stratigraphic modelling. J. Sediment. Res. 2(75), 166–176 (2005)

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank the Archaeological Ephoriate of Fokida and the Archaeological site of Delphi, for their permission, facilitation and willingness in order to fulfill the field work in the stadium of the archaeological site.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Basile Christaras .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Devlioti, K., Christaras, B., Marinos, V., Vouvalidis, K., Giannakopoulos, N. (2019). Kinematic Analysis of Rock Instability in the Archaeological Site of Delphi Using Innovative Techniques. In: Moropoulou, A., Korres, M., Georgopoulos, A., Spyrakos, C., Mouzakis, C. (eds) Transdisciplinary Multispectral Modeling and Cooperation for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage. TMM_CH 2018. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 962. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12960-6_28

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-12960-6_28

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-12959-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-12960-6

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics