The ASTARTE Mass Transport Deposits data base - a web-based reference for submarine landslide research around Europe

Abstract:

EU project ASTARTE (Assessment, STrategy And Risk Reduction for Tsunamis in Europe, Project number: 603839) aims at reaching a higher level of tsunami resilience in the North East Atlantic and Mediterranean (NEAM) region by a combination of field work, experimental work, numerical modeling and technical development. The project is a cooperative work of 26 institutes from 16 countries and links together the description of past tsunamigenic events, the characterization of tsunami sources, the calculation of the impact of such events, and the development of adequate resilience strategies (www.astarte.eu).

Within ASTARTE a web-based data base on Mass Transport Deposit (MTD) in the NEAM areas is being created that claims to be the future reference source for this kind of research in Europe. The aim is to integrate every existing scientific reference on the topic and update on new entries every 3 months, hosting information and detailed data, that are crucial e.g for tsunami modeling.

A relational database managed by ArcGIS for Desktop 10.3 software has been implemented to allow all partners to collaborate through a common platform for archiving and exchanging data and interpretations, such as MTD typology (slide, slump, debris, turbidite, etc), geometric characteristcs (location, depth, thickness, volume, slope, etc), but also age and dating method and eventually tsunamigenic potential.

One of the final goals of the project is the sharing of the archived datasets through a web-based map service that will allow to visualize, question, analyze, and interpret all datasets. The interactive map service will be hosted by ArcGIS Online and will deploy the cloud capabilities of the portal.

Any interested users will be able to access the online GIS resources through any Internet browser or ad hoc applications that run on desktop machines, smartphones, or tablets and will be able to use the analytical tools, key tasks, and workflows of the service.