The geomorphological map of Elba has been developed during a project that the Geologic Survey of Italy carried out to validate, upgrade and apply the national guidelines for geomorphological surveys. The peculiar geological and morphological characteristics (complex setting of geological formations and different morpho-genetic types) of Elba has motivate us to select it as a fit area to test the guidelines with a new digital design approach.
The surveying field campaign was carried out with the collaboration of the University of "Roma Tre". Each surveyed group acquired base geomorphological data and has performed several different validation controls, before subsequently harmonising the morpho-dynamic processes to re-shape toward a digital check the forms. All the synthesised data has finally been stored in a specific database to produce a seamless geomorphological map at the scale 1:50.000.
The geomorphological setting and evolution of the Elba island are not well-known due to the lack of outcrop of neogenic and quaternary marine deposits and rare presence of continental deposits. These deposits are small and mainly represented by alluvional aeolian and beach sands or along the slope as detritic and detritic-colluvial deposits.
The steepness and the frequently variation of the degree of slope produce a rugged morphology where sometime flat surfaces break off the landscape. Some authors recognise on this island three different orders of flat surfaces due probably (they are not strict chrono-biostratigraphic references) to the variation of sea level during the Pleistocene. To enforce this theory the sea-side slope are trimmed by the steep escarpments while the inner the valley are cutted and have narrow shape that generally finish by a small bay. The alluvial plain represents only the 7% of territory.
