Unstable hillside in Alcoy. Surface and groundwater as a possible triggering factor.

Abstract

The city of Alcoy is located in the north of the province of Alicante, in the drainage basin of the Serpis River and on a tectonic trench characterized by the presence of Miocene marls and Quaternary material, on which a strong fluvial embedment has developed and, as a consequence, there are slope movements. The case we are dealing with is located in the south of the city and affects the industrial estates of Sant Benet, Santiago Payá, El Clergue and La Beniata and two farmhouses, whose soils have undergone filling and excavations to obtain industrial land. An  inventory of water surges and slope movements that have affected the study area is presented through  photointerpretation of aerial flights, field work, historical documentation and testimonial sources, which has allowed us to identify possible triggering factors, and define the affected surface.