Advances in Natural Hazards and Geotechnical Risks: Designing Resilient Solutions with Sustainability
Description
This volume presents the selected proceedings of the 4th International Workshop on Natural Hazards (NATHAZ'25), held in Horta, Faial Island, Azores, on 23-24 October 2025. It serves as a key reference for researchers and practitioners in earth sciences, geohazards, geotechnics, engineering geosciences, georesources, and environmental sciences. Horta, a scenic Atlantic city overlooking Pico Mountain (2,351 m), is located on Faial Island, renowned for its striking natural landscapes and rural charm. The 1957-1958 Capelinhos eruption shaped a distinctive volcanic landscape that continues to serve as an important site for scientific research and public engagement.
Natural hazards threaten communities, ecosystems, and infrastructure, requiring integrated approaches that combine geology, geomorphology, hydrology, geoengineering, environmental sciences, and social sciences. Advancing hazard mapping, georisk assessment, monitoring, and multi-hazard management and planning is essential to strengthen resilience and reduce risk.
This volume presents recent advances in geotechnical risk assessment and natural-hazard studies, with contributions on hazard characterization, modelling, evaluation, and management. Case studies from Europe, the Americas, Asia, and the Atlantic and Mediterranean islands offer broad insights into geohazards and multi-hazard systems. An international scientific committee ensures the volume's overall rigor and multidisciplinary scope.
Key topics include:
i. Multi-hazards and georisks assessment: geoscience, geoengineering, and societal issues
ii. Mapping, monitoring, and evaluating natural hazards: landslides, rock falls, and slopes
iii. Ground evaluation and environmental geotechnics: implications on geotechnical hazards
iv. Assessment, planning, and design with natural hazards: urban planning, engineering works, and hydrological issues
v. Faial Island geology: geodiversity and natural hazards
More details
Persons
Helder I. Chaminé is a skilled geologist with over 35 years of experience and Professor of Engineering Geosciences at the School of Engineering (ISEP), Polytechnic of Porto. His expertise includes GIS-based geoscience mapping, structural geology, engineering geosciences, hydrogeomechanics, hard-rock hydrogeology, and geohazards, with additional interests in mining geology, thermal-waters management, and military geology. He leads the Laboratory of Cartography and Applied Geology (LABCARGA|ISEP) and is a senior researcher at GeoBioTec (U. Aveiro) and IDL (U. Lisbon). He directs the MSc in Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering (OE+EUR-ACE Label) and serves as vice-president of the Department of Geotechnical Engineering at ISEP. He has authored over 230 publications and edited more than 30 scientific volumes. He served as a crew geologist on the CAMÕES|Azores subterranean analog mission and co-edited the IEREK+ASTI Springer natural hazards volumes (NATHAZ'19, NATHAZ'22). He is currently co-chair of the scientific committee for the 5th International Workshop on Natural Hazards-NATHAZ'28 (Santa Maria Island, Azores, 2028), which focuses on geological and geomorphological risks.
Ana Malheiro is a geologist with over 42 years of experience in engineering geology, in situ investigations, geotechnics, natural hazards, and geological risk assessment. Since 1984, she has worked at the Regional Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LREC) in the Azores, where she leads engineering geology and geotechnical investigations. She is currently Director of Geotechnics, Sustainability, and In Situ Investigations at LREC. Additionally, she co-edited three special volumes: Volcanic Rocks for Balkema + Taylor & Francis; Advances in Natural Hazards and Hydrological Risks: Meeting the Challenge (NATHAZ'19); and Advances in Natural Hazards and Volcanic Risks: Shaping a Sustainable Future (NATHAZ'22) for the IEREK + ASTI Springer series. She has served on numerous organizing and scientific committees for national and international conferences and workshops. Currently, she is the co-chair of the scientific committee for the 5th International Workshop on Natural Hazards-NATHAZ'28 (Santa Maria Island, Azores, 2028), which focuses on geological and geomorphological risks.
Francisco Fernandes is a civil engineer with over 30 years of experience in engineering practice and management. Since 2012, he has led the Regional Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LREC) in the Azores. He serves on the boards of SPES, SPG, and FUNDCIC. He has coordinated research projects on sustainability and monitoring of unstable areas, reinforced masonry walls, developed an endogenous catalog of construction materials, organized an idea competition focused on energy and water efficiency in public buildings, and explored the circular economy and waste management in construction. He has co-authored conference proceedings, book chapters, professional papers, and technical reports. Additionally, he co-edited special volumes of the IEREK+ASTI Springer series, including Advances in Natural Hazards and Hydrological Risks: Meeting the Challenge (NATHAZ'19) and Advances in Natural Hazards and Volcanic Risks: Shaping a Sustainable Future (NATHAZ'22). He also leads the organizing committee for the 5th International Workshop on Natural Hazards-NATHAZ'28 (Santa Maria Island, Azores, 2028), which focuses on geological and geomorphological risks.
Content
Chapter 1. Management of Geohazard Risks Considering the Changing Climate and Societal Priorities.- Chapter 2. Geotechnical Hazards Associated with Intraplate Crustal Reactivation, and Criteria for Recognizing Seismogenic Range-Bounding Faults: Lessons from Central Asia.- Chapter 3. Insights into the Volcanic Unrest Deformation Episode 1999-2007 at Fogo Volcano (São Miguel Island, Azores.- Chapter 4. Santa Barbara's Volcano Seismicity from June 2022 to June 2025: a Review of Seismic Activity on Terceira Island (Azores).- Chapter 5. Geohazards Assessment in Renewable Energy Projects: Case Study of a Hypothetical Cable Route Crossing the Madeira Insular Margins.- Chapter 6. PRISMAC: Analysis, Mitigation, and Management of Risks to Landslides Caused by Climate Change in Macaronesia.- Chapter 7. Risk Analysis Methodologies in Heterogeneous Rock Masses: Examples Related to Heritage Cavities.- Chapter 8. Geotechnical Project Life Cycle Assessment: A Tool for Sustainability and Minimizing Potential Future Risks in Island Territories.- Chapter 9. The Price of Uncertainty: Risk Classification of Dams According to Brazilian Law.- Chapter 10. Application of an iPhone LiDAR on Mountain Trails Management and Safety.- Chapter 11. 3D Analysis of Collapse Geometries for Irregular Shapes of Lunar Lava Tubes.- Chapter 12. Defining Landslide-Triggering Rainfall Thresholds by Environmental Units in Mainland Portugal.- Chapter 13. Integrated Seismic and Geodetic Monitoring of the Recent Seismo-Volcanic Activity on São Jorge Island, Azores (Portugal).- Chapter 14. Contributions to the Topographic Monitoring of Ground Under Construction on the Island of São Miguel, Azores, Portugal.- Chapter 15. Dismantling a Rock Block on an Unstable Slope on the EN1-1 Road, Grota dos Sernos (Nordeste, São Miguel Island, Azores): Practical Lessons Learned.- Chapter 16. DInSAR Technology for Monitoring Ground Deformation in a Historical Mining Area (Tibães, NW Portugal): A Preliminary Hazard Analysis.- Chapter 17. Comparison of Methods for Remote Detection of Discontinuity Families by Photogrammetry with the Traditional Method: An Exploratory Study.- Chapter 18. Integration of UAV-GPS Surveys and Terrestrial LiDAR for High-Resolution Mapping: an Exploratory Methodology for Hazards.- Chapter 19. Evaluation of Geotechnical Parameters from Back-Analysis of Natural Slope Failure.- Chapter 20. Integrated Morphological, Geophysical, and Geotechnical Analysis of the Timzguida Oufttas Landslide (Morocco): Insights into Mechanisms and Instability Factors.- Chapter 21. Geological Risk in Karst Regions: the Case of Minde Polje Slopes.- Chapter 22. Land Use and Geology Maps Improvement in Landslide Susceptibility Assessment: A Case Study.- Chapter 23. New 1:100 000 Scale Soil Mapping of Mainland Portugal.- Chapter 24. Mapping Soil District Boundaries Across Mainland Portugal.- Chapter 25. Thermal and Geotechnical Conditioning Factors for Urban Planning on Hot Lava Flows after the Volcanic Eruption of La Palma 2021.- Chapter 26. Geological Risks of Soft Volcanic Rocks in an Urban Context: Assessing Susceptibility for Slope Stability.- Chapter 27. Challenges in Defining Failure Criteria for Macroporous Volcanic Rocks: Uncertainty and Analysis Methods.- Chapter 28. Getting Undisturbed Specimens of Lithified Canarian Pyroclasts.- Chapter 29. Numerical Modeling of Volcanic Soil Crushing, Including the Collapse Mechanism.- Chapter 30. Bearing Capacity and Safety Factor Evaluation of Shallow Foundations on Low-Density Pyroclastic Rocks.- Chapter 31. Preliminary Geotechnical Characterization and Assessment of Soil Liquefaction Susceptibility in Figueira da Foz Urban Area.- Chapter 32. Polymers for Coating of Secured Drapery Systems in Aggressive Environments: Lessons Learned from Nazaré Site (Central Portugal).- Chapter 33. Terramesh - Solutions for Steep Slope Heights: Some Thoughts About Design and Durability.- Chapter 34. Dynamics and Thermodynamics of Rock and Ice Avalanches.- Chapter 35. Geotechnical Risks in Natural Stone Quarries: Lessons Learned from a Landslide on a Marble Quarry Slope.- Chapter 36. Promoting the Resilience of Road Pavements by Mitigating Geotechnical Risks due to Climate Change: A Brief Review.- Chapter 37. Application of a Sustainable Solution for the Stabilization of a Highway Slope (Portugal).- Chapter 38. Project Roadmap to Assembly and Deploy a Portable Infrasound Array on Faial Island, Azores, Portugal.- Chapter 39. Detecting Vulnerability Hotspots Along the Galician Coastline: Toward Improved Risk Management.- Chapter 40. Impact of Storm Events on the Morphological Evolution of the Submerged Sandbar at Figueira da Foz Inlet.- Chapter 41. Coastal Erosion in the Azores: Environmental Impact Assessment in the Rabo de Peixe Sector - Ribeira Grande, São Miguel Island, Azores.- Chapter 42. Flood Hazard Hydrologic and Hydraulic Modelling in the Anergui Valley, Central High Atlas (Morocco).- Chapter 43. A New Methodology to Predict Flash Flood Risk Areas in the United Arab Emirates: A Preliminary Study.- Chapter 44. Hydrogeology of Pyroclastic Flow Plateau: A Case Study of the Yabakei Pyroclastic Flow in Kyushu Island, Japan.- Chapter 45. Volcanoes, Geology, and Geodiversity of Faial Island Under the Scope of Geohazards: a Field Trip Approach.