Articles | Volume 17, issue 4
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1407-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-1407-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Data description article
| 
08 Apr 2025
Data description article |
| 08 Apr 2025
| 08 Apr 2025
Features of Italian large dams and their upstream catchments
Giulia Evangelista
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, 10129, Italy
Paola Mazzoglio
Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, 10129, Italy
Daniele Ganora
Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, 10129, Italy
Francesca Pianigiani
General Department of Dams and Hydro-Electrical Infrastructures, Rome, 00161, Italy
Pierluigi Claps
Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Turin, 10129, Italy
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FOCA (Italian FlOod and Catchment Atlas) is the first systematic collection of data on Italian river catchments. It comprises geomorphological, soil, land cover, NDVI, climatological and extreme rainfall catchment attributes. FOCA also contains 631 peak and daily discharge time series covering the 1911–2016 period. Using this first nationwide data collection, a wide range of applications, in particular flood studies, can be undertaken within the Italian territory.
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The majority of rainfall measurements in the world is at the daily scale. Unfortunately, 24 h annual maximum rainfall depths, which refer to a period starting at any instant, are more useful indicators. In this work we investigated the possibility of reconstructing 24 h sliding maxima from historical daily maxima over the Po basin (Italy) by means of a parameter named Hershfield factor. The application of this factor improves the knowledge of the spatial variability of rainfall extremes.
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FOCA (Italian FlOod and Catchment Atlas) is the first systematic collection of data on Italian river catchments. It comprises geomorphological, soil, land cover, NDVI, climatological and extreme rainfall catchment attributes. FOCA also contains 631 peak and daily discharge time series covering the 1911–2016 period. Using this first nationwide data collection, a wide range of applications, in particular flood studies, can be undertaken within the Italian territory.
Paola Mazzoglio, Ilaria Butera, Massimiliano Alvioli, and Pierluigi Claps
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 1659–1672, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1659-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-1659-2022, 2022
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We have analyzed the spatial dependence of rainfall extremes upon elevation and morphology in Italy. Regression analyses show that previous rainfall–elevation relations at national scale can be substantially improved with new data, both using topography attributes and constraining the analysis within areas stemming from geomorphological zonation. Short-duration mean rainfall depths can then be estimated, all over Italy, using different parameters in each area of the geomorphological subdivision.
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Short summary
This paper presents the first comprehensive dataset of 528 large dams in Italy. It contains structural characteristics of the dams, such as coordinates, reservoir surface areas and volumes, together with a range of geomorphological, climatological, extreme rainfall, land cover and soil-related attributes of their upstream catchments.
This paper presents the first comprehensive dataset of 528 large dams in Italy. It contains...
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