Computation of modern anthropogenic-deposit thicknesses in urban areas: A case study in Rome, Italy

In comparison with naturally stratified deposits, anthropogenic strata often have large variability in physical and chemical characteristics, which can be determined only through field surveys and laboratory tests. The estimation of their spatial distribution, based on the modelling of their basal surface, may output imprecise results, since the interpolation process is often affected by insufficient input data, which are provided by available borehole-log data. This paper reports the results of a multitemporal-analysis methodology, which is supported by historical maps that are generally available for urban centres. The methodology allows the spatial characterization of major portions of anthropogenic deposits, which were mainly produced after the Industrial Revolution, worldwide. The first tests seemed to be satisfactory, although the selected area, which has been greatly urbanized since the end of the 19th century, is part of a city in which humans have made important modifications since ancient times.