Recent observation on erosional processes in the Potenza and Chienti river alluvial plains (central Marche, Italy)

Recent detailed investigations on some streams highlighted the activity of intense erosional processes, mostly valleyward of some purifiers. There, erosion is probably triggered or accelerated by water pollution that causes breaking of particular ionic links, especially in clay minerals. Other erosional processes take place downstream of confluences of artificial water channels (private or public), where discharge and solid load increase, resulting in more intense lateral erosion and downcutting. Another contribution to stream deepening, whose rate sometimes reaches some meters in few years, is given by the strong and ever increasing occupation of alluvial plains for human purposes. In such situation, it is to be evidenced that drainage is often obstacled in links between main and secondary hydrographic network. Finally, the notable extraction of water from alluvial plains is studied since, mainly during Summer, it isn't balanced by an adequate recharge, thus producing important cracking phenomena and, subsequently, predisposing for fiuther fluvial deepening.