Reconstructing urban landscape evolution with historical maps and geophysical techniques: 3D time-sensitive and multi-source geomodelling

Abstract Cadastral maps represent invaluable assets for understanding urban landscapes, yet their integration with modern geospatial and geophysical techniques remains underexplored. In this study, we present a comprehensive analysis of Civita Castellana's subterranean landscape (a town in central Italy), employing a multi-temporal geomodelling approach to integrate dynamics with stratigraphic and morphometric evidence, and unravel the evolutionary framework of anthropogenic deposits. Leveraging historical cadastral maps, geological boreholes, and dynamic probing (DP) tests, we construct a 3D time-sensitive geological model, to shed light on the geological architecture and geometry of anthropogenic deposits and to understand the morphological evolution of urban landscapes over the past seven decades. Near-surface geophysical techniques, such as multichannel analysis of surface waves (MASW) and horizontal/vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) investigations, are performed to evaluate the robustness and accuracy of our digital geomodelling approach. The 3D multi-source and digital model reveals significant insights into the changes in hydrographic networks, distribution, and evolution in thickness of anthropogenic backfill materials driven by human processes. Geophysical investigations accurately characterize anthropogenic materials and validate the reliability of historical cadastral maps for modeling the geometry and thickness of anthropogenic deposits in urban environments. The 3D advanced multi-temporal modeling unveils previously unknown hidden valleys and elucidates the dynamic evolution of backfill materials. This study not only enhances our understanding of urban geomorphology but also emphasizes the potential of combining historical maps with geophysical techniques to reconstruct and track changes in urban environments, potentially reducing the requirement for invasive and expensive investigations, which are impractical in heavily urbanized areas.