Geomorphological evolution and present-day processes in the Dessie Graben (Wollo, Ethiopia)

This paper presents a detailed geomorphological overview of the landforms and processes characterizing the Dessie basin, a small graben located on the western Afar Margin (Ethiopia), which is a physiographic province characterized by small, closed basins and mountain ranges produced by regional extension. Large-scale geomorphological survey and mapping of the basin allowed to point out the noteworthy morphodynamic role of the present-day slope processes, including numerous landslides of different typology and size. These processes heavily interact with the built-up area of Dessie town, one of the most important cities of Ethiopia with ca. 200,000 inhabitants, which occupies a large part of the basin floor. The potential incidence of landslides of different typology in the basin and their possible impact on the urban settlement are put in relation with the distribution of the different landform units which make up the basin surface.