On the hydrological properties of mountain soils, from measurement to the geotechnical implications

Aiming at contributing with a hydrological perspective to the geotechnical investigation in mountain environments, particularly focusing on landslides triggered by perched water tables, we present some findings of a longlasting experimental and theoretical investigation of mountain—soils hydrology. After recalling a theoretical framework suitable to describe the hydrology of shallow, sloping and heterogeneous soils, we discuss some relevant difficulties concerning the measurement of the hydrological properties of heterogeneous and non mature soils, and we finally focus on the role played by the soil heterogeneity in the perched water tables onset.