Il premio Melone 2025 è stato vinto dal progetto
“SEASONEX: a data-based investigation of the SEASONality of EXtreme rainfall in Italy”
a cura della dott.ssa Paola Mazzoglio (Politecnico di Torino) e del dott. Dario Treppiedi (Università degli Studi di Palermo)
Extreme precipitation events represent one of the most critical hydro-meteorological hazards in Italy, with impacts ranging from flash floods and landslides to widespread riverine flooding and infrastructure damage. While considerable efforts have been made to characterize the magnitude of rainfall extremes, less attention has been given to their seasonality, i.e., the timing of extreme events throughout the year. Yet, seasonality plays a fundamental role in shaping the hydrological response and the resulting risks, since the same rainfall amount can trigger very different impacts depending on soil saturation, snowpack conditions, or reservoir levels. The project aims to fill this knowledge gap by providing the first high-resolution assessment of the
seasonality of precipitation extremes in Italy, across multiple timescales ranging from 1 to 24 hours, thereby encompassing both short- and long-duration events. To this end, an unprecedented dataset of the timing of annual maxima covering Italy will be created. The seasonality of these extremes will be analyzed using circular statistics, a framework that allows a robust treatment of dates as circular variables. The analysis will characterize the dominant season(s) of occurrence, the degree of concentration, and possible seasonal patterns across different regions and timescales. Building on these results, the project will also investigate temporal trends and shifts in seasonality through innovative circular trend tests aiming to detect possible climate-driven changes
in the timing of precipitation events. In addition, the bivariate relationship between seasonality and magnitude of extreme precipitation will be explored, providing a more holistic understanding of the occurrence of extremes and a better comprehension of the main driving process of the hydrological cycle. Overall, the project outcomes will generate new scientific insights and produce valuable knowledge to support climate adaptation, risk assessment, infrastructure planning, and early warning systems,
contributing to a more resilient management of hydro-meteorological risks in Italy.
Il Premio Florisa Melone, sostenuto dalla famiglia della Dott.sa Melone, è un tributo alla sua memoria e agli studi svolti nel corso della sua eccellente attività di ricercatrice. Il premio è rivolto a progetti il cui obiettivo sia l’avanzamento della conoscenza sulle tematiche di ricerca:
i) analisi qualitativa e quantitativa delle componenti del ciclo idrologico,
ii) gestione del rischio dovuto a eventi idro-meteorologici estremi,
ii) pianificazione e gestione sostenibile delle risorse idriche in un contesto di cambiamenti globali.
Di seguito il bando completo, con scadenza 20 giugno 2025, ed il relativo modello di domanda