A5076271420- Coastal and Marine Dynamics
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Geological formations and processes
- Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Applications and Techniques
- Groundwater and Isotope Geochemistry
- Maritime and Coastal Archaeology
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Soil Moisture and Remote Sensing
- Geophysical Methods and Applications
- Landslides and related hazards
- Aeolian processes and effects
- Coastal and Marine Management
- Geological and Geophysical Studies
- Archaeological Research and Protection
- Geophysics and Gravity Measurements
- Karst Systems and Hydrogeology
- Groundwater flow and contamination studies
- earthquake and tectonic studies
- Marine and environmental studies
- Conservation Techniques and Studies
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Seismic Waves and Analysis
- 3D Surveying and Cultural Heritage
- Aquatic and Environmental Studies
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
National Research Council
2015-2024
Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources
2021-2024
Istituto di Scienze Marine del Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche
2013-2020
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
2013-2015
University of Padua
2011-2013
Marshes display impressive biogeomorphic features, such as zonation, a mosaic of extensive vegetation patches rather uniform composition, exhibiting sharp transitions in the presence extremely small topographic gradients. Although generally associated with accretion processes necessary for marshes to keep up relative sea level rise, competing environmental constraints, and ecologic controls, zonation is still poorly understood terms underlying mechanisms. Here we find, through observations...
From leveling to SAR-based interferometry, the monitoring of land subsidence in coastal transitional environments significantly improved. However, simultaneous assessment ground movements these peculiar is still challenging. This due presence relatively small built-up zones and infrastructures, e.g., bridges, river embankments, within large natural or rural lands, deltas, lagoons, farmland. In this paper we present a multi-band SAR methodology integrate COSMO-SkyMed ALOS-PALSAR images. The...
ABSTRACT We analyse the equilibrium states and transient dynamics of tidal biogeomorphic systems, such as lagoons estuaries, in response to variations governing physical biological forcings, range, wind climate, sediment supply, vegetation, microphytobenthos growth, rates relative sea level rise (RSLR). use a point model coupled elevation–vegetation dynamics, which retains description chief processes shaping these systems. observe that salt marshes exposed large ranges are more stable,...
The use of satellite SAR interferometric methods has significantly improved the monitoring ground movements over last decades, thus opening new possibilities for a more accurate interpretation land subsidence and its driving mechanisms. TerraSAR-X been extensively used to study in Venice Lagoon, Italy, with aim quantifying natural anthropogenic causes. In this paper, we review update main results achieved by three research projects supported DLR AOs (German Aerospace Center Announcement...
Abstract Over the past decades coastal marshes around world have declined dramatically. Their deterioration is controlled by scarcity of sediments, erosion and accelerated rise relative sea-level. The feedbacks between these processes control marsh evolution determine their long-term survivability. Aggradation a to keep pace with sea-level mainly depends on interplay sedimentation autocompaction, but interactions are severely understudied. Here we present an in-situ loading experiment...
The lagoon landscape is characterized by a diversity of tidal morphologies, such as salt marshes, flats and subtidal platforms, playing an essential role for the ecosystem services these areas provide. existence low-lying morphologies depends on delicate balance between site-specific bio-geo-morphodynamic processes relative SLR. Tidal are at risk survival since they must keep pace with sea level rise land subsidence. Given expected climate change scenario, it important to identify most...
The Mediterranean region is experiencing severe environmental pressures due to climate change, population growth, agricultural intensification, and desertification. Impacts will be exacerbated in the coming decades require adaptation strategies increase resilience of ecosystems counteract land degradation. Throughout Mediterranean, desertification combined with reduced freshwater availability main factors limiting production, driving need for alternative low-water demanding crops. Some...
The presence and continued existence of tidal morphologies, in particular salt marshes, is intimately connected with biological activity, especially the halophytic vegetation. Here, we review recent contributions to biogeomorphology identify multiple competing stable states arising from a two-way feedback between biomass productivity topographic elevation. Hence, through analysis previous new results on spatially extended biogeomorphological systems, show that constitute unifying framework...
Abstract The resilience of marsh ecosystems to expected sea-level rise is determined by a complex interplay organic and inorganic sedimentation dynamics. Marshes have formed over past centuries millennia consist extremely reactive bodies with sediments that can experience high compaction. Here we provide quantification the degree which history salt affect its long-term evolution. A dataset elevation dynamics was established in Venice Lagoon (Italy) interpreted using physics-based model...
Saltwater intrusion is a growing threat for coastal aquifers and agricultural practices in low-lying plains. Most of the farmlands located between margin Southern Venice lagoon Northern Po delta, Italy, lie few meters below mean sea level are drained by large network artificial channels hydraulic infrastructures to avoid frequent flooding allow practices. This work proposes an assessment vulnerability saltwater intrusion, following new concept hazard status, resulting combining depth...
The rise in sea level and land subsidence are seriously threatening the diversity of tidal morphologies that have made Venice Lagoon such a distinctive landscape. Here, we assess vulnerability to relative sea-level based on new conceptual framework accounts for both above- below-sea-level zones, sedimentary architecture, surface morphology. Around 80 % lagoon area will face moderate severe by 2050, doubling compared 1990s. While subtidal zone may be relatively less threatened past...
Groundwater salinization can be natural and anthropogenic in origin, although it often results from a combination of both, especially low-lying coastal regions that are hydraulically controlled. This study proposes method to assess the origin salinity using environmental tracers porewater, like Cl- Br-, combined with depositional facies associations detected sediment cores. Such integrated approach was tested target area south Venice Lagoon (Italy), where groundwater is triggered by multiple...
Abstract Large-scale submarine gravitational land movements involving even more than 1,000 m thick sedimentary successions are known as megalandslides. We prove the existence of large-scale phenomena off Crotone Basin, a forearc basin located on Ionian side Calabria (southern Italy), by seismic, morpho-bathymetric and well data. Our study reveals that Megalandslide started moving between Late Zanclean Early Piacenzian was triggered contractional tectonic event leading to inversion. Seaward...
We provide a model for the genesis of Holocene coralligenous buildups occurring in northwestern Adriatic Sea offshore Venice at 17-24 m depth. High-resolution geophysical surveys and underwater SCUBA diving reconnaissance revealed meandering shaped morphologies underneath bio-concretionned rocky buildups. These are inferred to have been inherited from Pleistocene fluvial systems reactivated as tidal channels during post- Last Glacial Maximum transgression, when study area was lagoon...
Abstract Land subsidence severely threatens most of the coastal plains around world where high productive industrial and agricultural activities urban centers are concentrated. Coastal damages infrastructures exacerbates effect sea‐level rise at regional scale. Although it is a well‐known process, there still much more to be improved on monitoring, mapping modeling ground movements, as well understanding controlling mechanisms. The International Geoscience Programme recently approved an...
Abstract. For the first time a comprehensive investigation has been carried out to quantify possible effects of dredging navigable canal on hydrogeological system underlying coastal lagoon. The study is focused Venice Lagoon, Italy, where port authority planning open new 10 m deep and 3 km long connect city passenger terminal central lagoon inlet, thus avoiding passage large cruise ships through historic center Venice. A modeling developed evaluate short (minutes), medium (months), (decades)...
Abstract. Land subsidence occurred at the Venice coastland over 2008–2011 period has been investigated by Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) using a stack of 90 TerraSAR-X stripmap images with 3 m resolution and 11-day revisiting time. The regular X-band SAR acquisitions more than three years coupled very-high image significantly improved monitoring ground displacements regional local scales, e.g., entire lagoon, especially historical palaces, MoSE large structures under construction...
Coastal transitional environments (CTE) are among the most productive ecosystems in world, supporting various natural functions and providing important ecosystem services to human societies. Because of their low elevation, CTE expected be severely threatened by accelerated sea-level rise (SLR) resilience will depend on capability keep pace with SLR. Recent field studies modelling analyses suggests that Holocene events terms sedimentation rates distribution lithology could significantly...