Projected effects of temperature changes on the Italian Western Tauri glaciers (Eastern Alps)

ABSTRACTA linear model was used to investigate the behaviour of the Italian Western Tauri glaciers as a result of temperature changes projected for the 21st century. The model estimates the temperature variations once the glacier snout length variations are known and vice versa: it estimates the glacier snout length variations once the air temperature variations are known or predicted. The 46 glaciers of the Italian Western Tauri, 35 (76%) of which have areas smaller than 0.5 km2 and only 7 (15%) larger than 1 km2, are mostly mountain type glaciers and only three are presently valley glaciers. The model has been forced by the air temperature projections of the A1B emission scenario, which indicates an increase in temperature of 2.7°C from 2015 to 2100. The results show a shortening of more than 35% for mountain glaciers by 2100 with a surface loss of more than 60% and smaller reductions for valley glaciers. The consequent fragmentation into smaller units would lead to the extinction of 95% of the existing glaciers by the end of the century, possibly leaving only the valley glaciers surviving

Paleochannel and beach-bar palimpsest topography as initial substrate for coralligenous buildups offshore Venice, Italy

We provide a model for the genesis of Holocene coralligenous buildups occurring in the 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 morphologies are inferred to have been inherited from Pleistocene fluvial systems reactivated as tidal channels during the post-Last Glacial Maximum transgression, when the study area was a lagoon protected by a sandy barrier. The lithification of the sandy fossil channel-levee systems is estimated to have occurred at ca. 7 cal. ka BP, likely due to the interaction between marine and less saline fluids related to onshore freshwater discharge at sea through a sealed water-table. The carbonate-cemented sandy layers served as nucleus for subsequent coralligenous buildups growth.Contiene material complementario: consultar en https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-01483-z#Sec5Centro de Investigaciones Geológica

Sustainable development of coastal cities through control of land subsidence: activities of IGCP Project 663 in Jakarta

The awareness on the importance that land subsidence plays on coastal processes at the regional scale is increased over the last two decades, and it clearly appears that land subsidence can contribute primarily to the relative sea level rise affecting coastal zones. Jakarta is one of the cities mostly affected by the combination of sea-level rise and land subsidence. In this paper, the activities carried out in Jakarta under the umbrella of the IGCP Project 663 were presented, and the possible measures and best practices mitigating land subsidence for the research associates and potential stakeholders were provided, with which can serve as inspiration for authorities and communities facing land subsidence. Meanwhile, major achievements of IGCP 663 in Jakarta were summarized and introduced, including dissemination session, scientific session and field trips. Specifically, major advances on coastal subsidence studies regarding the effect of relative sea level rise, subsidence mapping, monitoring and simulation, as well as the support of policy making are highlighted and summarized

Paleochannel and beach-bar palimpsest topography as initial substrate for coralligenous buildups offshore Venice, Italy

We provide a model for the genesis of Holocene coralligenous buildups occurring in the 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 morphologies are inferred to have been inherited from Pleistocene fluvial systems reactivated as tidal channels during the post-Last Glacial Maximum transgression, when the study area was a lagoon protected by a sandy barrier. The lithification of the sandy fossil channel-levee systems is estimated to have occurred at ca. 7 cal. ka BP, likely due to the interaction between marine and less saline fluids related to onshore freshwater discharge at sea through a sealed water-table. The carbonate-cemented sandy layers served as nucleus for subsequent coralligenous buildups growth.Contiene material complementario: consultar en https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-01483-z#Sec5Centro de Investigaciones Geológica

Sustainable development of coastal cities through control of land subsidence: Activities of IGCP Project 663 in Jakarta

The awareness on the importance that land subsidence plays on coastal processes at the regional scale is increased over the last two decades, and it clearly appears that land subsidence can contribute primarily to the relative sea level rise affecting coastal zones. Jakarta is one of the cities mostly affected by the combination of sea-level rise and land subsidence. In this paper, the activities carried out in Jakarta under the umbrella of the IGCP Project 663 were presented, and the possible measures and best practices mitigating land subsidence for the research associates and potential stakeholders were provided, with which can serve as inspiration for authorities and communities facing land subsidence. Meanwhile, major achievements of IGCP 663 in Jakarta were summarized and introduced, including dissemination session, scientific session and field trips. Specifically, major advances on coastal subsidence studies regarding the effect of relative sea level rise, subsidence mapping, monitoring and simulation, as well as the support of policy making are highlighted and summarized

Vulnerability of Venice's coastland to relative sea-level rise

Abstract. Relative sea-level rise (RSLR), i.e. sea-level rise due to climate changes combined with land subsidence, is one of the processes that is most severely threatening the coastal systems around the world. The Venice coastland forms the major low-lying area in Italy and encompasses a variety of environments, such as farmlands, estuaries, deltas, lagoons and urbanized areas. Valuable ecosystems, historical heritages and economic activities are located in this area. Since most of the territory lies at a ground elevation below or slightly above the mean sea-level, also a few mm yr−1 of land subsidence can seriously impacts on the Venice coastal system. In this study, we present an analysis of the vulnerability to RSLR considering an uneven land subsidence distribution, with an application on the Venice coastland. The analysis is delineated at the regional scale by an index-based model and a proper coupling of various thematic layers, such as high spatial resolution land subsidence data retrieved by satellite SAR interferometry, ongoing and projected sea-level rise trends, and morpho-physiographic setting of the coastland

Subsoil architecture and morphological setting shaping the saltwater intrusion in the coastal plain south of the Venice lagoon, Italy

The southern catchment of the Venice watershed (Italy) is threatened by shallow aquifer and soil salinization. The saltwater may extend inland up to 20 km from the Adriatic coastline and deepen down to some tens of meters. Here, saltwater contamination is driven by other forcing factors than excessive pumping, such as ground elevation, buried geological structures, tide encroachment along watercourses, climate and tide conditions, and drainage practices implemented in reclaimed areas. This work aims to outline a conceptual model of the saltwater contamination highlighting the mechanisms driving the saltwater-freshwater exchanges. Results show that the fresh/salt-water interface depth varies from 1 to 30 m below the ground level and exhibits a significant, mainly seasonal, time variation. The dynamics of the soil salinization process is especially sensitive to changes in river (Brenta, Bacchiglione, Adige, Gorzone) discharges, groundwater and channel levels, which are regulated by a number of pumping stations, and climate conditions. Relict geomorphological features, filled with high permeability sediments, act as preferred pathways for groundwater flow and solute transport. In fact they provide a hydraulic connection between freshwater aquifers and sea, possibly facilitating saltwater intrusion landward or, conversely, acting as reservoir of freshwater provided by precipitation, irrigation, percolation through channel beds