An Integrated Coastal Sediment Management Plan: The Example of the Tuscany Region (Italy)

This paper presents the results of a study carried out to support the Region of Tuscany Coastal Sediment Management Plan, with the main aim of establishing the sediment budget considering the time span from 1981-1985 to 2005 for the 56 coastal sectors into which the 215 km-long continental sandy coast of Tuscany (Italy) was divided. The sand stability (according to a stability index) and colour compatibility (according to the CIEL*a*b* colour space with an acceptability range conforming to national guidelines) were determined in order to assess the possibility of using the available sediment in accreting sectors to nourish the beach in eroding areas. Only in two cases-i.e., the updrift of a harbour (at Viareggio) and in a convergence zone (at Marina di Pietrasanta)-are the volumes of sufficient magnitude to support a large nourishment project; however, the mean sand size is too small to guarantee efficient nourishment, even with medium-term stability. In contrast, the colour difference, in most of the cases, was shown to be acceptable. Other small sediment stocks, suitable for colour but not for grain size, can be used for periodic ephemeral nourishment works to support seasonal tourist activities. The limited resources available make it necessary to adopt a plan for their optimal use from a regional perspective. This kind of study is of great interest for the proposal of sound management actions to counteract the increasing erosion processes linked to climate change phenomena and human effects on rivers and coastal systems

Experiencias en gestión de la erosión costera en Italia: casos prácticos de Sicilia y Toscana

El trabajo presenta los resultados de diferentes estudios llevados a cabo mediante fotos aéreas y mapas de diferentes escalas y años en Sicilia y en Toscana (Italia). En detalle, se describen los procesos de erosiónJacreción observados y las intervenciones llevadas a cabo para contrarrestarlos. Finalmente se analiza la evolución de las técnicas de defensa costera empleadas en las últimas décadas en Italia, resaltando el cambio de tendencia observado, es decir el remplazo de las obras de protección rígidas por obras de regeneraciónThe paper deals with the results of several works carried out in Sicily and Tuscany (Italy) by the means of aerial photographs and maps of different years and scales. In detail, it describes the erosion/accretion problems as well as the solutions adopted to solve them. Further, it is analyzed the evolution of defense techniques used in Italy in last decades, in order to highlight the change of trend recoded, that is the replacement of hard solutions by new, soft solutions, e.g. beach nourishment

Detector-based measurements for QFT: two issues and an AQFT proposal

We present and investigate two issues with the measurement scheme for QFT presented by J. Polo-Gomez, J. J. Garay and E. Martin-Martinez in "A detector-based measurement theory for quantum field theory". We point out some discrepancies that arise when applying the measurement scheme to contextual field states. Also, we show that $n$-point function assignments based on local processing regions lead to inconsistencies for some choices of spacetime points, e.g. across measurement light cones. To solve these two issues, we propose a modification to the measurement scheme. The proposal is a rule for assigning (equivalence classes of) algebraic states to spacetime regions. In this way, the measurement-induced collapse is represented in the formal expression of the states, and $n$-point functions can be consistently evaluated across any region having a definite causal relation with measurements.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure

Mathematical Reconstruction of Eroded Beach Ridges at the Ombrone River Delta

Several remotely sensed images, acquired by different sensors on satellite, airplane, and drone, were used to trace the beach ridges pattern present on the delta of the River Ombrone. A more detailed map of these morphologies, than those present in the literature, was obtained, especially at the delta apex, where beach ridges elevation in minor. Beach ridges crests, highlighted through image enhancement using ENVI 4.5 and a DTM based on LiDAR data, were then processed with ArcGIS 9.3 software. Starting from this map, a method to reconstruct beach ridges segments deleted by the transformations of the territory is proposed in this paper. The best crest-lines fitting functions were calculated through interpolation of their points with Curve Expert software, and further extrapolated to reconstruct the ridges morphology where human activity, riverbed migration, or coastal erosion eliminated them. This allowed to reconstruct the ridges pattern also offshore the present delta apex, where the shoreline retreated approximately 900 m in the last 150 years. Results can be further used to implement conceptual and numerical models of delta evolution

Map of the vulnerabiliy to pollution of the Apuo-Versilia aquifer (Tuscany - Italy)

The authors have drawn up the Map of Vulnerability to Pollution for groundwater of the Apuo-Versilia coastal Plain using the SINTACS method. The availability of a large number of subsoil data (stratigraphic columns and piezometric surveys) integrated in a GIS environment, has allowed to obtaining a large detail map on an extended area (about 152 Km2). Vulnerability rates from high to very high prevail in much part of the Plain; this poses a risk for groundwater, which represent an important resource for civil water supply