Domains of spit evolution in the Goro area, Po Delta, Italy

Siméoni, Umberto; Fontolan, Giorgio; Tessari, Umberto; Corbau, Corinne

doi:10.1016/j.geomorph.2006.09.006

Cited by 54 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…The history and development of deltas in the Mediterranean basin, one of the cradles of civilization, has been strongly intertwined with the rise and demise of cultures and societies, as well as with major cultural and economic changes, especially over the last -Stroe and Proteasea, 2015), Nile (Morhange et al, 2005;Ubeid, 2011;Ghoneim et al, 2015), Po (Simeoni et al, 2007;Simeoni and Corbau, 2009), Rhône (Sabatier et al, 2009) Ebro (Jimenez et al, 1997), Medjerda (Amrouni et al, 2014), Moulouya (Dakki, 2003), Arno (Anfuso et al, 2011), Ombrone (Pranzini, 2001). Directions for the Ceyhan are derived from delta plan-shape morphology in relation to the dominant local wave direction.…”

Section: Research Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

River delta shoreline reworking and erosion in the Mediterranean and Black Seas: the potential roles of fluvial sediment starvation and other factors

Besset

Anthony

Sabatier

2017

Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene

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The Mediterranean basin (including the Black Sea) is characterized by a plethora of deltas that have developed in a wave-influenced setting. Many of these deltas are sourced in sediments by river catchments that have been variably dammed. The vulnerability status of a selection of ten deltas subject to different levels of reduction in fluvial sediment supply following damming was analysed by quantifying changes in delta protrusion area and protrusion angle over the last 30 years. The rationale for choosing these two metrics, which do not require tricky calculations of longshore bedload transport volumes and river ‘influence’, is that as sediment supply wanes, increasing relative efficiency of waves leads to longshore redistribution of reworked sediments and progressive ‘flattening’ of the delta protrusion. The results show that eight of the ten deltas (Nile, Rhône, Ebro, Ceyhan, Arno, Ombrone, Moulouya, Medjerda) are in erosion, whereas two (Danube, Po) show stability, but the statistical relationship between change in delta protrusion area and sediment flux reduction is poor, thus suggesting that the role of dams in causing delta shoreline erosion may have been over-estimated. But this poor relationship could also be due to a long temporal lag between dam construction and bedload removal and transport to the coast downstream of dams, and, where the delta protrusion is being eroded, to bedload trapping by shoreline engineering structures and by elongating delta-flank spits. Other potential influential factors in shoreline change include subsidence, sea-level rise, storminess, exceptional river floods, and managed sediment releases downstream of dams. A longer observation period and high-resolution sediment-budget studies will be necessary to determine more definitively to which extent continued trapping of sediment behind dams will impact overall delta stability in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. Mitigation of delta erosion is likely to become costlier under continued sediment starvation and sea-level rise.

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Section: Research Articlementioning

confidence: 99%

River delta shoreline reworking and erosion in the Mediterranean and Black Seas: the potential roles of fluvial sediment starvation and other factors

Besset

Anthony

Sabatier

2017

Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene

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“…morphological evolution of deltas and transitional environments in response to sea level rise) without considering other important factors contributing to coastal vulnerability to climate change, such as distribution of coastal assets, inhabitants and ecosystems (Fontolan, 2001;Seminara et al, 2005;Ferla et al, 2007;Simeoni et al, 2007). The complexity of the problems linked to climate change and the importance of considering multiple systems and sectors that interact in the study area ask instead for a broader integrated approach.…”

Section: Case Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of coastal vulnerability to climate change hazards at the regional scale: the case study of the North Adriatic Sea

Torresan

Critto

Rizzi

et al. 2012

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci.

138

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Abstract. Sea level rise, changes in storms and wave climate as a consequence of global climate change are expected to increase the size and magnitude of flooded and eroding coastal areas, thus having profound impacts on coastal communities and ecosystems. River deltas, beaches, estuaries and lagoons are considered particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, which should be studied at the regional/local scale. This paper presents a regional vulnerability assessment (RVA) methodology developed to analyse site-specific spatial information on coastal vulnerability to the envisaged effects of global climate change, and assist coastal communities in operational coastal management and conservation. The main aim of the RVA is to identify key vulnerable receptors (i.e. natural and human ecosystems) in the considered region and localize vulnerable hot spot areas, which could be considered as homogeneous geographic sites for the definition of adaptation strategies. The application of the RVA methodology is based on a heterogeneous subset of bio-geophysical and socio-economic vulnerability indicators (e.g. coastal topography, geomorphology, presence and distribution of vegetation cover, location of artificial protection), which are a measure of the potential harm from a range of climate-related impacts (e.g. sea level rise inundation, storm surge flooding, coastal erosion). Based on a system of numerical weights and scores, the RVA provides relative vulnerability maps that allow to prioritize more vulnerable areas and targets of different climate-related impacts in the examined region and to support the identification of suitable areas for human settlements, infrastructures and economic activities, providing a basis for coastal zoning and land use planning. The implementation, performance and results of the methodology for the coastal area of the North Adriatic Sea (Italy) are fully described in the paper.

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“…The Po Delta has subsided 3.7 m in the 20 th Century, of which 81% is attributed to methane mining. After the cessation of methane extraction, the rate slowed to <25 mm/y by 1970 (25), and by the 1990's the subsidence rate was ≤4 mm/y (26).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sinking deltas due to human activities

et al. 2009

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The world's population living on low-lying deltas is increasingly vulnerable to flooding, whether from intense rainfall, rivers or from hurricane-induced storm surges. High-resolution SRTM and MODIS satellite data along with geo-referenced historical map analysis allows quantification of the extent of low-lying delta areas and the role of humans in contributing to their vulnerability. Thirty-three major deltas collectively include ~26,000 km 2 of area below local mean sea level and ~96,000 km 2 of vulnerable area below 2 m a.s.l. The vulnerable areas may increase by 50% under projected 21st Century eustatic sea level rise, a conservative estimate given the current trends in the reduction in sedimentary deposits forming on the surface of these deltas. Analysis of river sediment load and delta topographical data show that these densely populated, intensively farmed landforms, that often host key economic structures, have been destabilized by human-induced accelerated sediment compaction from water, oil and gas mining, by reduction of incoming sediment from upstream dams and reservoirs, and from floodplain engineering. IntroductionClose to 0.5 billion people live on, or near, world deltas, inclusively in many mega-cities (1, 2). Ten countries (China, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Egypt, USA, Thailand, and the Philippines) account for 73% of the people that live in the world's coastal zone, defined as within 10 m a.s.l. (3). 20 th -century catchment developments and population and economic growth within subsiding deltas have placed these environments and their populations under a growing risk of coastal flooding, wetland loss, shoreline retreat, and loss of infrastructure (4, 5). It is estimated that more than 10 million people per year experience flooding due to storm surges, and most of these people are living on Asian deltas (6). Using new, globally-consistent and highresolution topographic data, three hypotheses are tested: 1) deltas are rapidly sinking, often to below local sea level, 2) the lack of sediment getting to delta floodplains is the main reason so many deltas are sinking, and 3) human activities are largely responsible for the present vulnerability of deltas. For a representative suite of deltas, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data are applied to evaluate delta topography, in relation to mean sea level. Historical maps are geo-referenced against detailed topographic data to map morphodynamic patterns and quantify how rivers once flowed through deltas. Visible and near-infrared Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite images are used to assess flooding in modern deltas and investigate whether such flooding is mainly from river runoff or instead from coastal storm surges, and whether present river suspended load is sufficient to maintain delta plain aggradation and stability.

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Domains of spit evolution in the Goro area, Po Delta, Italy

Cited by 54 publications

References 19 publications

River delta shoreline reworking and erosion in the Mediterranean and Black Seas: the potential roles of fluvial sediment starvation and other factors

River delta shoreline reworking and erosion in the Mediterranean and Black Seas: the potential roles of fluvial sediment starvation and other factors

Assessment of coastal vulnerability to climate change hazards at the regional scale: the case study of the North Adriatic Sea

Sinking deltas due to human activities

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