Exploring the partial use of the Mo.S.E. system as effective adaptation to rising flood frequency of Venice

Abstract

Abstract. The Venice lagoon (Italy) is particularly vulnerable to the impact of subsidence and sea level rise driven by climate change. Some structural measures have been adopted over time to protect Venice from flooding, among which a system of flap gates (Experimental Electromechanical Module, Mo.S.E., system) has been operational in the testing phase since October 2020. However, relative sea level rise and wind set-up pose relevant management challenges, as a frequent closing of the lagoon would have negative impacts on flushing capacity, the fishing industry, and port activities. Here, the focus is on the hydrodynamic effects of a partial closure of the Mo.S.E. barriers that, compared to closing all the three inlets of the lagoon, could play a role in reducing the economic and environmental impacts of the Mo.S.E. system. The main goal is to identify the flooding events that can be counteracted by closing only the Lido inlet, which is the closest to the city of Venice. Based on the tidal and meteorological dataset collected in the period 2000–2019, a robust modelling exercise identifies a linear relationship between tidal range and reduction of the sea level peaks, which results in the protection of all urban settlements within the lagoon from two-thirds of the flooding events up to a relative sea level rise of +0.4 m.

Salt‐marsh retreat on different time scales: Issues and prospects from a 5‐year monitoring campaign in the Venice Lagoon

“…Furthermore, it will be crucial to understand the effect of the operation of the Mo.S.E. barriers on sea level and sediment transport (Mel, 2021;Tognin et al, 2021;Mel et al, 2021a,b).…”

Insights on the Extreme Storm Surge Event of the 22 November 2022 in the Venice Lagoon

“…The Venice Lagoon consists of small islands, extensive tidal flats, salt marshes, and a complex network of tidal channels, and it is characterized by a high heterogeneity in physical and biogeochemical conditions provided by mutually interacting habitats [22][23][24]. It is connected to the northern Adriatic Sea through three inlets, namely, from north to south, Lido, Malamocco, and Chioggia, whose widths range from 400 m to 800 m and depths between 6 m and 14 m [22,25]. The average water depth of tide flats is about 1 m, and the most important settlements are Burano, located in the northern lagoon, Venice in the central part, and Chioggia, located in the southern lagoon (Figure 1).…”