Vulnerability Analysis of the Riumar Dune Field in El Garxal Coastal Wetland (Ebro Delta, Spain)

Rodríguez-Santalla, Inmaculada; Díez-Martínez, Alejandro; Navarro, Núria

doi:10.3390/jmse9060601

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 39 publications

(78 reference statements)

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“…Recent studies suggested an increasing trend in storm wave intensity in the western Mediterranean [63]. Comprehending the effects of marine storms on Mediterranean coastal wetlands, marshes, and lagoons is vital to developing precise adaptation procedures [64,65]. The use of space research and optical satellite imagery can assist in developing operational coastal flood awareness systems at the local, regional, and national scales, complementing the current framework for large transnational river systems after extreme events or natural hazards.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Quality and Flooding Impact of the Record-Breaking Storm Gloria in the Ebro Delta (Western Mediterranean)

Caballero,

Roca,

Dunbar

et al. 2023

Remote Sensing

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Extreme events are increasing in frequency and severity due to climate change, making the littoral zone even more vulnerable and requiring continuous monitoring for its optimized management. The low-lying Ebro Delta ecosystem, located in the NW Mediterranean, was subject to Storm Gloria in the winter of 2020, the most severe coastal storm registered in the area in decades and one of the most intense ever recorded in the Mediterranean. This event caused intense rainfall, severe flooding, the erosion of beaches, and the destruction of coastal infrastructures. In this study, the Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 satellites were used to monitor the flooding impact and water quality status, including chlorophyll-a, suspended particulate matter, and turbidity, to evaluate the pre-, syn-, and post-storm scenarios. Image processing was carried out using the ACOLITE software and the on-the-cloud Google Earth Engine platform for the water quality and flood mapping, respectively, showing a consistent performance for both satellites. This cost-effective methodology allowed us to characterize the main water quality variation in the coastal environment during the storm and detect a higher flooding impact compared to the one registered three days later by the Copernicus Emergency Service for the same area. Moreover, the time series revealed how the detrimental impact on the water quality and turbidity conditions was restored two weeks after the extreme weather event. While transitional plumes of sediment discharge were formed, no phytoplankton blooms appeared during the study period in the delta. These results demonstrate that the workflow implemented is suitable for monitoring extreme coastal events using open satellite imagery at 10–30 m spatial resolution, thus providing valuable information for early warning to facilitate timely assistance and hazard impact evaluation. The integration of these tools into ecological disaster management can significantly improve current monitoring strategies, supporting decision-makers from the local to the national level in prevention, adaptation measures, and damage compensation.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Water Quality and Flooding Impact of the Record-Breaking Storm Gloria in the Ebro Delta (Western Mediterranean)

Caballero,

Roca,

Dunbar

et al. 2023

Remote Sensing

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Coastal Wetlands

Navarro

Rodríguez-Santalla

2023

JMSE

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Main Threats in Mediterranean Coastal Wetlands. The Ebro Delta Case

Rodríguez-Santalla

Navarro

2021

JMSE

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Coastal wetlands are dynamic ecosystems that exist at the interface between land and sea. They represent environments with a great diversity of habitats and communities, high carbon sequestration capacity and a wide range of ecosystem services. In the Mediterranean, the largest coastal wetlands are found in deltaic areas like that of the Ebro River (Spain), which has a coastline length of approximately 50 km, occupying a total area of 325 km2. The Ebro Delta is included in different national and international frameworks for environmental conservation, despite which there are several risks that threaten it. The lack of sedimentary contributions due to the regulation of the Ebro riverbed (irrigation, reservoirs, and hydroelectric power generation) has caused erosion and the retreat of certain sections of its coastline. To this situation of sediment deficit must be added the threat posed by the effects of global change, such as the rise in sea level, the increase in temperature and in the frequency and intensity of storms. This study analyses the particularities of the coastal wetland of the Ebro Delta, identifying the main threats it faces, as well as possible adaptation and mitigation strategies to these changes.

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Vulnerability Analysis of the Riumar Dune Field in El Garxal Coastal Wetland (Ebro Delta, Spain)

Cited by 4 publications

References 39 publications

Water Quality and Flooding Impact of the Record-Breaking Storm Gloria in the Ebro Delta (Western Mediterranean)

Water Quality and Flooding Impact of the Record-Breaking Storm Gloria in the Ebro Delta (Western Mediterranean)

Coastal Wetlands

Main Threats in Mediterranean Coastal Wetlands. The Ebro Delta Case

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