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pdf Sea level rise projections up to 2150 in the northern Mediterranean coasts

In Relative Sea Level Rise Projections for 2150 for the Mediterranean coasts 295 downloads

Summary

Vertical land movements (VLM) play a crucial role in affecting the sea level rise along the coasts. They need to be estimated and included in the analysis for more accurate Sea Level (SL) projections. Here we focus on the Mediterranean basin characterized by spatially variable rates of VLM that affect the future SL along the coasts. To estimate the VLM rates we used geodetic data from continuous global navigation satellite system stations with time series longer than 4.5 years in the 1996–2023 interval, belonging to Euro-Mediterranean networks and located within 5 km from the coast. Revised SL projections up to the year 2150 are provided at 265 points on a geographical grid and at the locations of 51 tide gauges of the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level, by including the estimated VLM in the SL projections released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in the AR6 Report. Results show that the IPCC projections underestimate future SL along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea since the effects of tectonics and other local factors were not properly considered. Here we show that revised SL projections at 2100, when compared to the IPCC, show a maximum and minimum differences of 1094 ± 103 mm and 773 ± 106 mm, respectively, with an average value that exceeds by about 80 mm that of the IPCC in the reference Shared Socio-economic Pathways and different global warming levels. Finally, the projections indicate that about 19.000 km2 of the considered Mediterranean coasts will be more exposed to risk of inundation for the next decades, leading to enhanced impacts on the environment, human activities and infrastructures, thus suggesting the need for concrete actions to support vulnerable populations to adapt to the expected SL rise and coastal hazards by the end of this century.

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The main coastal plains of the Mediterranean basin are underlined in red. The geospatial analysis highlights that the total area of the coastal plains of the Mediterranean region potentially prone to be flooded is about 38 529 km2. The most affected countries are Egypt (12.879 km2), Italy (10.060 km2) and France (3.681 km2).

How to cite and download publication:

Antonio Vecchio, Marco Anzidei and Enrico Serpelloni. Sea level rise projections up to 2150 in the northern Mediterranean coasts. Environmental Research Letters, 2023. DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/ad127e

Archive Data of Sea Level Rise (RSLR) projections for years 2030-2150 (relative to 2020) for the Mediterranean coasts (Vecchio et al., 2023 DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/ad127e)

In Relative Sea Level Rise Projections for 2150 for the Mediterranean coasts 415 downloads

Readme - data Sea Level Rise (SLR) projections for years 2030-2150 (relative to 2020) for the Mediterranean coasts.

The revised SLR projections in mm are provided on a 0.5°x0.5° geographical grid and at selected tide gauge stations of the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL, https://psmsl.org/data/obtaining/)

SLR at grid points.

The revised SLR projections are provided in 5 grid and 5 Tlim files in the directory sspXXX_grid and T_Y_grid. Each projection corresponds to one of the revised SSP and Tlim IPCC AR6 scenarios.

Revised RSLR projections are named SL_ssp_name_grid YEAR

1 sigma error for each SL_ssp_name_grid YEAR, are named err_SL_ssp_name_grid_YEAR.

Data in Esri ASCII raster format with a six-row header. ASCII header information:

NCOLS: number of cell columns NROWS: number of cell rows

XLLCORNER: X-coordinate of the origin in degrees (by lower left corner of the cell) YLLCORNER: Y-coordinate of the origin in degrees (by lower left corner of the cell) CELLSIZE: Cell size in degrees

NODATA_VALUE: Default is -9999.

SLR at selected PSMSL stations.

The revised SLR projections in mm at the selected PSMSL stations are in the directories. Projections_PSMSL where each SLR projection corresponds to one of the revised SSP and Tlim IPCC AR6 projections named SL_ssp_name_PSMSL_YEAR

Data are ascii file with the extension .txt, Latitude (lat) and Longitude (lon) of the station SL (mm), err_SL (mm), are provided.

SLR at grid points.

The VLM rates in mm are provided in the directory VLM_grid and named vlm_grid. 1 sigma error for VLM rates are provided in the directory VLM_grid and named

err_vlm_grid.

How to cite data of Data Sea Level Rise (RSLR) projections for years 2030-2150 (relative to 2020) for the Mediterranean coasts

Antonio Vecchio, Marco Anzidei and Enrico Serpelloni. Sea level rise projections up to 2150 in the northern Mediterranean coasts. Environmental Research Letters, 2023. DOI 10.1088/1748-9326/ad127e

pdf Adapting to sea level rise: participatory, solution-oriented policy tools in vulnerable Mediterranean areas

In Scientific publications and results 416 downloads

Summary

The coasts of the Mediterranean basin are exposed to the ongoing effects of climate change and anthropogenic pressure. Low elevated coastal plains, river deltas, lagoons and reclamation areas are experiencing beach retreat, coastal erosion and marine flooding. This makes them particularly vulnerable to sea level rise (SLR), which is expected to increase up to 1 m by 2100 AD, according to the projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. In this study, selected stakeholders from four Mediterranean coastal areas that are highly vulnerable to the impacts of SLR have been engaged through a structured participatory process for the development of solution-oriented, case-specific and site-specific Policy Tools to address SLR. The developed Policy Tools for the Venice Lagoon, the Metaponto reclamation area and the Basento river mouth, in Italy, the Ebro River Delta in Spain, and the coastal plain of Chalastra, near the Axios River Delta, in Greece, contain relevant, effective and implementable actions stemming from stakeholder interaction and consensus building. The interconnected stakeholder engagement steps employed in this study identified relevant issues that should be considered when defining SLR adaptation policies to bridge knowledge and perception gaps, facilitate knowledge exchange and foster social learning through structured science communication on SLR. This participatory stakeholder process can lay the foundations for more extensive participation in public processes through which the resulting Policy Tools can materialise into collectively accepted, concrete actions to help vulnerable areas adapt to the expected SLR and consequent coastal hazards by the end of this century.

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Map of the location of the four sites of stakeholder engagement for the SAVEMEDCOASTS2 project.

How to cite and download the publication:

Loizidou, X.I., L. Orthodoxou, D., I. Loizides, M.et al. Adapting to sea level rise: participatory, solution-oriented policy tools in vulnerable Mediterranean areas. Environ Syst Decis(2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-023-09910-5

pdf The SAVEMEDCOASTS-2 webGIS: The Online Platform for Relative Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge Scenarios up to 2100 for the Mediterranean Coasts. Summary Here we show the SAVEMEDCOASTS-2 web-based geographic information system (webGIS) that supports land pl

In Scientific publications and results 392 downloads

Summary

Here we show the SAVEMEDCOASTS-2 web-based geographic information system (webGIS) that supports land planners and decision makers in considering the ongoing impacts of Relative Sea Level Rise (RSLR) when formulating and prioritizing climate-resilient adaptive pathways for the Mediterranean coasts. The webGIS was developed within the framework of the SAVEMEDCOASTS and SAVEMEDCOASTS-2 projects, funded by the European Union, which respond to the need to protect people and assets from natural disasters along the Mediterranean coasts that are vulnerable to the combined effects of Sea Level Rise (SLR) and Vertical Land Movements (VLM). The geospatial data include available or new high-resolution Digital Terrain Models (DTM), bathymetric data, rates of VLM, and multi-temporal coastal flooding scenarios for 2030, 2050, and 2100 with respect to 2021, as a consequence of RSLR. The scenarios are derived from the 5th Assessment Report (AR5) provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and encompass different Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) for climate projections. The webGIS reports RSLR scenarios that incorporate the temporary contribution of both the highest astronomical tides (HAT) and storm surges (SS), which intensify risks to the coastal infrastructure, local community, and environment.

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The SAVEMEDCOASTS-2 and SAVEMEDCOASTS case studies: (a) Ebro Delta (Spain); (b) Rhone Delta (France); (c) Venice Lagoon (Italy); (d) Metaponto Plain (Italy); (e) Chalastra Plain (Greece); (f) Cinque Terre (Italy); (g) Lipari Island (Italy); (h) Lefkada Island (Greece). Background layer: “Sentinel-2 cloudless—https://s2maps.eu(accessed on 7 August 2023) by EOX IT Services GmbH (Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2020)”.

How to cite and download the publication:

Falciano, A.; Anzidei, M.; Greco, M.; Trivigno, M.L.; Vecchio, A.; Georgiadis, C.; Patias, P.; Crosetto, M.; Navarro, J.; Serpelloni, E.; et al. The SAVEMEDCOASTS-2 webGIS: The Online Platform for Relative Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge Scenarios up to 2100 for the Mediterranean Coasts.J. Mar. Sci. Eng.2023,11, 2071. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11112071

pdf Is Sea Level Rise a Known Threat? A Discussion Based on an Online Survey

In Scientific publications and results 407 downloads

Summary

Since the last century, global warming has been triggering sea level rise at an unprecedented rate. In the worst case climate scenario, sea level could rise by up to 1.1 m above the current level, causing coastal inundation and cascading effects, thus affecting about one billion people around the world. Though widespread and threatening, the phenomenon is not well known to citizens as it is often overshadowed by other effects of global warming. Here, we show the results of an online survey carried out in 2020–2021 to understand the level of citizens’ knowledge on sea level rise including causes, effects, exacerbation in response to land subsidence and best practice towards mitigation and adaptation. The most important result of the survey is that citizens believe that it is up to governments to take action to cope with the effects of rising sea levels or mitigate the rise itself. This occurs despite the survey showing that they actually know what individuals can do and that a failure to act poses a threat to society. Gaps and preconceptions need to be eradicated by strengthening the collaboration between scientists and schools to improve knowledge, empowering our society.

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The SAVEMEDCOASTS2 online questionnaire. Results for the question “what we need to do for our cities to adapt to the rising sea level effects”.

How to cite and download the publication:

Solarino, S.; Eva, E.; Anzidei, M.; Musacchio, G.; De Lucia, M. Is Sea Level Rise a Known Threat? A Discussion Based on an Online Survey. GeoHazards 2023, 4, 367-379. https://doi.org/10.3390/geohazards4040021

pdf Coastal Erosion and Flooding Threaten Low-Lying Coastal Tracts at Lipari (Aeolian Islands, Italy).

In Scientific publications and results 393 downloads

Summary

Lipari is the largest and most populated island in the Aeolian Archipelago, a UNESCO site, and a highly frequented touristic destination. As in many other insular settings, the low-lying coastal stretches in the E and NE sectors of Lipari are locally exposed to coastal erosion and flooding, enhanced by subsidence effects leading to local sea level rise. Most of these coastal sectors appear critical, being narrow and increasingly threatened by the risk of permanent inundation and beach disappearance. In this study, this setting is placed in the wider context of the decadal evolution of the main beaches, analysed through a multidisciplinary approach, which includes remote sensing techniques (aero-photogrammetry, unmanned aerial vehicle survey, and satellite data), offshore geophysical surveys (high-resolution multibeam bathymetry), and field observations. The results show a variable interaction in space and time between natural and anthropogenic factors in the long- and mid-term evolution of the studied coastal areas. Considering that part of the local economy at Lipari depends on beach tourism, proper future management is required in the view of natural risk reduction and in the light of future climate changes and related impacts.

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High-resolution digital elevation model of Lipari Island and offshore sectors (contour depths in meters), with location of the coastal areas under study. Red boxes and color dots represent the areas of the maps and the location of the pictures reported in the following figures, respectively. Red triangles represent the location of subsident historical–archaeological sites (see text for details). The position of the main canyon and channel heads affecting the eastern coastal area of Lipari in shallow water is also indicated, together with that of other submarine features cited in the text (IS: insular shelf, SDT: submarine depositional terrace). In the inset: location of the Aeolian Islands in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea.

How to cite and download the publication:

Romagnoli, C.; Bosman, A.; Casalbore, D.; Anzidei, M.; Doumaz, F.; Bonaventura, F.; Meli, M.; Verdirame, C. Coastal Erosion and Flooding Threaten Low-Lying Coastal Tracts at Lipari (Aeolian Islands, Italy). Remote Sens. 2022, 14, 2960. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14132960

pdf Relative Sea-Level Rise Scenario for 2100 along the Coast of South Eastern Sicily (Italy) by InSAR Data, Satellite Images and High-Resolution Topography

In Publications that have benefited from savemedcoasts projects 363 downloads

Summary

The global sea-level rise (SLR) projections for the next few decades are the basis for developing flooding maps that depict the expected hazard scenarios. However, the spatially variable land subsidence has generally not been considered in the current projections. In this study, we use geodetic data from global navigation satellite system (GNSS), synthetic aperture radar interferometric measurements (InSAR) and sea-level data from tidal stations to show the combined effects of land subsidence and SLR along the coast between Catania and Marzamemi, in south-eastern Sicily (southern Italy). This is one of the most active tectonic areas of the Mediterranean basin, which drives accelerated SLR, continuous coastal retreat and increasing effects of flooding and storms surges. We focus on six selected areas, which show valuable coastal infrastructures and natural reserves where the expected SLR in the next few years could be a potential cause of significant land flooding and morphological changes of the coastal strip. Through a multidisciplinary study, the multi-temporal flooding scenarios until 2100, have been estimated. Results are based on the spatially variable rates of vertical land movements (VLM), the topographic features of the area provided by airborne Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projections of SLR in the Representative Concentration Pathways RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5 emission scenarios. In addition, from the analysis of the time series of optical satellite images, a coastal retreat up to 70 m has been observed at the Ciane river mouth (Siracusa) in the time span 2001–2019. Our results show a diffuse land subsidence locally exceeding 10 ± 2.5 mm/year in some areas, due to compacting artificial landfill, salt marshes and Holocene soft deposits. Given ongoing land subsidence, a high end of RSLR in the RCP 8.5 at 0.52 ± 0.05 m and 1.52 ± 0.13 m is expected for 2050 AD and 2100 AD, respectively, with an exposed area of about 9.7 km2 that will be vulnerable to inundation in the next 80 years.

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The bay of Siracusa. In colors are reported the expected extension of land flooding in 2050 and 2100 for (a) RCP 2.6 and (b) RCP 8.5 climatic scenarios for a mean land subsidence at 7 ± 2.5 mm/year. The expected maximum loss of land is 2.378 km2

How to cite and download the publication:

Anzidei, M.; Scicchitano, G.; Scardino, G.; Bignami, C.; Tolomei, C.; Vecchio, A.; Serpelloni, E.; De Santis, V.; Monaco, C.; Milella, M.; et al. Relative Sea-Level Rise Scenario for 2100 along the Coast of South Eastern Sicily (Italy) by InSAR Data, Satellite Images and High-Resolution Topography. Remote Sens. 2021, 13, 1108. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13061108

pdf The Impact of Future Sea-Level Rise on Low-Lying Subsiding Coasts: A Case Study of Tavoliere Delle Puglie (Southern Italy).

In Publications that have benefited from savemedcoasts projects 395 downloads

Abstract

Low-lying coastal zones are highly subject to coastal hazards as a result of sea-level rise enhanced by natural or anthropogenic land subsidence. A combined analysis using sea-level data and remote sensing techniques allows the estimation of the current rates of land subsidence and shoreline retreat, supporting the development of quantified relative sea-level projections and flood maps, which are appropriate for specific areas. This study focuses on the coastal plain of Tavoliere delle Puglie (Apulia, Southern Italy), facing the Adriatic Sea. In this area, land subsidence is mainly caused by long-term tectonic movements and sediment compaction driven by high anthropogenic pressure, such as groundwater exploitation and constructions of buildings. To assess the expected effects of relative sea-level rise for the next decades, we considered the following multidisciplinary source data: (i) sea-level-rise projections for different climatic scenarios, as reported in the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, (ii) coastal topography from airborne and terrestrial LiDAR data, (iii) Vertical Land Movement (VLM) from the analysis of InSAR and GNSS data, and (iv) shoreline changes obtained from the analysis of orthophotos, historic maps, and satellite images. To assess the expected evolution of the coastal belt, the topographic data were corrected for VLM values, assuming that the rates of land subsidence will remain constant up to 2150. The sea-level-rise projections and expected flooded areas were estimated for the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways SSP1-2.6 and SSP5-8.5, corresponding to low and high greenhouse-gas concentrations, respectively. From our analysis, we estimate that in 2050, 2100, and 2150, up to 50.5 km2, 118.7 km2 and 147.7 km2 of the coast could be submerged, respectively, while beaches could retreat at rates of up to 5.8 m/yr. In this area, sea-level rise will be accelerated by natural and anthropogenic land subsidence at rates of up to −7.5 ± 1.7 mm/yr. Local infrastructure and residential areas are thus highly exposed to an increasing risk of severe inundation by storm surges and sea-level rise in the next decades.

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The coastal plain of Tavoliere delle Puglie: (a) geographic map of the coastal plain; (b) aerial photograph of the salt marshes located in the Zapponeta area with defenses built along the coast.

How to cite and download the publication:

Scardino, G.; Anzidei, M.; Petio, P.; Serpelloni, E.; De Santis, V.; Rizzo, A.; Liso, S.I.; Zingaro, M.; Capolongo, D.; Vecchio, A.; et al. The Impact of Future Sea-Level Rise on Low-Lying Subsiding Coasts: A Case Study of Tavoliere Delle Puglie (Southern Italy). Remote Sens. 2022, 14, 4936. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14194936

pdf Dynamical diagnostic of extreme events in Venice lagoon and their mitigation with the MoSE

In Publications that have benefited from savemedcoasts projects 418 downloads

Summary

Extreme events are becoming more frequent due to anthropogenic climate change, posing serious concerns on societal and economic impacts and asking for mitigating strategies, as for Venice. Here we proposed a dynamical diagnostic of Extreme Sea Level (ESL) events in the Venice lagoon by using two indicators based on combining extreme value theory and dynamical systems: the instantaneous dimension and the inverse persistence. We show that the latter allows us to localize ESL events with respect to sea level fluctuations around the astronomical tide, while the former informs us on the role of active processes across the lagoon and specifically on the constructive interference of atmospheric contributions with the astronomical tide. We further examined the capability of the MoSE (Experimental Electromechanical Module), a safeguarding system recently put into operation, in mitigating extreme flooding events in relation with the values of the two dynamical indicators. We show that the MoSE acts on the inverse persistence in reducing/controlling the amplitude of sea level fluctuation and provide a valuable support for mitigating ESL events if operating, in a full operational mode, at least several hours before the occurrence an event.

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The geographical location of the 4 selected tide gauge stations (filled white circles) across the Venice lagoon (Chioggia Cittá-Vigo, Malamocco Porto, Punta della Salute Giudecca, and Laguna Nord Saline) together with the three MoSE inlets. The map has been produced with Google Earth.


How to cite and download the publication:

Alberti, T., Anzidei, M., Faranda, D. et al. Dynamical diagnostic of extreme events in Venice lagoon and their mitigation with the MoSE. Sci Rep 13, 10475 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-36816-8

pdf Sea level rise scenario for 2100 A.D. for the archaeological site of Motya

In Publications that have benefited from savemedcoasts projects 403 downloads

Abstract

In this study, we analyze the impact of the sea level rise induced by climate change on the coastal cultural heritage site of Motya, the Phoenician colony (IV–III millennium B.P.) located in the San Pantaleo island, NW corner of Sicily (southern Italy). In particular, we assessed the effects of this phenomenon on the human settlement in the past 2400 years and the expected sea level rise scenario for the next decades. A detailed flooding scenario for 2100 from direct observations and two models, taking into account the contribution of Vertical Land Movements (VLM), is provided. The surface topography is derived from a novel high-resolution/high-accuracy digital surface model (DSM), which was performed through an Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) survey, whereas the rate of VLM was estimated by the analysis of geodetic data at three Continuous Global Positioning System (CGPS) stations located close to the island. To estimate the local mean sea level and to correct the tide level (TL) at the epoch of UAV survey, the hydrometric recordings of the nearest sea level gauge station located at Porto Empedocle (Sicily), were used. Two flooding scenarios for 2100 were then represented on the high-resolution DSM, using the regional sea-level projections of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the Mediterranean region. According to the RCP 8.5 climatic model, a difference of about + 59 cm above the local mean sea level between the current and the expected coastline positions at 2100 A.D., was found. In addition, by adding the average half amplitude of the daily tide, equal to about 30 cm, a maximum flooding scenario was determined. Finally, in the maximum condition of sea level rise, a significant flooding on the archaeological structures is expected for the Kothon area and along the North-West coast of the island.

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Location of Mothya

How to cite and download the publication:

Ravanelli, R., Riguzzi, F., Anzidei, M. et al. Sea level rise scenario for 2100 A.D. for the archaeological site of Motya. Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 30, 747–757 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-019-00835-3

pdf Relative Sea-Level Rise Projections and Flooding Scenarios for 2150 CE for the Island of Ustica (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy).

In Publications that have benefited from savemedcoasts projects 382 downloads

Summary

The island of Ustica (Italy) is constantly exposed to the effects of sea-level rise, which is threatening its coastal zone. With the aim of assessing the sea levels that are anticipated by 2150 CE under the climatic projections shown in the AR6 report from the IPCC, a detailed evaluation of potential coastal flooding under different climatic scenarios and the ongoing land subsidence has been carried out for three coastal zones. Scenarios are based on the determination of the current coastline position, a high-resolution digital terrain and marine model, and the SSP1-2.6, SSP3-7.0, and SSP5-8.5 climatic projections. Relative sea-level rise projections allowed the mapping of the potential inundated surfaces for 2030, 2050, 2100, and 2150. The results show rising sea levels for 2150, ranging from a minimum of 66 ± 40 cm (IPCC AR6 SSP2.6 scenario) to a maximum of 128 ± 52 cm (IPCC AR6 SSP8.5 scenario). In such conditions, considering the SSP8.5 scenario during storm surges with return times (RTs) of 1 and 100 years, the expected maximum wave run-up along the island may vary from 3 m (RT = 1) to 14 m (RT = 100), according to the coastal morphology. Our results show that adaptation and mitigation actions are required to protect the touristic and harbor installations of the island.

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Potential submersion areas for Ustica Harbor, based on the current rates of VLM and the SSP5-8.5 climatic scenario up until 2150 (see Table S1 Figure 10a for flooded surfaces).

How to cite and download the publication

Anzidei, M.; Trippanera, D.; Bosman, A.; Martin, F.F.; Doumaz, F.; Vecchio, A.; Serpelloni, E.; Alberti, T.; Rende, S.F.; Greco, M. Relative Sea-Level Rise Projections and Flooding Scenarios for 2150 CE for the Island of Ustica (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). J. Mar. Sci. Eng.2023, 11, 2013. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse11102013

pdf Attributing Venice Acqua Alta events to a changing climate and evaluating the efficacy of MoSE adaptation strategy

In Publications that have benefited from savemedcoasts projects 300 downloads

Summary

We use analogues of atmospheric patterns to investigate changes in four devastating Acqua Alta (flooding) events in the lagoon of Venice associated with intense Mediterranean cyclones occurred in 1966, 2008, 2018 and 2019. Our results provide evidence that changes in atmospheric circulation, although not necessarily only anthropogenically driven, are linked to the severity of these events. We also evaluate the cost and benefit of the MoSE system, which was designed to protect against flooding. Our analysis shows that the MoSE has already provided protection against analogues of the most extreme event, which occurred in 1966. These findings have significant implications for the future of Venice and other coastal cities facing similar challenges from rising sea levels due to extreme events. This study also provides a pathway to evaluate the effectiveness of adaptation in a scenario more frequent and intense extreme events if higher global warming levels will be reached.

results publication n10

How to cite and download:

Faranda, D., Ginesta, M., Alberti, T., Coppola, E., Anzidei, M.Attributing Venice Acqua Alta events to a changing climate and evaluating the efficacy of MoSE adaptation strategy. n pj Clim Atmos Sci 6, 181 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00513-0

pdf Coastal 3D mapping using very high resolution satellite images and UAV imagery: new insights from the SAVEMEDCOASTS project

In Publications that have benefited from savemedcoasts projects 311 downloads

Summary

Global climate changes are a main factor of risk for infrastructures and people living along the coasts around the world. In this context, sea level rise, coastal retreat and storm surges pose serious threats to coastal zones. In order to assess the expected coastal changes for the next decades, a detailed knowledge of the site’s topography (coastline position, DTM, bathymetry) is needed. This paper focuses on the use of very high-resolution satellite data and UAV imagery for the generation of accurate very high and ultra-high mapping of coastal areas. In addition, the use of very high-resolution multi-spectral satellite data is investigated for the generation of coastal bathymetry maps. The paper presents a study for the island of Lipari and the coasts of Cinque Terre (Italy) and the island of Lefkas (Greece). For Lefkas, two areas of the island were mapped (the city of Lefkas and its adjoining lagoon in the north side of the island, and the Bay of Vasiliki at the south part of the island) using World View 1, and World View 3 satellite images, and UAV imagery. The satellite processing provided results that demonstrated an accuracy of approximately 0.25 m plannimetrically and 0.70 m vertically. The processing of the UAV imagery resulted in the generation of DTMs and orthophotos with an accuracy of approximately 0.03-0.04 meters. In addition, for the Vasiliki bay in the south of the island the World View 3 imagery was used for the estimation of a bathymetry map of the bay. The achieved results yielded an accuracy of 0.4 m. For the sites of Lipari and Cinque Terre (both in Italy), UAV surveys allowed to extract a DTM at about 2 cm of pixel resolution. The integration of topographic data with high resolution multibeam bathymetry and expected sea level rise from IPCC AR5 2.6 and 8.5 climatic scenarios, will be used to map sea level rise scenarios for 2050 and 2100, taking into account the Vertical Land Motion (VLM) as estimated from CGPS data. The above-mentioned study was realized during the implementation of the SAVEMEDCOASTS project (Sea level rise scenarios along the Mediterranean coasts, funded by the European Commission ECHO A.5, GA ECHO/SUB/2016/742473/PREV16, www.savemedcoasts.eu).

publication n11

How to cite and download

Petros Patias, Charalampos Georgiadis, Marco Anzidei, Dimitrios Kaimaris, Christos Pikridas, Giorgios Mallinis, Fawzi Doumaz, Alessandro Bosman, Vincenzo Sepe, Antonio Vecchie, "Coastal 3D mapping using very high resolution satellite images and UAV imagery: new insights from the SAVEMEDCOASTS project," Proc. SPIE 10773, Sixth International Conference on Remote Sensing and Geoinformation of the Environment (RSCy2018), 107730V (6 August 2018); doi: 10.1117/12.2325540