Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Observations on future sea level changes in the Venice lagoon

  • Lagoons and Coastal Wetlands
  • Published:
Hydrobiologia Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

‘Venice is sinking while the sea level is rising’ is a common statement in issues concerning the future of the Venice lagoon. The search for a reliable interpretative tool for measured sea-level changes has taken on more urgency since the sea-level rise was indexed as the consequence of global warming—with catastrophic scenarios for both the ecotone and the city, linked to increasing lagoon erosion, sudden modifications of biological equilibriums, loss of wetlands, salt aggression and an increasing frequency of exceptional high tide events. However, the peculiar hydrodynamics of the northern Adriatic Sea, made more complex by the freshwater inflow from the Po River, and the conceptual limits of existing long-term predictive systems, would suggest a more cautious approach to the scenarios yet proposed for the next century.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • L. Alberotanza J. Chiggiato G. Profeti (2004) ArticleTitleAnalysis of the seasonal stratification at the Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower, northern Adriatic Sea International Journal of Remote Sensing 25 IssueID7–8 1473–1480 Occurrence Handle10.1080/01431160310001592472

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amos, C. L., G. Umgiesser, M. Bonardi & S. Cappucci, 2002. Sedimentation mechanisms in northern Venice lagoon. In Campostrini, P. (ed.), Proceedings of IVSLA-Corila Research Program 2001 results, 315–332 (ISBN 88–88143–12–2).

  • R. A. Anthes (1982) Tropical Cyclones, Their Evolution Structure and Effects American Meteorological Society Boston, Mass

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Bergamasco S. Carniel G. Umgiesser (2001) ArticleTitleA simple hydrodynamic-deposition couplet model of the lagoon of Venice Biologia Marina Mediterranea 8 IssueID1 300–308

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonardi, M., L. Tosi, A. Cucco, G. Umgiesser, & F. Rizzetto, 2003. Geomorphic processes and hydrodynamics in the Venice Lagoon, Italy: a case study. Hydrology of the Mediterranean and Semiarid Regions. In Proceedings of an International Symposium held at Montpellier, April 2003, IAHS Publ. no. 278, 448–457.

  • Canestrelli, P., M. Mandich, P. A. Pirazzoli & A. Tomasin, 2001. Winds, Depressions and Seiches: Tidal Perturbations in Venice (1951–2000) (bilingual). Centro Previsioni e Segnalazioni Maree, Venezia, 105 pp.

  • Carbognin, L., P. Gatto, G. Mozzi & G. Gambolati, 1977. Guidebook to Studies of Land Subsidence due to Ground Water Withdrawal. IAHS-AISH Publication No. 121, 65–81.

  • E. Carminati C. Doglioni D. Scrocca (2003a) ArticleTitleApennines subduction-related subsidence of Venice (Italy) Geophysical Research Letters 30 IssueID13 1717–1723 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2003GL017001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carminati, E., G. Martinelli & P. Severi, 2003b. Influence of glacial cycles and tectonics on natural subsidence in the Po Plain (Northern Italy): Insights from 14C ages. Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems 4(10), ISSN: 1525-2027.

    Google Scholar 

  • A. Cazenave C. Cabanes K. Dominh S. Mangiarotti (2001) ArticleTitleRecent sea level change in the Mediterranean sea revealed by Topex/Poseidon satellite altimetry Geophysical Research Letter 28 IssueID8 1607–1610 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2000GL012628

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Church, J. A., J. M. Gregory, P. Huybrechts, M. Kuhn, K. Lambeck, M. T., Nhuan, P. Qin & P. L. Woodworth, 2001. Changes in sea level. In Climate Change: the Scientific Basis. Cambridge University Press, New York: 501–555.

  • P. Ciavola C. Organo L. León Vintró P. I. Mitchell (2002) ArticleTitleSedimentation processes on intertidal areas of the lagoon of Venice: identification of exceptional flood events (Acqua Alta) using Radionuclides Journal of Coastal Research SI 36 139–147

    Google Scholar 

  • InstitutionalAuthorNameCO.RI. LA. (1999) ArticleTitleScenari di crescita del livello del mare per la Laguna di Venezia Co.Ri.La. 1 1–40

    Google Scholar 

  • S. Cola P. Simonini (2002) ArticleTitleMechanical behaviour of Venice lagoon silts as a function of their gradient characteristics Canadian Geotechnical Journal 39 IssueID4 879–893 Occurrence Handle10.1139/t02-037

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S. R. Hare N. J. Mantua (2000) ArticleTitleEmpirical evidence for North Pacific regime shifts in 1977 and 1989 Progress in Oceanography 47 103–145 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0079-6611(00)00033-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • J. W. Hurrell (1995) ArticleTitleDecadal trends in the North Atlantic Oscillation: Regional temperatures and precipitation Science 269 676–679 Occurrence Handle10.1126/science.269.5224.676 Occurrence Handle1:CAS:528:DyaK2MXntlCltrk%3D Occurrence Handle17758812

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • V. Krajcar (2003) ArticleTitleClimatology and geostrophic currents in the Northern Adriatic Geofizika 20 105–114

    Google Scholar 

  • T. Landscheidt (2000) ArticleTitleRiver Po discharges and cycles of solar activity Hydrological Science Journal 45 IssueID3 491–493 Occurrence Handle10.1080/02626660009492344

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • D. Maraun J. Kurths (2004) ArticleTitleCross wavelet analysis: significance testing and pitfalls Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics 11 505–514

    Google Scholar 

  • J. X. Mitrovica J. Davis (1995) ArticleTitlePresent-day post glacial sea level change far from the Late Pleistocene ice sheets: Implications for recent analyses of tide gauge records Geophysics Research Letter 22 2529–2532 Occurrence Handle10.1029/95GL02240

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Montanelli, I., G. Samona & F. Valcanover, 1970. Venezia, Caduta e Salvezza (Venice, Fall and Salvation; in italian). Publ. Sansoni Nuovi Spa, 28 pp.

  • G. B. Paklar V. Isakov D. Koracin V. Kourafalou M. Orlic (2001) ArticleTitleA case study of bora-driven flow and density changes on the Adriatic Shelf (January 1987) Continental Shelf Research 21 1751–1783 Occurrence Handle10.1016/S0278-4343(01)00029-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • S. G. H. Philander (1990) El Niño, La Niña and the Southern Oscillation Academic Press San Diego, CA 289

    Google Scholar 

  • R. Quadrelli M. Lazzeri C. Cacciamani S. Tibaldi (2001) ArticleTitleObserved winter Alpine precipitation variability and links with large scale circulation patterns Climate Reserch 17 IssueID3 275–284

    Google Scholar 

  • D. Raffaelli S. J. Hawkins (1996) Intertidal Ecology Chapman and Hall London

    Google Scholar 

  • O. Ravera (2000) ArticleTitleThe lagoon of Venice: the result of both natural factors and human influence Journal of Limnology 59 IssueID1 19–30

    Google Scholar 

  • D. J. Reed (1995) ArticleTitleThe response of coastal marshes to sea-level rise: survival or submergence? Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 20 39–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Rizzetto, F., L. Tosi, L. Carbognin, M. Bonari & P. Teatini, 2003. Geomorphological setting and related hydrogeological implications of the coastal plain south of the Venice Lagoon (Italy). In E. Servat et al. (ed.), Hydrology of the Mediterranean and Semiarid Regions, IAHS Publ. n. 278, 463–470.

  • J. C. Stevenson L. G. Ward M. S. Kearney (1986) Vertical accretion in marshes with varying rates of sea level rise D. A. Wolfe (Eds) Estuarine Variability Academic Press Orlando, Florida 241–259

    Google Scholar 

  • Strozzi, T., L. Tosi, U. Wegmueller, P. Teatini, L. Carbognin & R. Rosselli, 2002. Thematic and land subsidence maps of the lagoon of Venice from ERS SAR interferometry. In Campostrini, P. (ed.), Proceedings of IVSLA-Corila Research Program 2001 results, 345–355 (ISBN 88-88143-12-2).

  • Teatini, P., G. Gambolati & L. Tosi, 1995. A new 3-D non-linear model of the subsidence of Venice. In Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Land Subsidence, IHAS Publication n. 234, 353–361.

  • M. Tomasino D. Zanchettin P. Traverso (2004a) ArticleTitleLong-range forecasts of River Po discharges based on predictable solar activity and a fuzzy neural network model Hydrological Sciences—Journal—des Sciences Hydrologiques 49 IssueID4 641–652

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomasino, M., D. Zanchettin & P. Traverso, 2004b. Analisi dell’evento siccitoso dell’estate 2003 con riferimento alla serie storica (1807–2002) dei dati di portata del Po a Pontelagoscuro (Analysis of the drought of summer 2003 based on the time series (1807–2002) of the Po River discharges at Pontelagoscuro). Bollettino Geofisico n.1–2: 11–22.

  • C. Torrence G. P. Compo (1998) ArticleTitleA practical guide to wavelet analysis Bulletin of American Meteorological Society 79 61–78 Occurrence Handle10.1175/1520-0477(1998)079<0061:APGTWA>2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • L. Tosi L. Carbognin T. Teatini P. Strozzi U. Wegmüller (2002) ArticleTitleEvidence of the present relative land stability of Venice, Italy, from land, sea, and space observations Geophysics Research Letter 29 IssueID12 1562 Occurrence Handle10.1029/2001GL013211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • M. N. Tsimplis T. F. Baker (2000) ArticleTitleSea level drop in the Mediterranean Sea: An indicator of deep water salinity and temperature changes? Geophysics Research Letter 27 IssueID12 1731–1734 Occurrence Handle10.1029/1999GL007004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Umgiesser, G., 2000. Modelling residual currents in the Venice Lagoon. In Yanagi, T. (ed.), Interactions between Estuaries, Coastal Seas abd Shelf Seas, TER-RAPUB, 107–124.

  • Umgiesser, G., M. Sclavo & S. Carniel, 2002. Modelling the bottom stress distribution in the Venice lagoon. In Campostrini, P. (ed.), Proceedings of IVSLA-Corila Research Program 2001 results, 287–299 (ISBN 88-88143-12-2).

  • D. Woolf A. Shaw M. Tsimplis (2003) ArticleTitleThe influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation on sea level variability in the North Atlantic Region Global Atmosphere and Ocean System 9 IssueID4 145–167 Occurrence Handle10.1080/10236730310001633803

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environm. Sc. Dept., University of Venice, Dorsoduro 2137, 30123, Venice, Italy

    Davide Zanchettin, Pietro Traverso & Mario Tomasino

Authors
  1. Davide Zanchettin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pietro Traverso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Mario Tomasino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Davide Zanchettin.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zanchettin, D., Traverso, P. & Tomasino, M. Observations on future sea level changes in the Venice lagoon. Hydrobiologia 577, 41–53 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0416-5

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-006-0416-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation