High resolution multibeam and hydrodynamic datasets of tidal channels and inlets of the Venice Lagoon

Abstract

Tidal channels are crucial for the functioning of wetlands, though their morphological properties, which are relevant for seafloor habitats and flow, have been understudied so far. Here, we release a dataset composed of Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) extracted from a total of 2,500 linear kilometres of high-resolution multibeam echosounder (MBES) data collected in 2013 covering the entire network of tidal channels and inlets of the Venice Lagoon, Italy. The dataset comprises also the backscatter (BS) data, which reflect the acoustic properties of the seafloor, and the tidal current fields simulated by means of a high-resolution three-dimensional unstructured hydrodynamic model. The DTMs and the current fields help define how morphological and benthic properties of tidal channels are affected by the action of currents. These data are of potential broad interest not only to geomorphologists, oceanographers and ecologists studying the morphology, hydrodynamics, sediment transport and benthic habitats of tidal environments, but also to coastal engineers and stakeholders for cost-effective monitoring and sustainable management of this peculiar shallow coastal system.

Geomorphology of Scour Holes at Tidal Channel Confluences

“…The identification of the confluence scours was carried out starting from the high‐resolution MBES dataset of 2013. The 0.5‐m resolution bathymetric data (Madricardo et al, ) were analyzed in ArcGIS v.10.2, following the workflow illustrated in Figure and described below: first we calculated the broad‐scale Benthic Position Index (BPI) within the Benthic Terrain Modeller toolbox (Wright et al, ), setting the inner and outer radius to 15 and 500 raster cells, respectively. BPI indicates the topographic positions of the cells, with negative values representing locations that are lower than their surroundings (valleys). the resulting BPI raster values were grouped into three intervals (BPI≤−1, , BPI > 1) to identify the concave, flat, and convex areas, respectively.…”

“…The present study is based on an unprecedented extensive mapping of a tidal network in a microtidal coastal environment (Madricardo et al, ). The high‐resolution bathymetric data acquired in 2013 in the Venice Lagoon (Italy) allowed a detailed description of the geomorphological characteristics of scour holes at channel confluences.…”

Tidal inlets in the Anthropocene: Geomorphology and benthic habitats of the Chioggia inlet, Venice Lagoon (Italy)

“…The main navigation channels are up to 20 m deep. The deepest point of the lagoon is close to the Malamocco Inlet where the bottom reaches a depth of 48 m (Madricardo et al ., ). Inside the inlets the water velocities can be more than 1 m s ‐1 (Gačić et al ., ).…”

“…(a) The bathymetry of the tidal channels and inlets of the Venice Lagoon collected during the CNR ISMAR survey in 2013 (Madricardo et al ., ); (b) the bathymetry of the Chioggia inlet with the location of the sampling stations for 2012 (green) and 2014 (light blue); (c) the backscatter mosaic extracted from the multibeam data. [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]…”

The 2019 Flooding of Venice and Its Implications for Future Predictions

“…Waves made local conditions dramatic. The lagoon is shallow, but its average depth has been progressively increasing from 1.2 m to 1.5 m (but not in the canals; see Carniello et al, 2009;Madricardo et al, 2017). Under strong wind conditions, these depths still allow significant wave heights up to 0.5-0.6 m (40% of the depth-single maximum values up to 0.8-1.2 m).…”