Sedimentological and morpho-evolution maps of the ‘Bosco Pantano di Policoro’ coastal system (Gulf of Taranto, southern Italy)

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a sedimentological study performed to characterize the 'Bosco Pantano di Policoro e Costa Ionica Foce Sinni' coastal system, in Basilicata (southern Italy), as part of the PROVIDUNE LIFE Project. The study was focused on the morpho-sedimentological characterization of both the emerged and submerged sectors of the beach system developed along a 3.5 km-long segment of the Ionian coast. A multitemporal comparison of historical aerial photos of the studied coastline concerning the last 100 years was executed. A geomorphological survey was carried out along 36 topographic profiles (each up to 200-m long); these were coupled with bathymetric profiles, reaching a depth of 213 m. Both topographic and bathymetric profiles were measured on three occasions (July, October, December 2010). Textural and compositional analyses of sediments were also performed. The results of this study were synthesized in a series of maps illustrating a schematic geological outline of the study area, a reconstruction of the Sinni river course and shoreline changes from 1908 to 2010 (1:2,400 scale), significant topographic (1:1,300 scale) and bathymetric (1:5,000 scale) profiles, three bathymetric charts (1:31,000 scale) and morpho-sedimentological features of both the coastal and nearshore sectors (1:15,000 scale). This study provides a geological background that is crucial for any intervention planning, as well as for any coastal zone management projects. The results should be also used in order to protect coastal habitats, which is the ultimate goal of the LIFE project.

Short-Term Assessment of Retreating vs. Advancing Microtidal Beaches Based on the Backshore/Foreshore Length Ratio: Examples from the Basilicata Coasts (Southern Italy)

“…However, as systematic measurements repeated along the shoreface demonstrate as these variations depend upon a number of processes, some of which do not influence directly the equilibrium of the subaerial beach [80]. For instance, bathymetric measurements acquired during the high-energy season across the Ionian shelf of Basilicata demonstrate as if the subaerial beach lies momentary under a state of recession, the shoreface is on the contrary highly constructive, because it receives large amount of sediments deriving from the transport of vigorous longshore currents that re-distribute the deposits previously eroded from the foreshore during storms [54]- [58]. Moreover, it is widely documented as, after high-energy events, the part of the beach that suffers of the maximum sediment deficit is its subaerial sector rather than its subaqueous counterpart, since the post-storm process of beach restoration accumulates more rapidly in the shoreface due to the re-distribution action of shoaling waves and seaward-directed rip currents (e.g., [28]- [82]).…”

“…Among the 36 sites measured (see Table 1), 7 beaches were then selected as more representative: 3 along the Tyrrhenian coast and 4 along the Ionian coast (Figure 8). These examples belong to microtidal, wave-dominated oceanographic settings where the wave action, locally combined with alongshore currents, acts as main factor in controlling the coastal dynamics and sediment distribution [54].…”

Beach Erosion in the Gulf of Castellammare di Stabia in Response to the Trapping of Longshore Drifting Sediments of the Gulf of Napoli (Southern Italy)

“…The presence of artificial harbors located at the extremes of the units implies a different transport by wave-generated longshore currents, which causes a weak rotation of the shoreline towards the East, linked to an overall erosion on the downdrift side of the sandy beach, that is more evident on its Southern sector. Therefore, the changes carried out by human activities on the coastal system are studied with the same methods used for the investigation of other coastal areas [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15].…”

Morpho-sedimentary features and sediment transport model of the submerged beach of the ‘Pineta della foce del Garigliano’ SCI Site (Caserta, southern Italy)

“…Similar to other coastal sectors of southern Italy, shoreline retreat represents a current problem for the study area due both to natural and anthropic factors. Actually, human activities and urbanization have promoted and accelerated coastal erosion as well as the degradation of the dune habitat (Di Stefano, De Pietro, Monaco, & Zanini, 2013;Manca, Pascucci, Deluca, Cossu, & Andreucci, 2013;Sabato et al, 2012).…”

“…Site of Community Importance) area, carried out within the European LIFE + Nature & Biodiversity Project PROVIDUNE (LIFE07NAT/IT/000519) multi-disciplinary research project. The main objective of the Providune project is a detailed reconstruction of the environmental features of some Italian SCI areas (see De Muro, Ibba, & Kalb, 2015;Sabato, Longhitano, Gioia, Cilumbriello, & Spalluto, 2012, for the results of the morpho-sedimentary studies carried out in other coastal sectors of the Providune project) in order to acquire basic information useful for the preservation and safeguarding of coastal dune habitats. Similar to other coastal sectors of southern Italy, shoreline retreat represents a current problem for the study area due both to natural and anthropic factors.…”