The Application of UAV for the Analysis of Geological Hazard in Krk Island, Croatia, Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

The coastal area around the settlement of Stara Baška (Krk Island, NE channel zone of Adriatic Sea) is in a delicate geodynamic balance. The main causes are the geological structure, hydrological and hydrogeological conditions and the direct exposure of the coast to the waves and storm surges. In this paper, the effects of the expected sea level rise on the geological vulnerability of the coast are investigated. Detailed field research was conducted. The complex coastal morphology was surveyed using an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV), and the UAV-derived data was used as a 3D point cloud and orthophoto for analysis. In the investigated coastal zone, more resistant Quaternary talus breccias predominate over more susceptible flysch rock mass. One major and two smaller landslides are in a creeping condition and pose a hazard to the surrounding homes. During storm surges, the pocket beaches are completely inundated due to the narrow beach width and waves reach the toe of the slopes. According to the expected sea level rise, coastal processes could become more intense and threaten the current coastal equilibrium. The vulnerability of a large part of the Stara Baška settlement will increase significantly. The conducted research showed the advantages of UAV-derived data for the study of complex rocky coasts and emphasized the need for repeatable UAV surveys.

Exploring Key Aspects of Sea Level Rise and Their Implications: An Overview

“…Wave intensity can be calculated via the Dyer function of wave power that uses components such as wave height, gravity, and density [28]. Wave actions can be modeled using historical data [29], and numerical simulators such as SWAN [26,[30][31][32], TOMAWAC [26], XBeach [27], Method of Splitting Tsunami (MOST) [33], or forecasting models [26,32]. Google Earth engines and satellite images were used to monitor the dynamics of seawater via an open-source Python-based tool PyGEE-SWToolbox [34].…”

“…For example, extreme weather events will have an impact on wave height and intensity, which can result in a shortterm SLR in the form of flooding [42]. Wave and tidal actions lead to coastal erosion, cliff erosion, and marine erosion [31]. Cites that are subject to be impacted by SLR and extreme weather events respond differently to those forcing factors based on a number of variations [6].…”

Assessment of Remote Sensing Techniques Applicability for Beach Morphology Mapping: A Case Study of Hvar Island, Central Adriatic, Croatia

“…Accordingly, a research methodology is being developed from surveys being conducted by direct in situ measurements in the field, using GNSS receivers, handheld cameras, and usually in combination with other methods (e.g., repeat photography) [32,33,42,62], towards the use of photogrammetric SfM methods by means of a handheld camera that provide creation of high-resolution models [63,64]. Recent studies use UAV for data collection, whose images are also processed with photogrammetric techniques and result in very high-resolution models [61,65]. UAV products should significantly improve coastal and beach surveys in Croatia [10].…”

Microhabitat partitioning between sympatric intertidal fish species highlights the importance of sediment composition in gravel beach conservation

“…However, these dynamics are increasingly disturbed in areas of intensifying urbanization and structural alterations of the natural coastline (Benac et al, 2021;Pikelj, Ružić, Ilić, et al, 2018). Additionally, rising sea levels, storms and extreme tidal events are expected to enhance coastal erosion in the Adriatic region, further affecting these ecosystems (Bonaldo et al, 2017;Gallina et al, 2019;Orlić & Pasarić, 2013;Ružić et al, 2014Ružić et al, , 2021Torresan et al, 2012Torresan et al, , 2019Tsimplis et al, 2012).…”