History: The Subsidence Of Venice, Italy
Kate Camou
Geography 30
Wednesday 1:00 Section
9 November 2015
Sinking History: The Subsidence of Venice, Italy
The everlasting battle between land and ocean is seen through the sinking of Venice, Italy caused by both natural and anthropogenic effects on the land. While natural subsidence preceded human influence, human factors that affect the earth, sea, and atmosphere overshadow the natural submersion and sea level rise. The sinking of the region has greatly impacted the geography of the city and all the life and processes associated with the area, noted as the “Venice Menace” by LiveScience (2012). Actions have resulted in attempt to slow the combination of rising sea level and land subsidence, or stop the effects altogether. While the heavy …show more content…
human influences have ceased, the effects have yet to calm as there is still contemplation over the greater importance of either a commercialized or a preserved historic city (Carbognin et al 1995). This paper will address the evidence, causes, and solutions of the submerging land and city.
The Geography of the Island The city of Venice lies off the Northeast coast of Italy in the Adriatic Sea (Figure 1).
Over well-consolidated sand, the city was built in the first millennium as a global center for sea trade (Strozzi et al 2013) In addition, the older structures are built on mixes of sand and clay that have been consolidated over long periods of time. The region is encompassed by oceanic features that supply and nourish the basin with sediment and additional natural resources (Brambati et al 2003). In addition to these sediments, the main sources of water to the lagoon are the Po delta and the two rivers that flow into the basin, the Piave and the Brenta (Guarino 2014). According to Scientific Reports (2013), Venice Lido, a sandbar that separates the lagoon and beaches from the larger Adriatic Sea by way of three inlets (Figure 2), is a major factor in the geography of the coastal area of Venice. Furthermore, the geography of the region was first built with a primary structure and outline that has since then been added to by way of reclaiming and loading the lagoon and channels for additional structures. These structures are also influenced by the sandbar barrier and the coastal processes relative to it. Affecting the city limits and lagoon waters surrounding the island are coastal processes such as water, wind, and turbidity currents, as well as tide ranges and local and eustatic sea level changes (Brambati et al 2003). Currents of sediment and water have built up as well as broken down the island city and the landforms, such as the Venice Lido, surrounding it. The variants in sea level also show the physical changes in the coastal region as different water levels slowly influence the sinking
land.
Geography 30
Wednesday 1:00 Section
9 November 2015
Sinking History: The Subsidence of Venice, Italy
The everlasting battle between land and ocean is seen through the sinking of Venice, Italy caused by both natural and anthropogenic effects on the land. While natural subsidence preceded human influence, human factors that affect the earth, sea, and atmosphere overshadow the natural submersion and sea level rise. The sinking of the region has greatly impacted the geography of the city and all the life and processes associated with the area, noted as the “Venice Menace” by LiveScience (2012). Actions have resulted in attempt to slow the combination of rising sea level and land subsidence, or stop the effects altogether. While the heavy …show more content…
human influences have ceased, the effects have yet to calm as there is still contemplation over the greater importance of either a commercialized or a preserved historic city (Carbognin et al 1995). This paper will address the evidence, causes, and solutions of the submerging land and city.
The Geography of the Island The city of Venice lies off the Northeast coast of Italy in the Adriatic Sea (Figure 1).
Over well-consolidated sand, the city was built in the first millennium as a global center for sea trade (Strozzi et al 2013) In addition, the older structures are built on mixes of sand and clay that have been consolidated over long periods of time. The region is encompassed by oceanic features that supply and nourish the basin with sediment and additional natural resources (Brambati et al 2003). In addition to these sediments, the main sources of water to the lagoon are the Po delta and the two rivers that flow into the basin, the Piave and the Brenta (Guarino 2014). According to Scientific Reports (2013), Venice Lido, a sandbar that separates the lagoon and beaches from the larger Adriatic Sea by way of three inlets (Figure 2), is a major factor in the geography of the coastal area of Venice. Furthermore, the geography of the region was first built with a primary structure and outline that has since then been added to by way of reclaiming and loading the lagoon and channels for additional structures. These structures are also influenced by the sandbar barrier and the coastal processes relative to it. Affecting the city limits and lagoon waters surrounding the island are coastal processes such as water, wind, and turbidity currents, as well as tide ranges and local and eustatic sea level changes (Brambati et al 2003). Currents of sediment and water have built up as well as broken down the island city and the landforms, such as the Venice Lido, surrounding it. The variants in sea level also show the physical changes in the coastal region as different water levels slowly influence the sinking
land.