Analysis of wind-wave induced erosion in the Venice Lagoon in the last four centuries: field observations and modelling

Tidal systems are subjected to a variety of internal and external drivers whose interplay and feedbacks affect the shape and the morphological evolution of typical tidal landforms such as channel networks, salt marshes and tidal flats. Several studies have been carried out describing the various processes that drive the evolution of tidal landforms (e.g., the hydrodynamic circulation, the consequences of tidal currents and wind waves on sediment dynamics, vertical and horizontal dynamics of salt marshes, sea level rise and human interferences). Understanding the positive feedbacks existing between salt-marsh erosion, tidal-flat widening and deepening and more energetic wave generation by means of observational evidence and numerical models is a critical step to predict the response of tidal landforms to future environmental changes. With this aim we first improved current our knowledge on the ancient configurations of the Venice lagoon through the bathymetric reconstruction of the oldest map, dating back to 1611, providing a realistic representation of its morphological features. This furthermore allowed us to gain new insights on the hydrodynamic changes occurred in the last four centuries. We then compared different existing model approaches, in order to unravel the implications of different assumptions and formulations used to model wave dynamics in shallow tidal basins. Subsequently, we analysed the effects of wave action on marsh boundaries and how the wave field has changed in the last four centuries with the aim of further emphasizing the feedbacks existing between the overall erosion of the Venice Lagoon and the increase in wave power density. Finally, we analysed the bottom shear stress distribution obtained for different configurations of the Venice Lagoon, in order to support the possibility of describing wind-wave induced bottom erosion as a marked Poisson process. The main results from this work highlighted that: I) the most important mophodynamic changes in the Venice Lagoon have started in the last century and were mainly triggered by human interferences; II) the assumptions adopted in different modelling framework strongly influence the computation of the bottom shear stress induced by waves, in particular when very shallow water depths are considered; III) the salt-marsh erosion rate is linearly related to the mean wave power density; IV) the erosive trend of the Venice Lagoon during the last four centuries can be explained also by the increase in wave power density and by the analysis of bottom shear stress distribution; V) wind-wave induced erosion processes over tidal flats can be described as marked Poisson processes for all the past and current lagoon configurations, thus leading important consequences for the prediction of future scenarios and implications for the long-term morphodynamic modelling of tidal environments.