On the flux of water and sediment into the Northern Adriatic Sea |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Biology, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Bologna, Via Zamboni 67, 40127 Bologna, Italy;2. Geological, Seismic and Soil Survey, Regione Emilia-Romagna, Viale della Fiera 8, 40127 Bologna, Italy;3. Geologic Consultant, Via Brizio 17/3, 40134 Bologna, Italy;1. Departamento de Química-Física, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, Universidad de Cádiz, UNESCO/UNITWIN WiCoP, Campus de Excelencia International del Mar (CEIMAR), Polígono Río San Pedro s/n, Puerto Real 11510, Cádiz, Spain;2. Centro Interdipartimentale di Ricerca per le Scienze Ambientali (C.I.R.S.A.), University of Bologna, Ravenna Campus, 48123 Ravenna, Italy;3. National Research Council-Institute of Marine Sciences (CNR-ISMAR), 40129 Bologna, Italy;4. Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Bologna, 40127 Bologna, Italy;1. Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička cesta 54, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia;2. Laboratory Department, Exploration Sector, INA-Industrija nafte d.d., Lovinčićeva 4, 10002 Zagreb, Croatia;3. Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;4. Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Nova Gorica, Vipavska 13, 5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia;5. Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, University of Zagreb, Pierottijeva 6, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia |
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| Abstract: | This paper focuses on the delivery of water and sediment to the northern Adriatic to better understand the short-term evolution of continental margin sedimentation under natural and human impact. For that reason, the Po and six Apennine rivers (Metauro, Musone, Potenza, Tronto, Chienti and Pescara) are investigated. The climate-driven hydrological model HydroTrend is used to simulate discharge and sediment loads where observational data are limited. The northern Apennine hinterland has a significant impact on the sediment flux leaving the Po River, contributing 56% of the sediment it delivers to the Adriatic Sea. The Po River experienced a strong decrease in its sediment load (17.2–6.4 Mt/yr) across 1933–1987, in contrast to a small increase in its water discharge. The rivers draining the southern Apennine hinterland contribute more than 50% of the sediment load entering the Adriatic Sea, and this is in spite of human modification of their discharge through numerous small reservoirs that invariably reduce a river's sediment load. As a result, hyperpycnal flows, which historically carried 20–40% of the sediment flux from these Apennine rivers, become rare. Sediment load reduction is also reflected by retreat of the Apennine coastline. Based on the ART model (used in HydroTrend), the total sediment load to the northern Adriatic is 43 MT/yr where the northern Alpine rivers contribute 8 MT/yr, the Po River 13 MT/yr and the Apennine rivers contribute 22 MT/yr. |
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