This study focuses on the mechanisms of erosion, transport and sedimentation of a pocket beach located along a coastal sector of the Apulia Ionian-Sea (Le Dune beach). The study area is part of a marine protected area which includes 15 different habitats of the typical Mediterranean submerged populations and the presence of Posidonia Oceanica meadows. The beach develops for about 800 m and it is exposed to the south-westerly and southerly seas. Beach sediments vary from very coarse to medium-fine sands and they are made up of bioclast fragments, essentially molluscs, foraminifers, echinoderms, algae branched, bryozoans, spicules of sponges and arthropods. Moreover, the shape and size of the beach are connected to the substrate topography and rip currents frequently occur during storm events. The absence of sediment-delivering rivers coupled with the growth of urbanization and tourist facilities in the last decades, have led the Ionian littorals to be affected by erosional processes. The aim of our research is monitoring the morpho-sedimentary processes of Le Dune beach by analysing the textural and compositional characteristics of the sands and quantifying the volumes involved in the coastal dynamics. Sedimentological and ecological investigations allowed us to interpret the sand provenance and the physical/biological interactions within the beach. The geomorphological investigation carried out with a Terrestrial Laser Scanner and an Optical Total Station, aimed to quantify the variations of sediment volume of the beach. The geophysical techniques which included Sub bottom profiler procedures and resistivity models enabled us to calculate the sand sediment thickness above the bedrock. This research is part of a multidisciplinary project devoted to the analysis of beaches by integrating sedimentological, geomorphological and geophysical investigations to obtain reliable models for their evolution in space and time.
A multidisciplinary approach for monitoring the morpho-sedimentary dynamics of Le Dune beach - Porto Cesareo (Ionian Sea).
Lapietra I.;Lisco S. N.;Mastronuzzi G.;Scardino G.;Tripaldi S.;Moretti M.
2021-01-01
Abstract
This study focuses on the mechanisms of erosion, transport and sedimentation of a pocket beach located along a coastal sector of the Apulia Ionian-Sea (Le Dune beach). The study area is part of a marine protected area which includes 15 different habitats of the typical Mediterranean submerged populations and the presence of Posidonia Oceanica meadows. The beach develops for about 800 m and it is exposed to the south-westerly and southerly seas. Beach sediments vary from very coarse to medium-fine sands and they are made up of bioclast fragments, essentially molluscs, foraminifers, echinoderms, algae branched, bryozoans, spicules of sponges and arthropods. Moreover, the shape and size of the beach are connected to the substrate topography and rip currents frequently occur during storm events. The absence of sediment-delivering rivers coupled with the growth of urbanization and tourist facilities in the last decades, have led the Ionian littorals to be affected by erosional processes. The aim of our research is monitoring the morpho-sedimentary processes of Le Dune beach by analysing the textural and compositional characteristics of the sands and quantifying the volumes involved in the coastal dynamics. Sedimentological and ecological investigations allowed us to interpret the sand provenance and the physical/biological interactions within the beach. The geomorphological investigation carried out with a Terrestrial Laser Scanner and an Optical Total Station, aimed to quantify the variations of sediment volume of the beach. The geophysical techniques which included Sub bottom profiler procedures and resistivity models enabled us to calculate the sand sediment thickness above the bedrock. This research is part of a multidisciplinary project devoted to the analysis of beaches by integrating sedimentological, geomorphological and geophysical investigations to obtain reliable models for their evolution in space and time.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
