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Assessment of the anthropogenic sediment budget of a littoral cell system (Northern tuscany, italy)

TitleAssessment of the anthropogenic sediment budget of a littoral cell system (Northern tuscany, italy)
Publication TypeArticolo su Rivista peer-reviewed
Year of Publication2020
AuthorsCappucci, Sergio, Bertoni D., Cipriani L.E., Boninsegni G., and Sarti G.
JournalWater (Switzerland)
Volume12
ISSN20734441
KeywordsAnthropogenic contribution, Budget control, Coastal management, coastal protection, Coastal zones, Competent authorities, Erosion, Fenders (port structures), Offshore oil well production, Scientific community, Sediment management, Sediment transfers, Sedimentary process, Sediments, Shore protection
Abstract

In the present study we describe a straightforward and highly replicable methodology to assess the anthropogenic sediment budget within a coastal system (the Northern Tuscany littoral cell, Italy), specifically selected in a partially natural and partially highly urbanized coastal area, characterized by erosion and accretion processes. The anthropogenic sediment budget has been here calculated as an algebraic sum of sediment inputs, outputs and transfer (m3 ) within a 40 year time interval (1980–2020). Sediment management strongly influences the sediment budget and, even if its evaluation is crucial to assess the efficiency of a coastal management policy, it is often difficult to quantify the anthropogenic contribution to sedimentary processes. Different types of intervention are carried out by a variety of competent authorities over time (Municipalities, Marinas, Port Authorities), and the correct accountability of sediment budget is no longer known, or possible, for the scientific community. In the Northern Tuscany littoral cell, sedimentation is concentrated in a convergent zone and updrift of port structures, which have determined a series of actions, from offshore dumping and disposal into confined facilities (sediment output), to bypassing and redistribution interventions (sediment transfer); conversely, river mouths and coastal areas protected by groins and barriers are subjected to severe erosion and coastline retreat, resulting in many beach nourishments (sediment input). The majority of coastal protection interventions were carried out to redistribute sand from one site to another within the study area (2,949,800 m3 ), while the sediment input (1,011,000 m3 ) almost matched the sediment output (1,254,900 m3 ) in the considered time interval. A negative anthropogenic sediment budget (−243,900 m3 ) is here documented. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

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URLhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85097281244&doi=10.3390%2fw12113240&partnerID=40&md5=ff6da7caf031ddae9435a0328965d095
DOI10.3390/w12113240
Citation KeyCappucci2020