Search results for "Sicilian coast"
showing 6 items of 6 documents
Estimation of the volume of Posidonia oceanica detritus accumulations along Sicilian coasts by using very high resolution images
2019
Posidonia oceanica meadows are among the most important marine coastal ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea due to several roles they are able to play. They, in fact, support high levels of primary production, enhance sedimentation of suspended particles through their canopies, prevent resuspension of marine sediments by means of roots and rhizomes and counteract coast erosion. Part of the primary production of this seagrass is not transferred to herbivores either immediately to detritus pathway but it can accumulate on the shore in form of banquette, typical structures exerting a significant role in protection of beaches from erosion. To accurately measure the extension, morphology, volume …
Observations on mucus aggregates along Sicilian coasts during 1991–1992
1995
Abstract The results of some observations on gelatinous material accumulating on the sea ground and free floating in the water column along Sicilian coasts are reported. The phenomenon showed different development patterns moving from the Tyrrherian to the Jonian coast and to the Sicilian Channel. Moreover, in 1991, mucus aggregates in the Tyrrhenian sea showed a similar structure, behaviour and origin to those observed in the Adriatic sea, whereas, in 1992, only a massive growth of metaphytic threadlike algae, more or less producing gelatinous sheaths, occurred.
Distribution of Heavy Metals in Marine Sediments of Palermo Gulf (Sicily, Italy)
2008
Concentrations of Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb and Zn have been measured, by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, in the fine fraction (<63 μm) of surface sediments collected in 30 sites in the Palermo Gulf (Sicily, Italy) in order to assess the levels and the spatial distribution of these elements. Enrichment factors calculated with respect to clean areas have been considered to discriminate between levels due to background or to pollution contributions. The sampling stations, which form a grid inside these areas, are characterized by geographic proximity and by the presence of pollution sources. Ratio matching technique along with hierarchical clustering, minimum spanning tree and principal component a…
Benthic foraminiferal response to trace element pollution. The case study of the Gulf of Milazzo, NE Sicily (Central Mediterranean Sea).
2013
The response of benthic foraminiferal assemblages to trace element pollution in the marine sediments of the Gulf of Milazzo (north-eastern Sicily) was investigated. Since the 1960s, this coastal area has been a preferred site for the development of two small marinas and a commercial harbour as well as for heavy industry. Forty samples collected in the uppermost 3-4 cm of an undisturbed layer of sediment in the littoral environment were used for this benthic foraminiferal analysis. The enrichment factors (EFs) of selected trace elements (As, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) were also calculated. Changes both in benthic foraminiferal assemblages and in some trace elements concentrations have pr…
Tsunami Propagation and Flooding in Sicilian Coastal Areas by Means of a Weakly Dispersive Boussinesq Model
2020
This paper addresses the tsunami propagation and subsequent coastal areas flooding by means of a depth-integrated numerical model. Such an approach is fundamental in order to assess the inundation hazard in coastal areas generated by seismogenic tsunami. In this study we adopted, an interdisciplinary approach, in order to consider the tsunami propagation, relates both to geomorphological characteristics of the coast and the bathymetry. In order to validate the numerical model, comparisons with results of other studies were performed. This manuscript presents first applicative results achieved using the weakly dispersive Boussinesq model in the field of tsunami propagation and coastal inunda…
An Approach for the Validation of a Coastal Erosion Vulnerability Index: An Application in Sicily
2022
In recent decades, coastal erosion phenomena have increased due to climate change. The increased frequency and intensity of extreme events and the poor sediment supply by anthropized river basins (dams, river weirs, culverts, etc.) have a crucial role in coastal erosion. Therefore, an integrated analysis of coastal erosion is crucial to produce detailed and accurate coastal erosion vulnerability information to support mitigation strategies. This research aimed to assess the erosion vulnerability of the Sicilian coast, also including a validation procedure of the obtained scenario. The coastal vulnerability was computed by means of the CeVI (Coastal Erosion Vulnerability Index) approach, whi…