The pedemontan area of the River Tronto (Italy), is characterised by Pleistocene and Holocene terraces at progressive elevation a.s.l. Here, after the modelling of wide unpaired meander terraces during the Early Holocene, the river created a 20 m deep gorge in the bedrock. In the mid-valley, the thalweg progressively enlarges and the Late Pleistocene and Holocene terraces converge. A wide alluvial plain testifies a phase of braid-plain aggradation from ca. 4,3 ka BP, to the end of the XIX century, associated with slope erosion activated by human activities. Since the end of the XIX century, two series of artificial levees, were created in order to prevent floods. Due to the reduced dimensions of the artificial river bed, after extreme events, floods still affect large part of the plain. In the coastal sector, during the Early Holocene, a large bay extended approximately 3 km inland from the present-day coastline. A barrier beach evolved during the Bronze-Iron Age and the river mouth entered a large lagoon until the Middle Ages. A strong progradation is documented up to the beginning of the XX century, when a delta extended up to 500 m seaward. During the XX century, following the creation of the artificial levees and the progressive activation of a number of quarries, the beach underwent coastal erosion, and had to be protected by breakwater reefs. Here we shows the variation in the geomorphological and sedimentological characteristics and their timing. The anthropic modifications and their effects are among the main factors in the Holocene modelling of the landscape.

The fluvial-coastal system of the River Tronto: geomorphological changes and human impact

FARABOLLINI, Piero
2008-01-01

Abstract

The pedemontan area of the River Tronto (Italy), is characterised by Pleistocene and Holocene terraces at progressive elevation a.s.l. Here, after the modelling of wide unpaired meander terraces during the Early Holocene, the river created a 20 m deep gorge in the bedrock. In the mid-valley, the thalweg progressively enlarges and the Late Pleistocene and Holocene terraces converge. A wide alluvial plain testifies a phase of braid-plain aggradation from ca. 4,3 ka BP, to the end of the XIX century, associated with slope erosion activated by human activities. Since the end of the XIX century, two series of artificial levees, were created in order to prevent floods. Due to the reduced dimensions of the artificial river bed, after extreme events, floods still affect large part of the plain. In the coastal sector, during the Early Holocene, a large bay extended approximately 3 km inland from the present-day coastline. A barrier beach evolved during the Bronze-Iron Age and the river mouth entered a large lagoon until the Middle Ages. A strong progradation is documented up to the beginning of the XX century, when a delta extended up to 500 m seaward. During the XX century, following the creation of the artificial levees and the progressive activation of a number of quarries, the beach underwent coastal erosion, and had to be protected by breakwater reefs. Here we shows the variation in the geomorphological and sedimentological characteristics and their timing. The anthropic modifications and their effects are among the main factors in the Holocene modelling of the landscape.
2008
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11581/103425
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