The world's coastal area is now directly affected by global warming. A significant portion of the world's population lives in the Mediterranean basin and exerts strong direct human pressure on coastal areas and river basins. River management plans, residential and industrial structures, and coastal protection projects result in the loss of a large portion of the sediments that rivers deliver to the sea, together with the continued and extensive use of coastal areas. This results in a negative sediment budget and reduced resilience of mobile coastal systems. Moreover, the rise in eustatic sea level resulting from glacier melt threatens coastal areas characterized by low rocky coasts and coastal plains. Negative vertical land movements amplify this effect in the low-lying areas with a significant regional and local contribution, often linked to human activities. Sea warming and the release of thermal energy generate intense marine meteorological phenomena known as "medicanes", whose impact on the coastal zone leads to frequent flooding. The possible tsunami impacts could not be counteracted by the coastal landscape which is in evident and continuous degradation. The combination of sea level rise, paroxysmal weather processes and human activity amplifies erosional processes and reduces the ability of coastal systems to adapt to new conditions; this increases the vulnerability of coastal plains, inducing more and more real risk situations.
Recent evolution of river mouths in the Marche region (central Adriatic Italy). (IT ISSN 0391-9838, 2026). The Marche Region (Central Italy) hosts a 170 km long gravelly-sandy coastline facing the Adriatic Sea, where mostly torrential rivers deliver sediment to a narrow continental shelf. Over the last century, this sediment supply has been profoundly altered by dams, in-stream gravel mining, channelization, and the construction of ports and coastal defence structures. Here we reconstruct the historical-to-recent evolution of ten major river mouths (Foglia, Metauro, Misa, Esino, Musone, Potenza, Chienti, Tenna, Aso and Tronto) using a homogeneous GIS workflow applied to multi-temporal cartography and remote sensing (late 19th-century topographic maps, mid-20th-century maps, 1977 aerial photographs, 1999-2000 and 2010 orthophotos, and 2024 satellite imagery). Shorelines and mouth planforms were digitized, georeferenced in a common coordinate system, and interpreted considering dataset-dependent positional uncertainty. Results show that most river mouths were protruding and locally prograding in the late 19th century, whereas a marked and widespread retreat occurred between the 1950s and the late 1970s, in several cases exceeding 100-400 m. Since the late 1970s, the planform evolution has been increasingly controlled by hard engineering: detached breakwaters and groynes have promoted local accretion updrift of structures and, in many sectors, have compartmentalized the coastline, producing apparent stabilization of the shoreline and the river mouths. Where major new structures were built (e.g., the Tenna loading pier), strong asymmetries developed, with rapid updrift progradation and persistent downdrift erosion. These findings indicate a transition from a naturally river-fed coastal system to an engineered, sediment-starved coast, with direct implications for integrated sediment management and for adaptation to future sea-level rise and storm impacts.
Zingaro M., Capolongo D., Monforte P., Imposa S., Cirrincione R., Punturo R., Indelicato V., Scicchitano G., Using the sediment Flow Connectivity Index to assess the environmental risk of naturally occurring Fluoro-edenite: the unique case of Biancavilla (Italy). (IT ISSN 0391-9838, 2026). Monitoring soil pollution caused by contaminated sediment transport is an increasing concern, particularly in areas exposed to specific mineralogical hazards. This study introduces an innovative experimental application of the Sediment Flow Connectivity Index (SfCI) to enhance soil pollution monitoring at the Biancavilla site (Etna, Italy), an area severely affected by fluoro-edenite fiber contamination. By applying the SfCI, we aim to characterize sediment dynamics and identify regions potentially prone to the transport and accumulation of pollutants. A key contribution of the SfCI lies in its ability to enable the detection of potential pollution hotspots, offering an efficient means of preliminary monitoring. This capability allows us immediately identify areas that need further field investigation and detailed sampling. The most significant key finding is that the index identified two primary sediment pathways crossing the quarry, which then diverge through the urban area and surrounding territory before entering the watercourse. Although the current application remains theoretical, we propose future validation through targeted soil sampling and hyperspectral imaging to confirm model predictions and refine monitoring accuracy. This approach presents a promising framework for integrating geomorphological connectivity analyses into soil pollution management strategies, providing real-time insights and enhancing the efficiency of monitoring in contaminated environments.
Chelli A., Bini M., Br & uuml;ckner H., Vacchi M., Cajade-Pascual D., Pappalardo M., Palaeoenvironmental dataset from the northern Apuo-Versilian coastal plain (NW Italy): a key tool for scientific and management applications. (IT ISSN 0391-9838, 2026). Coastal plains represent valuable sources of palaeogeographic data, especially for the Mid and Late Holocene, revealing also important postglacial sea-level elevation and age constraints to validate glacio-hydro-isostatic (GIA) predictive models. Moreover, they provide evidence of the human-environment interaction. With this paper we present a dataset of the geomorphological and geological information collected during a long-lasting collaborative project, led by the University of Pisa, in the northern Apuo-Versilian Plain, a coastal plain located in NW Italy. The data collected are mostly unpublished, especially in their extended form. They reveal the nature of the sedimentary fill of the Apuo-Versilian Plain and its lateral changes, providing some basic chronological constraints on landscape evolution. They also represent a source of raw data to produce index and limiting points to be cross-checked with relative sea-level (RSL) change model predictions for this area since the Mid-Holocene. Such body of evidence can be used to infer information relevant to constrain the geodynamic model of the area, for assessment of ongoing subsidence of the coastal plain and for projects of flood risk management. Finally, our dataset may be a relevant source of information for ongoing and future archaeological campaigns in this area and particularly for those aimed at revealing the vestiges of the Roman city of Luna and its architectural evolution in the Middle Ages and beyond.
Smiraglia C., Senese A., Di Biase M., Ambrosini R., Azzoni R.S., Bocchiola D., Cola G., Favaron M., Fugazza D., Marzano D., Morosini S., Pedrotti L., Prandi G., Scotti R., Toffaletti A., Zucali M., Pelfini M., Diolaiuti G.A., The challenges of the "ephemeral path". Problems and issues of explaining climate change and its environmental impact through the development of glaciological trails. (IT ISSN 0391-9838, 2026). Global warming is profoundly transforming glacierized mountain landscapes, with significant consequences for the environment, safety, and tourism. In this context, scientific outreach and conscious engagement with the territory are essential to raise public awareness and promote sustainable behaviour. This paper presents the design and implementation of the Stoppani-Desio Glaciological Trail, an educational route developed to guide visitors through the ongoing transformations of the Forni Glacier, located within Stelvio National Park (Italy). The trail features thirteen observation points, each corresponding to a historical position of the glacier front over the past 3000 years. At each stop, a metal plaque equipped with a QR code provides access to multilingual digital content (texts, images, and videos) highlighting glaciological, ecological, and cultural aspects of the site. The signage is designed to be durable, inclusive, and low-impact, while the trail ensures safety and accessibility for users with varying physical and technical abilities. The project integrates scientific research, landscape interpretation, and digital tools (e.g., 360 degrees video and generative AI content), positioning the trail as a dynamic open-air laboratory. The initiative is supported by a collaborative governance model involving academic institutions, local authorities, Alpine guides, and volunteers, enabling regular updates and long-term maintenance. The Stoppani-Desio Trail offers a replicable model for glaciological trails in other mountain regions affected by glacier retreat. Its flexible infrastructure, multilingual outreach, and integration of real-time scientific data make it a promising strategy for combining sustainable tourism, environmental education, and the promotion of glacier heritage in a changing climate.
