- Teacher: Alvise Finotello
- Teacher: Alice Puppin
Personal profile: Alvise Finotello
Courses
The course Evolution of Coastal Systems explores the long-term development and dynamics of coastal environments. Students will be introduced to key concepts such as morphodynamics, biogeomorphodynamics, and the influence of sea-level variations. The program covers a range of coastal systems—including barrier islands, tidal flats, estuaries, lagoons, and deltas—highlighting the role of waves, tides, geology, and sediment transport processes in shaping them. Particular attention is given to the impacts of climate change, sea-level rise, and human activities, as well as the challenges posed by coastal hazards. By the end of the course, participants will gain a comprehensive, quantitative understanding of the drivers and processes that govern coastal evolution and resilience over time.
The aim of the course is to:
- provide basic concepts for the analysis of the long-term morpohodynamic evolution of coastal systems such as (e.g.) barrier systems, beaches, lagoons, deltas, and estuaries;
- address the role of biogeomorphic processes on the morphological equilibrium and dynamics of coastal systems;
- analyze the response of coastal systems to changes in the governing environmental forcings (SLR, climate change in general, changes in sediment supply, anthropogenic influence).
Students will learn how to carry out quantitative analyses on the biomorphodynamic response of coastal systems to current climate changes and increasing human pressure.
COURSE UNIT CONTENT
INTRODUCTION: Morphodynamics and biomorphodynamics. Short introduction to coastal systems and to their morphodynamic evolution in response to physical and biological forcings.
PROCESSES: Relative sea level and its variations. Tides, waves, currents, and sediment transport processes in shallow water systems.
ENVIRONMENTS: Morphology and evolution of coastal wetlands, river deltas, estuaries, lagoons, barrier islands (?beaches, cliffed coasts, coral reefs and atolls?)General effects of rising sea levels and climate change on coasts. Natural and anthropogenic forcings. Effects of a changing climate. Effects on wetlands, lagoons, deltas, & estuaries.
STUDY CASE: The Venice Lagoon and its morphological evolution during the past centuries. Will Venice survive?
- provide basic concepts for the analysis of the long-term morpohodynamic evolution of coastal systems such as (e.g.) barrier systems, beaches, lagoons, deltas, and estuaries;
- address the role of biogeomorphic processes on the morphological equilibrium and dynamics of coastal systems;
- analyze the response of coastal systems to changes in the governing environmental forcings (SLR, climate change in general, changes in sediment supply, anthropogenic influence).
Students will learn how to carry out quantitative analyses on the biomorphodynamic response of coastal systems to current climate changes and increasing human pressure.
COURSE UNIT CONTENT
INTRODUCTION: Morphodynamics and biomorphodynamics. Short introduction to coastal systems and to their morphodynamic evolution in response to physical and biological forcings.
PROCESSES: Relative sea level and its variations. Tides, waves, currents, and sediment transport processes in shallow water systems.
ENVIRONMENTS: Morphology and evolution of coastal wetlands, river deltas, estuaries, lagoons, barrier islands (?beaches, cliffed coasts, coral reefs and atolls?)General effects of rising sea levels and climate change on coasts. Natural and anthropogenic forcings. Effects of a changing climate. Effects on wetlands, lagoons, deltas, & estuaries.
STUDY CASE: The Venice Lagoon and its morphological evolution during the past centuries. Will Venice survive?
- Teacher: Alvise Finotello
The aim of the course is to:
1) provide basic concepts for the analysis of the long-term morpohodynamic evolution of coastal systems like e.g., barrier systems, lagoons, deltas, and estuaries;
2) address the role of biogeomorphic processes on the morphological equilibrium and dynamics of coastal systems;
3) analyse response of coastal systems to changes in the governing environmental forcings is then analyzed.
Students will learn how to carry out quantitative analyses on the biomorphodynamic response of coastal systems to current climate changes and increasing human pressure.
1) provide basic concepts for the analysis of the long-term morpohodynamic evolution of coastal systems like e.g., barrier systems, lagoons, deltas, and estuaries;
2) address the role of biogeomorphic processes on the morphological equilibrium and dynamics of coastal systems;
3) analyse response of coastal systems to changes in the governing environmental forcings is then analyzed.
Students will learn how to carry out quantitative analyses on the biomorphodynamic response of coastal systems to current climate changes and increasing human pressure.
- Teacher: Alvise Finotello