Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Modern geological mapping and subsurface lithostratigraphic setting of the Venice Lagoon (Italy)

  • Published:
RENDICONTI LINCEI Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the last decade, the knowledge of the Late Pleistocene and Holocene morphostratigraphic setting and geological evolution of the Venice lagoon area (north-western Adriatic Sea, Italy) has largely improved thanks to the analysis of new data from cores and the interpretation of a large number of very high resolution seismic (VHRS) profiles acquired in the Lagoon and Gulf of Venice. With reference to this topic, the Sheet 128 “Venezia” and the Sheet 148–149 “Chioggia-Malamocco” of the new Geological Map of Italy at the 1:50,000 scale (Carta Geologica d’Italia alla scala 1:50.000) represent the most important geological synthetic documents realized in the last years. They show age, distribution, sedimentological characteristics, and depositional environments of the exposed and buried sedimentary bodies, classified using the unconformity-bounded stratigraphic units. The analysis of data from deep cores, supported by the interpretation of VHRS profiles acquired along channels, has allowed the identification of the stratigraphic setting of the Venice lagoon subsoil generally down to about 30 m from the ground surface, and the reconstruction of the Late Pleistocene and Holocene evolution of the study area. More recently, a new VHRS system, implemented for investigations in water depth <1 m, has provided clear images of the subsurface also in the lagoon shallows; consequently, it has allowed the acquisition of new information about depositional geometries, internal bounding surfaces, and stratal relationships.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bellet J, Oudin JL, Favero V, Passega R (1982) Analyse optique da la matière organique du Quaternaire: sondage C.N.R. VE-1, Venise. Rev Inst Francais Petrole 37:587–598

    Google Scholar 

  • Bonardi M, Tosi L (2000) Studio sedimentologico di un livello di argilla sovraconsolidata sottostante il litorale veneziano. IVSLA, La Ricerca Scientifica Per Venezia, Il Progetto Sistema Lagunare Veneziano, Modellistica del Sistema Lagunare. Studio di Impatto Ambientale 2(2):952–960

    Google Scholar 

  • Bondesan A, Meneghel M (eds) (2004) Geomorfologia della provincia di Venezia. Esedra Editrice, Padova

    Google Scholar 

  • Bondesan A, Primon S, Bassan V, Vitturi A (eds) (2008) Le unità geologiche della provincia di Venezia. Cierre Grafica, Caselle di Sommacampagna, Verona

  • Bortolami GC, Fontes JC, Markgraf V, Saliege JF (1977) Land, sea and climate in the northern Adriatic region during late Pleistocene and Holocene. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 21:139–156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bortolami GC, Carbognin L, Gatto P (1984) Natural subsidence in the Lagoon of Venice. In: Johnson AI, Carbognin L, Ubertini L (eds) Land subsidence. Proceedings of the 3rd international symposium on land subsidence, IAHS Publ 151, pp 777–784

  • Brambati A, Carbognin L, Quaia T, Teatini P, Tosi L (2003) The Lagoon of Venice: geological setting, evolution and land subsidence. Episodes 26(3):264–268

    Google Scholar 

  • Brancolini G, Tosi L, Rizzetto F, Donda F, Baradello L, Nieto D, Fanzutti F, Wardell N, Teatini P, Amos C, Bonardi M (2006) New very high resolution seismic surveys in shallow water to study the subsurface in the Venice Lagoon. In: Campostrini P (ed) Scientific research and safeguarding of Venice 2005, CORILA Research, Research Program 2004–2006. Multigraf Industria Grafica Editrice, Spinea, Venezia, pp 417–427

  • Carminati E, Doglioni C, Scrocca D (2003) Apennines subduction-related subsidence of Venice. Geophys Res Lett 30(13):1717. doi:10.1029/2003GL017001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carminati E, Doglioni C, Scrocca D (2004) Alps Vs Apennines. In: Crescenti U, D’Offizi S, Merlini S, Sacchi L (eds) Geology of Italy. Special Volume of the Italian Geological Society for the IGC 32, Florence, 2004, pp 141–151

  • Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (1971) Relazioni sul Pozzo Venezia 1-C.N.R. Laboratorio per lo Studio della Dinamica delle Grandi Masse, C.N.R. Technical Reports 14–21, Venice

  • Favero V, Passega R (1980) Quaternary turbidites in a neritic environment: well CNR VE 1, Venice, Italy. J Pet Geol 3(2):153–174

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Favero V, Serandrei Barbero R (1978) La sedimentazione olocenica nella piana costiera tra Brenta ed Adige. Mem Soc Geol Ital 19:337–343

    Google Scholar 

  • Favero V, Alberotanza L, Serandrei Barbero R (1973) Aspetti paleoecologici, sedimentologici e geochimici dei sedimenti attraversati dal pozzo VE 1 bis C.N.R. Laboratorio per lo Studio della Dinamica delle Grandi Masse, C.N.R. Technical Report 63, Venice

  • Favero V, Leplat P, Mennig JJ, Passega R (1979) Exemple de distribution de la matière organique au Quaternaire: sondage CNR VE-1, Venise. Rev de l’Inst Francais du Pétrole 34(3):351–370

    Google Scholar 

  • Fontes JC, Bortolami G (1972) Subsidence of the area of Venice during the past 40,000 years. Laboratorio per lo Studio della Dinamica delle Grandi Masse, C.N.R. Technical Report 54, Venice

  • Fontes JC, Bortolami G (1973) Subsidence of the Venice area during the past 40,000 yr. Nature 244:339–341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gatto P, Previatello P (1974) Significato stratigrafico, comportamento meccanico e distribuzione nella Laguna di Venezia di un’argilla sovraconsolidata nota come “Caranto”. Laboratorio per lo Studio della Dinamica delle Grandi Masse, C.N.R. Technical Report 70, Venice

  • Kent VD, Rio D, Massari F, Kukla G, Lanci L (2002) Emergence of Venice during the Pleistocene. Quat Sci Rev 21:1719–1727

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Massari F, Rio D, Serandrei Barbero R, Asioli A, Capraro L, Fornaciari E, Vergerio PP (2004) The environment of Venice in the past two million years. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 202:273–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ministero dei Lavori Pubblici - Ufficio Idrografico del Magistrato alle Acque (1954a) Carta geologica delle Tre Venezie, Venezia-F.°51 della Carta d’Italia al 100.000 rilevato da Zanettin B. Stabilimento grafico cartografico L. Boboli, Firenze

  • Ministero dei Lavori Pubblici - Ufficio Idrografico del Magistrato alle Acque (1954b) Carta geologica delle Tre Venezie, Adria-F.°65 della Carta d’Italia al 100.000 rilevato da Zanettin B. Stabilimento grafico cartografico L. Boboli, Firenze

  • Mozzi P, Bini C, Zilocchi L, Becattini R, Mariotti Lippi M (2003) Stratigraphy, palaeopedology and palinology of late Pleistocene and Holocene deposits in the landward sector of the lagoon of Venice (Italy), in relation to caranto level. Il Quaternario 16(1bis):193–210

    Google Scholar 

  • Müllenders W, Favero V, Coremans M, Dirickx M (1996) Analyses polliniques des sondages à Venise (VE1, VE1bis, Ve2). Aardkd Meded 7:87–117

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy MA, Salvador A (eds) (1999) International stratigraphic guide: an abridged version. Episodes 22(4): 255–271

  • Pieri M, Groppi G (1981) Subsurface geological structure of the Po Plain, Italy. C.N.R., Progetto Finalizzato Geodinamica, Sottoprogetto Modello Strutturale, vol 414, pp 1–13

  • Rizzetto F (2000) Gli antichi cordoni litoranei e le paleodune del Veneto nord-orientale. PhD Dissertation, University of Padua, Italy

  • Rizzetto F, Tosi L, Zecchin M, Brancolini G, Baradello L (2009) Ancient geomorphological features in shallows of the Venice Lagoon (Italy). J Coast Res SI 56:752–756. ISSN 0749-0258

    Google Scholar 

  • Salvador A (ed) (1994) International stratigraphic guide. A guide to stratigraphic classification, terminology, and procedure. The international union of geological sciences and the geological society of America, 2nd edn

  • Servizio Geologico Nazionale (2001) Indicazioni per il rilevamento del Quaternario continentale. Circolare CARG SGN/2155/U1CARG, 11 maggio 2001

  • Tosi L (1994) L’evoluzione paleoambientale tardo-quaternaria del litorale veneziano nelle attuali conoscenze. Il Quaternario 7(2):589–596

    Google Scholar 

  • Tosi L, Rizzetto F, Bonardi M, Donnici S, Serandrei Barbero R, Toffoletto F (2007a) Note illustrative della Carta Geologica d’Italia alla scala 1:50.000. 128-Venezia. APAT, Dipartimento Difesa del Suolo, Servizio Geologico d’Italia, Casa Editrice SystemCart, Roma

  • Tosi L, Rizzetto F, Bonardi M, Donnici S, Serandrei Barbero R, Toffoletto F (2007b) Note illustrative della Carta Geologica d’Italia alla scala 1:50.000. 148–149-Chioggia-Malamocco. APAT, Dipartimento Difesa del Suolo, Servizio Geologico d’Italia, Casa Editrice SystemCart, Roma

  • Tosi L, Rizzetto F, Zecchin M, Brancolini G, Baradello L (2009) Morphostratigraphic framework of the Venice Lagoon (Italy) by very shallow water VHRS surveys: evidence of radical changes triggered by human-induced river diversions. Geophys Res Lett 36:L09406. doi:10.1029/2008GL037136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Veggiani A (1994) I deterioramenti climatici dell’Età del Ferro e dell’alto Medioevo. Boll Soc Torricelliana Sci Lett 45:3–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Zanettin B (1955) Note illustrative della carta geologica delle Tre Venezie: Fogli “Venezia” ed “Adria”. Società Cooperativa Tipografica, Padova

    Google Scholar 

  • Zecchin M, Baradello L, Brancolini G, Donda F, Rizzetto F, Tosi L (2008) Sequence stratigraphy based on high-resolution seismic profiles in the late Pleistocene and Holocene deposits of the Venice area. Mar Geol 253:185–198. doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2008.05.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zecchin M, Brancolini G, Tosi L, Rizzetto F, Caffau M, Baradello L (2009) Anatomy of the Holocene succession of the southern Venice lagoon revealed by very high-resolution seismic data. Cont Shelf Res 29:1343–1359. doi:10.1016/j.csr.2009.03.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was performed within the framework of the following projects: CARG (Geological CARtography) Project funded by APAT (Agenzia per la Protezione dell’Ambiente e per i Servizi Tecnici, at present ISPRA, Istituto Superiore per la Protezione e la Ricerca Ambientale) and by Regione del Veneto; CORILA (Consorzio per la Gestione del Centro di Coordinamento delle Attività di Ricerca Inerenti il Sistema Lagunare di Venezia) Project, Research Line 3.16; VECTOR (VulnErability of the Italian coastal area and marine Ecosystems to Climatic changes and Their rOle in the Mediterranean caRbon cycles) Project, Action 3, Work Package 5 (CLIVEN), funded by Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca, Ministero dell’Economia e delle Finanze, Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio, and Ministero delle Politiche Agricole e Forestali; Ricerca Spontanea a Tema Libero (RSTL) 809, funded by Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche. A particular thank is due to reviewers and editors, and to Mrs Jane Frankenfield (ISMAR-CNR) for their contributions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Marine Sciences, National Research Council, Castello 1364/A, 30122, Venice, Italy

    Federica Rizzetto, Luigi Tosi & Giuliano Brancolini

  2. National Institute of Oceanography and Experimental Geophysics, Borgo Grotta Gigante 42/C, 34010, Sgonico (Trieste), Italy

    Massimo Zecchin

Authors
  1. Federica Rizzetto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Luigi Tosi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Massimo Zecchin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Giuliano Brancolini
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Federica Rizzetto.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rizzetto, F., Tosi, L., Zecchin, M. et al. Modern geological mapping and subsurface lithostratigraphic setting of the Venice Lagoon (Italy). Rend. Fis. Acc. Lincei 21 (Suppl 1), 239–252 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-010-0085-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12210-010-0085-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation