LIDAR DERIVED SALT MARSH TOPOGRAPHY AND BIOMASS: DEFINING ACCURACY AND SPATIAL PATTERNS OF UNCERTAINTY

Sea level records are often too short. The traditional asymptotic extreme value analysis fails to produce accurate results with short records. By leveraging the non-asymptotic Metastatistical Extreme Value Distribution via the integration of two novel independent event selection methodologies, along with a robust cross-validation procedure, we found that our methodology can accurately estimate the likelihood of long return period extreme sea level events in data-scarce settings.

This study aims at inspecting organic matter dynamics affecting the survival and carbon sink potential of salt marshes, which are valuable yet endangered wetland environments. Measuring the organic matter content in marsh soils and its relationship with environmental variables, we observed that the organic matter accumulation varies at different scales, and it is driven by the interplay between sediment supply and vegetation, which are affected, in turn, by marine and fluvial influences.

Sediment erosion induced by wind waves is one of the main drivers of the morphological evolution of shallow tidal environments. However, a reliable description of erosion events for the long-term morphodynamic modelling of tidal systems is still lacking. By statistically characterizing sediment erosion dynamics in the Venice Lagoon over the last 4 centuries, we set up a novel framework for a synthetic, yet reliable, description of erosion events in tidal systems.

Reliable quantification of sediment transport processes is necessary to understand the fate of shallow tidal environments. Here we present a framework for the description of suspended sediment dynamics to quantify deposition in the long-term modelling of shallow tidal systems. This characterization, together with that of erosion events, allows one to set up synthetic, yet reliable, models for the long-term evolution of tidal landscapes.

Coastal wetlands are important for their ability to store carbon, but they also emit methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This study conducted in four wetlands in Ravenna, Italy, aims at understanding how environmental factors affect greenhouse gas emissions. Temperature and irradiance increased emissions from water and soil, while water column depth and salinity limited them. Understanding environmental factors is crucial for mitigating climate change in wetland ecosystems.