Computing the relative land subsidence at Venice, Italy, over the last fifty years

Over the past five decades, Venice's historical center has experienced relative land subsidence (RLS) of up to 190 mm compared to the Northern Adriatic mean sea level. This study quantifies RLS using a combination of levelling surveys from 1961 to 1993 and satellite-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) interferometry data from 1993 to 2016, revealing an average subsidence rate of 0.8 mm/year alongside a mean sea-level rise of 1.9 mm/year. The findings highlight significant spatial variability in subsidence, with cumulative losses ranging from 8 mm to 93 mm. Projections suggest that without mitigation, Venice could face an additional 190 mm loss of elevation by 2100, exacerbating flooding risks and threatening the city's survival. This research underscores the urgent need for climate adaptation strategies to protect this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

(Ed.). (2017). Computing the relative land subsidence at Venice, Italy, over the last fifty years. Syme, G., Hatton MacDonald, D., Fulton, B. And Piantadosi, J. (Eds) MODSIM2017, 22nd International Congress on Modelling and Simulation. https://doi.org/10.36334/modsim.2017.h4.dalio