Marano and Grado Project

Hydrodynamic and sediment transport in the Marano and Grado lagoons.

Hydraulic circulation in coastal and sediment transport and lagoon environments is a factor of primary importance for most of the physical and biogeochemical processes. Sediments accumulate nutrients and pollutants that could be released slowly in the water column. In the case of the Lagoons of Marano and Grado these factors are considered to be critical for the dispersion of pollutants and nutrients. To investigate the water circulation and the sediment transport the model SHYFEM has been applied to the Marano and Grado lagoons.

The model has been validated by comparing the simulation results against measured water levels, salinity and water temperature data collected in several stations inside the lagoons. The application of the sediment transport module, coupled with the hydrodynamic one and with a wave model, led to the estimation of the bottom stress and of the erosion-deposition processes. Model results give the description of the water dynamics and of natural morphological evolution of the Marano and Grado lagoons.

This research was funded by ARPA FVG.