Gallery: Satellite Maps Reveal Who's to Blame for the Sinking of Venice

  • Image may contain Landscape Outdoors Nature Scenery Land Ocean Sea Water Aerial View and Shoreline
    <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130926/srep02710/full/srep02710.html">Tosi et al.</a>
    01

    Anthropogenic Sinking

    The portion of sinking in Venice from 2008-2011 attributed to present human activity. Red areas indicate increased sinking and green areas show where human activity has worked to reduce the natural sinking. Blue box inset detail below. (*Golden Software Surfer 10*)
  • Image may contain Plot and Diagram
    <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130926/srep02710/full/srep02710.html">Tosi et al.</a>
    02

    Individual Satellite Data

    The average yearly ground displacement based on data from four satellites: data from (a) ERS, 1992-2002; (b) Envisat, 2003-2010; (c) TerraSAR-X, 2008-2009; (d) COSMO-SkyMed, 2008-2011. The graphs on the right show the frequency distribution of displacements. (*ESRI ArcMAP 9.3*)
  • Image may contain Outdoors Nature Land Ocean Water Sea Shoreline Vegetation Plant Coast Landscape Plot and Map
    <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130926/srep02710/full/srep02710.html">Tosi et al.</a>
    03

    COSMO-SkyMed Data

    Close up of the data from the COSMO-SkyMed satellite from 2008 to 2011 (map (d) in the previous slide). Areas colored red, orange, yellow and green have subsided while areas in blue have moved up a bit.
  • Image may contain Land Outdoors Nature Water Ocean Sea Shoreline and Coast
    <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130926/srep02710/full/srep02710.html">Tosi et al.</a>
    04

    Sinking in Cross Section

    Ground composition is one reason the rate of sinking varies. This map shows a cross section below Venice along the white line shown on the satellite image at the top. Colors represent different sediment compositions. The maps show growth of the city from 900 A.D. to present.
  • Image may contain Outdoors Nature Land Map Diagram Plot Atlas Ocean Water Sea and Shoreline
    <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/2013/130926/srep02710/full/srep02710.html">Tosi et al.</a>
    05

    Regional Subsidence

    The rate of subsidence and uplift in the region around Venice based on data from Envisat from 2003 to 2010. The areas around Treviso and Venice are moving on average less than 1 mm per year, while coastal areas to the northeast are sinking 3-6 mm per year. (*Landsat/USGS, ESRI ArcMAP 9.3*)
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