Decoding Sea Level Variations: Past, Present, and Future Impacts on Coastal Landscapes

Dear Colleagues,

To accurately predict future sea level variations and guide effective coastal management strategies, it is essential to decode the complex dynamics between sea level fluctuations and their impacts on coastal zones. By tracking past sea level through erosional, depositional, and archaeological sea-level indicators we can reconstruct the paleo landscape and discern the impacts of sea level variations on our coasts, thereby providing context for the current coastal landscape evolution. Coastal regions exhibit a complex and delicate equilibrium, which is progressively undermined by the direct and indirect effects of climate change and human activities on the shoreline. Among the most evident effects is coastal erosion, a major issue due to its potential to cause significant shoreline retreat, especially in flat and low-lying areas prone to beach disappearance. This Special Issue aims to gather multidisciplinary research contributions that can significantly advance our knowledge of coastal dynamics, emphasizing the intricate interplay between coastal processes and sea level fluctuation. By bridging past and current evolution of coastal systems, this effort will establish a solid basis for evaluating the potential impacts of relative sea-level rise and facilitating the adaptation of coastal communities threatened by climate change.

We welcome submissions employing methodological and multidisciplinary approaches that address both the past and present evolution of coastal landscapes. Contributions may range from broad studies to focused examinations of specific issues, covering the following topics:

• sea-level changes reconstruction, recent trends, and future scenarios;
• geomorphological, stratigraphical, and archaeological sea-level markers;
• advances methodology and applications for paleo-landscape reconstructions;
• assessment of coastal modifications at different timescales;
• multiproxy analysis for paleoenvironmental reconstruction in coastal areas;
• Short and long-term tectonic rates in coastal areas;
• VGM in coastal areas measured by remote sensing techniques;
• beach erosion vs anthropization and defenses of the coast and coastal risk assessment;
• beach characterization and related suitable approaches/methods.

Dr. Gianluigi Di Paola
Dr. Claudia Caporizzo
Dr. Gaia Mattei
Dr. Nikos Georgiou
Dr. Giuseppe Corrado
Guest Editors

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