How rising seas transformed dry land into Venice lagoon
Scientists uncover ancient hills and swamps that disappeared as sea levels rose across northern Adriatic
TL;DR
- Land that Venice sits on was once miles inland.
- Sea levels in the northern Adriatic have changed dramatically over the past 10,000 years.
- Research used seismic data and sedimentary cores to model sea level changes and reconstruct past landscapes.
- The present-day Venice lagoon was once dry land extending over 30 miles from the coast.
- Trieste was previously an area of hills overlooking swamps and lagoons.
- Sea level rose in fits and starts, with dramatic changes occurring in three distinct phases.
- The last 6,000 years have seen relative stability, supporting settlement formation and farming.