Analysis of Sea Storm Events in the Mediterranean Sea: The Case Study of 28 December 2020 Sea Storm in the Gulf of Naples, Italy

Alberto Fortelli,Alessandro Fedele,Renato Somma,Marco Sacchi,Giuseppe De Natale,Fabio Matano,Claudia Troise

doi:10.3390/app112311460

Abstract

The coastline of the Gulf of Naples, Italy, is characterized by a series of infrastructures of strategic importance, including touristic and commercial ports between Pozzuoli to Sorrento, main roads, railways, and urban areas. Furthermore, the Gulf of Naples hosts an intense traffic of touristic and commercial maritime routes. The risk associated with extreme marine events is hence very significant over this marine and coastal area. On 28 December 2020, the Gulf of Naples was hit by an extreme sea storm, with severe consequences. This study focuses on the waterfront area of Via Partenope, where the waves overrun the roadway, causing massive damage on coastal seawall, road edges, and touristic structures (primarily restaurants). Based on the analysis of the meteorological evolution of the sea storm and its effects on the waterfront, we suggest that reflective processes induced on the sea waves by the tuff cliffs at the base of Castel dell’Ovo had an impact in enhancing the local-scale waves magnitude. This caused in turn severe flooding of the roadway and produced widespread damage along the coast. The analysis of the event of 28 December 2020, also suggests the need of an effective mitigation policy in the management of coastal issues induced by extreme sea storm events. Wind-based analysis and prediction of the sea wave conditions are currently discussed in the literature; however, critical information on wave height is often missing or not sufficient for reliable forecasting. In order to improve our ability to forecast the effects of sea storm events on the coastline, it is necessary to analyze all the components of the coastal wave system, including wave diffraction and reflection phenomena and the tidal change. Our results suggest in fact that only an integrated approach to the analysis of all the physical and anthropic components of coastal system may provide a correct base of information for the stakeholders to address coastal zone planning and protection.

Highlights

Coastal areas are periodically subject to significant economic and environmental damages due to sea storm-induced processes [1]
The occurrence of numerous coastal cities, river deltas, islands, low-elevation coastal areas and cliffs over the Mediterranean coastal zone recalls the need for considering local features in coastal planning and possible future impacts associated with climatic change
The risk related to extreme marine events is significantly high along the coastal area of the Gulf of Naples, Italy

Summary

Introduction

Coastal areas are periodically subject to significant economic and environmental damages due to sea storm-induced processes [1]. Storms in the Bay of Naples mainly occur during autumn and winter They tend to involve large areas and may last in the offshore sectors for a significant time, so that large waves can develop. The large-scale meteorological study has been carried out based on forecasting and reanalysis maps derived by meteorological models and EUMETSAT satellite images (see link at: https://www.eumetsat.int, accessed on 6 September 2021) These data are available from open access International Meteorological Service [22] and have been used to reconstruct the main features and evolution of the atmospheric systems that caused the storm event discussed in this study, with particular attention to the evolution of wind intensity through time. The high resolution of the orthophotos and the accuracy of the entire post photogrammetric processing allowed for obtaining precise measurements within an accuracy range of ±2 cm

Study Area and Historical Events

Meteorological Analysis at Regional Scale

Anemometric Event Analysis at Sub-Regional Scale

Findings

Conclusions