Abstract
This study shows the terrestrial and marine landforms present along the Cilento coast in the southern part of the Campania region (Italy). This coast is characterized by the alternation of bays, small beaches, and rocky headlands. In the adjacent submerged areas, there is a slightly inclined platform that has a maximum width of 30 km to the north, while it narrows in the south to approximately 6 km. A wide variety of landforms are preserved in this area, despite the high erodibility of the rocks emerging from the sea and the effects of human activities (construction of structures and infrastructures, fires, etc.). Of these landforms, we focused on those that enabled us to determine Quaternary sea-level variations, and, more specifically, we focused on the correlation between coastal and sea-floor topography in order to trace the geomorphological evolution of this coastal area. For this purpose, the Licosa Cape and the promontory of Ripe Rosse located in northern Cilento were used as reference areas. Methods were used that enabled us to obtain a detailed digital cartography of each area and consequently to apply physical-based coastal evolution models. We believe that this approach would provide a better management of coastal risk mitigation which is likely to become increasingly important in the perspective of climate change.
Highlights
In relatively recent coastal landscapes, such as those of central–western Mediterranean Sea, the events responsible for the landform evolution and the controls they underwent must be sought within the last hundred thousand years
Images found on the web were analyzed, those taken by Google Earth in 2015 [35], as well as those placed on the National Cartographic Portal of the Italian Ministry of Environment in 2012 [36]
Despite the continuous degradation of rocks with different degrees of erodibility and the characteristics. These characteristics make the landscape attractive to tourists, who choose the negative effects of mankind on the territory, these forms are able to maintain their morphological characteristics. These characteristics make the landscape attractive to tourists, who choose the Cilento coastal areas for their holidays, but they capture the interest of researchers and experts in coastal geomorphology [3,18]
Summary
In relatively recent coastal landscapes, such as those of central–western Mediterranean Sea, the events responsible for the landform evolution and the controls they underwent must be sought within the last hundred thousand years. Morphogenetic events continue to exert their effect and shape the landscape today, which is complicated by the actions of human beings who built facilities and infrastructures along the coasts to promote tourism or facilitate mobility [1] These actions are often performed without analyzing landforms and processes carefully, causing instability or increasing environmental vulnerability and degradation [2]. This study aims to highlight the main emerged and submerged landforms present along the spectacular coastscape of the National Park of Cilento, in southern Italy. This coastal landscape, with lovely inland areas, received several international awards. In 1997, the entire region was recognized by UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) Biosphere Reserve with the aim of maintaining a long-term equilibrium between man and his environment by conserving biological diversity, promoting economic development, and preserving cultural values (MAB – Man and Biosphere program), while, in 1998, three sites in the Cilento area (Paestum, Velia, and Padula)
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