How rising seas transformed dry land into Venice lagoon

What happened Scientists led by Samuele Ongaro of the University of Southampton combined seismic data with sedimentary cores from coastal basins in northern Italy, Slovenia and northern Croatia. Their analysis models sea‑level changes over the last 10,000 years and reconstructs the ancient landscape of the northern Adriatic. The study shows that much of the land that once lay inland, including ancient hills and swamps, is now submerged beneath the waters that form the Venice lagoon.

Why it matters The findings illustrate the scale of natural sea‑level fluctuations over millennia and provide a baseline for assessing current and future coastal vulnerability as global sea levels continue to rise. Understanding how past landscapes were reshaped helps scientists predict which low‑lying regions may be at risk in coming decades.

Background During the Holocene, the northern Adriatic coastline has undergone dramatic shifts. Rising seas gradually inundated areas that were once dry, turning what were once inland terrains into the lagoon that surrounds Venice today.