Coastal submersions in the north-eastern Adriatic during the last 5200 years

In the context of industrial-era global change, Mediterranean coastal areas are threatened by relative sea level (RSL) rise. Shifts in drivers dynamics forecasted to trigger changes frequency flooding low-lying areas, with significant effects on marine-coastal environments, societies, economy and urban systems. Here, we probe floods eastern part Gulf Venice (coastal Croatia) understand saltwater intrusions. We reconstructed RSL rise north-eastern Adriatic during Holocene based 43 index points analyzed evolution submersions Istrian Peninsula for last 5200 years inputs marine components increases supratidal scrubs. produced pollen-based climate reconstructions analyze potential air temperature precipitation submersions. investigated response mid-late summer/winter insolation forcing insolation-induced surface temperatures (SSTs). found that periods warmer SST, increased markedly. This process seems have been initiated atmospheric led summer evaporation, counterbalancing heavy winter. As a result, freshwater flows into were reduced resulted recurrent inland. Our study suggests present-day (increases SSTs temperatures, decreases precipitation) will probably favour frequent flooding, be amplified