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Stefano Rellandini / Reuters
Gondoliers row gondolas with tourists in a canal in Venice in this May 7, 2011 file photo.
ROME -- Venice appears to have more nicknames than street names. It’s known as the "Queen of the Adriatic," the "City of Water," "City of Masks," "City of Bridges," "The Floating City," and "City of Canals."
But is Venice destined to become "The Divers' Paradise" much faster than we thought? New research by U.S. scientists suggests it is sinking more than five times faster than experts in Venice believe.
Saying that the city is sinking is just about as obvious as saying that the wind will always blow in Chicago. It’s just a thing of nature. And there’s nothing anybody can do to stop it.
While Venetians and tourists know that Venice's appeal is due to its undeniable beauty, with its Gothic and Byzantine palazzos appearing to float on the canals and lagoon, much of the city's allure comes from the fact that it appears to be disappearing.
So you don’t need a scientist to tell you that Venice is sinking. In fact, sometimes they tell you otherwise. Back in the 1980s Venetians rejoiced at the news that the city had finally stabilized. But, to use an Italian sailor’s jargon, that theory “loses water from all sides.”
It’s quite obvious to the naked eye (or rather, to the naked ankle when it floods) that parts of Venice are flooding more and more often. To tourists, walking in a flooded St. Mark’s Square might be a unique photo opportunity, but to Venetians it’s a sign of things to come.
History, architecture, art and much more - great Italian destinations!
So Venice is sinking. But the question remains -- how long will it take before it turns from floating jewel to a playground for divers?
The answer comes from a new research by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, expected to be published on Wednesday: Venice is still sinking, and sinking at a rate of up to two millimeters per year (0.08 inches).
City heading out to sea
There’s more. Not only is the city being reclaimed by the waters that made it famous, it now looks like it’s actually heading out to sea, as if the glorious capital of the former Maritime Venetian Republic is tired of being a tourist attraction and wants to die in the Adriatic.
According to measurements taken over 10 years, Venice is also tilting a bit, about a millimeter or two eastward per year. While this doesn’t mean that you should buy a ticket right away in order to see Venice before it disappears, it raises concern that not enough is being done to save it.
A complex system of moving dams around Venice that took decades and millions of dollars to build is nearing completion. The new research could well call into question whether these major works will actually be enough to save the “Floating City.”
One of the biggest experts on the state of Venice, Luigi Tosi, of Italy's National Research Center, pointed out that Venice's "sinking" was actually a combination of land subsidence and sea level rise.
He said the Scripps researchers' results "tell us nothing new." "We have published a paper back in 1992 that arrived to the same conclusions," he said.
But experts at Consorzio Venezia Nuova, the group in charge of safeguarding Venice and the lagoon, told NBC News they had a lot of questions about the Scripps report, saying they thought the city was sinking much more slowly.
Italy’s Cinque Terre region readies for spring tourists
“I learned about the new research from journalists like yourself,” said an official who asked not to be named. “We have records of the subsiding of Venice for hundreds of years, and yet they haven’t called us."
But one thing is clear to the official -- 10 years of measurements might sound a lot to most people, but on Venice’s standards it’s the blink of an eye.
"We have calculated that the city has been sinking three to four centimeters (about 1.5 inches) per century," the official said.
That's not to say the people at Consorzio Venezia Nuova aren't paying attention, however.
"Now they say two millimeters per year…that means Venice would sink 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) every 100 years. That’s more than five times more than we calculated. So I’ll believe it when I see it," he said.
It’s unclear whether the Scripps Institute team will contact the Consorzio before the research is published on Wednesday. But one way or another their difference will have to be reconciled … and it will be, once again, just water under the bridge.
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Leave a Comment:
So the inhabitants will move and then make money off the underwater tours when it finally goes under.
I feel bad for the hookers in venice :^)
dont worry, your sisters will be just fine...mom too !
Al Gore was right.
Global warming is causing rising waters - even in Venice.
Soon gondola operators will not be able to get under the various bridges.
A significant portion of the GDP of Venice will be lost amid the massive unemployment caused by these waters rising.
waterworld is coming
Go watch the movie "the Day after tomorrow" which came out the year before Al Gore's movie. Gore's whole concept is a book report of that fictional movie. Do you know what happened when they tried to force feed the english kids this movie in the public schools? It went to court and the lawyers proved NONE of the points Al Gore made were scientific, all speculation based on twisted information.
Too bad you didn't get the memo.
Good!!! Venice is a vile smelly tourist trap.
so is your mouth and brain !
Ahhh, Venice. What a beautiful spot.
We loved Venice but, of course, we went in the Fall (anyone who goes in the Summer is not doing their research) and we researched and planned restaurants ahead of time so we didn't fall into the tourist trap at all. Anyone who does simply has not spent the time to find the goods. TripAdvisor, people. It will save you time, money and grief.
At the time Venice was built, the Venetians had little choice but to build on water. They were actually fleeing invasions. Buiding on the lagoons was brilliant for two reasons: first, the actual architectural feat is quite amazing; second, they were only ones who could figure out the lagoons which insulated them from attackers.
Today you could argue that continuing to uphold structures built on the lagoon is stupid but, the reality is, if Venice goes so dies a living, breathing monument to World History. That's why they are trying to save it.
Most overrated vacation destination in the world.
I love Venice, and I DO hope they can fix the subsidence problem. Such an amazingly beautiful city ... and all of those intriguing and fabulous palazzos. I had heard from friends about the smell but when I went (and in summer, too) there was no smell at all. If I were to hit PowerBall big time, there are 3 overseas places I'd have homes: London, Florence and Venice. But since I'm more likely to get hit by space junk falling from the sky I'll just have to keep dreaming.
Big suprise; scientists are wrong again, yet get paid nonetheless.
Which ones are wrong ? the ones that say the world is round ?
Too bad Detroit or Juarez, etc. aren't sinking. Venice? Too bad...
i kind think they did...just not in water. but by their residents....
shame about Venice
Venice; like New Orleans; have been built below sea level; and the residents of both wonderful cities are just fooling themselves to believe it is a safe or correct way to live. I always refer back to our Native American Indians; who were smart enough to move from the river sides and ocean sides when they historically knew that it was a dangerous time of the year. Such as flood seasons along the Mississippi, Ohio, and other rivers of the United States; and likewise along the ocean fronts when it was hurricane season on the East coast or the Gulf coast or the gale force winds and earth quakes along the West coast. Yet we continue to build in areas prone to such dangers; and then depend on local, state and federal agencies to bail them out. That is pure stupidity. I visited Venice when I was in the Navy back in the late 1960's and it was a most beautiful and intriguing city; but was at that time around two stories below the sea level. I t has only gotten worse. I only hope they can preserve some of it for our future generations to see and enjoy.
Is it sinking faster or is it an allusion due to rising sea levels, or both? At any rate coastal areas around the world are endangered by rising sea levels. If global warming rates increase then more and more prone areas such as Venice, New Orleans, Netherlands and several oceanic islands are in danger of a final flood from which there is no return from.
So, AlGore, I see you have a new nom de plume?
This article struck me as abysmally amateur. Bad enough for me to sign up to comment. The first seven paragraphs were just a restatement and repetition of the article title, and there was no geological (i.e., "scientific") explanation supplied as to WHY Venice is sinking. All we get is: "It's just a thing of nature." OMG, like, for real!? Might as well have read "IDK, it's just some earth-thingumajiggy stuff, lol". This whole report can be summarized into one line: "Venice is sinking fast--scientists say so". I felt like I was reading a word-limit essay written by a lazy, C-average college kid. I've seen better journalism coming out of high school sophomore newspapers.
NBC ought to be embarrassed, and Ms Lavanga needs to take a few more community college classes... preferably relevant to her desired occupation.
So, even at the accelerated rate, in the next 25 years it will sink TWO INCHES? Sight-seeing divers will be able to explore a whole 8 feet down IN 600 YEARS! C'mon, who wrote this story, the same people who write the sky-is-falling global warming stories?
If you like polo, golf or tennis, there is no place like Venis. thank you Bee Taylor an Clara Edwards..
It is not only Venice but many cities around the world are sinking too, or is it the water rising? London had to build a river barrier to keep the tides out of the city, and the whole of the south of England is sinking but very slowly
Yawn!
good !!! let it sink , it already stinks with feces floating in those canals ,hopefully it washes away those dirty people too
another ass**le with a keyboard...fool !
sounds like ur home huh ?
Obviously you dont get out much, I wonder if you wish the some for our fellow Americans that live in New orleans ?
karma karma karma
Several people have stated that rising oceans have nothing to do with Venice sinking. Baloney. Rising oceans raise the level of water in the canals of Venice, which are connected TO the ocean. They also affect the water table. Rising sea levels are not what has caused Venice to sink, but they certainly compound the problem. The last thing that a sinking city needs is to have MORE water put onto it.
have been there several times....just beautiful, like no other !! However don't go in July and August...the smell of sewage and floating debris with combination of the heat will make you sick !
If you should fall in...take an antibacterial bath...sonn , this I was told by the locals...!
Dont let it stop you from going...its a must see, and the local people are wonderful !
Mr grover, the gop, & the rushbo say it isn't that the sea is rising, it's the land is sinking. That rising seas are not a problem with the melting ice caps. But i tell you the melting ice caps are the only thing that is saving the planet because after there is no more ice, temps soar.
What melting ice caps? Each year since 2007 the Arctic has been gaining ice. And Antarctica has been gaining ice for at least 30 years.
http://ocean.dmi.dk/arctic/plots/icecover/icecover_current.png
http://nsidc.org/data/seaice_index/images/daily_images/S_timeseries.png
Reported by skepticalscience.com:
The plot at ocean.dmi.dk is by month for various years, so what you are seeing is the seasonal variation. It confirms that 2011 was the second smallest year for ice extent (in March and September).
How fast is Venice sinking? Not fast enough.
another fool with a keyboard ! grow up man...try leaving ur state and explore a little...
do you wish the same for our fellow Americans in New Orleans too?
Exactly, Stevo. Anyone who posts stuff like that probably hasn't left their parent's basement, let alone the country.
When an author makes analogies to "the wind will always blow in Chicago," it discredits the entire story. Chicago is not in fact windier than most other cities. It received the nickname "the Windy City" because a journalist once called the politicians "hot winded," "blow hards," "winded."
Venice and New Orleans. Both are on land that is naturally sinking. I do not know enough about Venice to know if man has added to the problem or not. In the case of New Orleans man tried to control the flooding on the Mississippi River. When the river floods all the silt that is deposited helps to build up the land that is naturally sinking. Now all the silt goes out into the Gulf. Wetlands used to extend much farther into the Gulf and that helped to protect New Orleans from hurricanes. But without the silt to keep the land built up the wetlands have receded and New Orleans takes a bigger hit.
Thank god someone else knows about the importance of the wetlands and problems with the Miss. River being "levee'd up."
Presto change-o, now you see it, now you don't.
Venice can always be visited in the Assassin's Creed games.