Conveners: Daniele Spatola (Sapienza Università di Roma), Fabiano Gamberi (ISMAR-CNR, Bologna), Daniele Casalbore (Sapienza Università di Roma), Eleonora Martorelli (IGAG-CNR, Roma)
daniele.spatola@uniroma1.it
daniele.spatola@uniroma1.it
Submarine landscapes, ranging from shallow to deep-sea environments, result from the complex interplay of geological, oceanographic, biological, and human-induced processes. These landscapes document the history of marine evolution, shaped by dynamic forces that vary in character, strength, and duration. Among these forces, for example in the Italian seas, volcanic activity plays a crucial role in shaping the seafloor, with a large spectrum of constructive and destructive processes affecting the growth and evolution of insular volcanoes and seamounts. Moreover, these environments often host active hydrothermal vent systems, important for geological, biological and climatic issues. The diverse morphologies spanning various hierarchies and longevity, combine in the different underwater environments and provide the base for the study of such settings both in terms of planning their sustainable management and first assessment of their geohazards. This interdisciplinary session highlights the contribution of geomorphologic analysis in understanding seafloor processes, with a particular focus on volcanism alongside sediment-gravity flows, oceanographic currents, landslides, tectonic deformation, and fluid migration and escape. We aim to show the results of investigations into the large range of subaqueous environments, from shallow- and deep-sea environments. We particularly encourage studies that integrate diverse datasets, including hydroacoustic imagery, 2D and 3D seismic reflection data, sedimentary, geochemical, and geological analyses, and ROV-based observations. The expected collection of contributions should form a basis for the integration of multi-scale approaches to the study of submarine geomorphology and foster a deeper understanding of the processes driving the evolution of submarine landscapes.