SALT CONTAMINATION PROCESS IN COASTAL AQUIFERS OF YANTAI, CHINA, AND VENICE, ITALY

The knowledge of hydro- morpho- geological processes occurring in lagoons and wetlands all over the world is of paramount importance because of the widely recognized buffering function of these unique transitional ecosystems, for biodiversity and for valuable economical resources as agriculture and fi sheries. We present an overview on the salt contamination process affecting the Laizhou Bay (Southern Bohai Sea, Yantai, China) and the Venice Lagoon (Northern Adriatic Sea, Italy), pointing out similarities and differences. Moreover, we report on preliminary results of multidisciplinary surveys and analyses carried out to test an integrated methodology suitable for a better understanding of the fresh-salt surfi cial water- groundwater interactions in the two study areas.