Venice canals drying up amid prolonged spell of low tides

MSN.com ^ | February 21, 2023 | Associated Press

[Twotone]

Some of Venice’s smaller canals have almost dried up due a prolonged spell of low tides, frustrating boat crews and bewildering tourists.

The prolonged stretch of ebb tides is linked to a lingering high-pressure weather system over much of Italy, experts say.

Since the canals essentially serve as streets in car-less Venice, the phenomenon of the last days has added to the challenges of everyday life in the lagoon city.

Ambulance boats have had to tie up further from some destination, forcing medical crews to carry stretchers over long distances as their vessels cannot progress up canals reduced to a trickle of water and muck.

[Larry Lucido]

Wow. Global warming can flood the coastlines while raising Venice out of the water.

[Red Badger]

I thought that was a good thing.

A few years back they were complaining of flooding!

You just can’t please some people!.................

[xp38]

Could be worse. Occasionally they get the opposite known as inundations.

[Retain Mike]

I am sure what you say must make perfect sense. I am sure the NYT would publish that thought expanded to a letter.

[babble-on]

It’s at the mouth of a river, which is not flowing due to prolonged drought.

[struggle]

Global warming leading to mass non-flooding

[Ellendra]

I vaguely recall something about the canals in Venice being too full of silt, and it was going to cause problems eventually.

Sounds like it happened.

Time to get crews out there dredging the silt out. And make sure there’s an archeologist on each team, because I’m betting the artifacts buried there are awesome!

[Vigilanteman]

Sort of like how global warming can cause global freezing, eh?

But didn't you get the memo? The correct term now is climate change.

[Magnum44]

The prolonged stretch of ebb tides is linked to a lingering high-pressure weather system over much of Italy, experts say.

Huh? I’m sure there is an explanation, but I fail to see how a high pressure system in an open, uncontained, environment can hold back tides. The med is not exactly open ocean, but it’s pretty close to it. Tides are predominantly lunar gravity induced, not air pressure driven. And while air pressure does vary, in the big scheme of things it doesn’t vary by much. Something else has to be going on.

[doorgunner69]

“Since the canals essentially serve as streets in car-less Venice”

Think I read they used to double as sewers as well.

Dunno if they ever fixed that.

[ridesthemiles]

WHAT ancient remains will they find with the water so low???

[Red Badger]

500 year old friends of the Clintons ancestors?..............

[Political Junkie Too]

WHAT ancient remains will they find with the water so low???

Shylock, inside an old wine barrel?

-PJ

[2banana]

Dang...

No rising seas for you!!!!

Six months!

[Tupelo]

I thought they said the oceans were rising.
But wait the Adriatic Sea is not an ocean, it is a sea.
I guess that is different.

[j.havenfarm]

Venice is over 1300 years old. I think just things the people threw away or dropped could be exceedingly interested. No ancient remains though— it’s a swamp.

[j.havenfarm]

Though Venice is on the Adriatic, not the Mediterranean, I agree with you. Of course, given the simpletons who gravitate to journalism, I can’t say I’m surprised that the article doesn’t explore what seems you you and me an obvious issue

[SaxxonWoods]

Must be Global Cooling. Snuck up on us.

[logi_cal869]

In mid-winter, high atmospheric pressure combined with the lunar cycle produces the ultra-low water levels during ebb tide, said Jane Da Mosto, an environmental scientist and sustainable development analyst with We Are Here Venice, an environmental advocacy group.

Much ado about nothing.