Sediment transport and deposition in the Naples Bay (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy): a review and synthesis

Sediment transport and deposition in the Naples Bay are herein revised and discussed starting from previous studies, focusing on the primary drivers of sedimentation and deposition. The primary drivers of sedimentation are the volcanic processes, the fluvial supply, and the submarine canyons. The sediment transport and deposition patterns consist of the continental shelf sedimentation, gravity-driven flows, subsidence and progradation/aggradation. The last process is shown by thick progradational sequences identified on seismic profiles. While volcaniclastic transport of sediments in the Naples canyons was active during the CI and NYT eruptions, alternating phases of quiescence are suggested by marine deposits interlayered with tephra deposits in gravity cores. The contamination and transport of anthropic sediments are important control factors, particularly in the Naples harbor and in the Bagnoli-Coroglio area. Offshore the Sarno river the hydrodynamics influences the suspended transport of sediments in the eastern sector of the bay, showing that the density layering and the currents control the dispersal of the suspended material. The synthesis is relevant to coastal hazard assessment, contaminated sediment management and marine spatial planning in Naples Bay.