Geomorphological features of vesuvian coast: evidences to a reconstruction of roman coastline

Abstract Geomorphological evolution of vesuvian coast between T. Annunziata and S. Giovanni ports in Campania, southern Italy, is explained in this initial face by a comparative approach. The aim of the research is mainly to underline bottom characteristics nearby vesuvian coastline, until a maximum depth of 20 m, by direct and indirect survey. This is done to identify and mark the morphological and geoarchaeological features - partly known in literature for a few place - which show the coastline changes during last 2000 years. In some places it has been possible to find evidences of morphologies and handicrafts of roman period, probably dated 1st century A. D. They were 4-5 m under the sea level and a few hundred metres far from the present coastline. This fact indicates the way towards the formulation of new theories about the reading of bradiseismic or more strictly volcano-tectonics movements linked to the Vesuvius post-roman eruptive history. It is the first time scientists deal with this problem: by now along vesuvian coast those events were not known, same as the elements that would prove or indicate them, contrary to what is confirmed for the near volcanic Phlegrean area. Researches taken on by now are all about sea zone nearby the coast and have been developed, but not yet concluded, by recording bathymetric data necessary to draw a basic, detailed map of the bottom, by scale 1: 10.000, on which morphological and geoarchaeological in formations have been reported. For this aim, it has been very useful to get bottom cross and longitudinal sections along the coastline. A GPS satellite portable system as been used on ship board to fix the points, detected with an ecograph and after directly observed by punctual underwater surveying. Data collected by now confirm the initial purposes and allow to underline the complexity of geomorphological evolution along this coast, which story has surely been eventful, and let suppose that structural and fast physiographic changes influenced also social and economica1 order of post-roman coastal population near by Vesuvius.