Session CL3.2.7

CL3.2.7 | Climate Change and Cultural Heritage: Identifying Impacts and Implementing Preservation Strategies

Climate Change and Cultural Heritage: Identifying Impacts and Implementing Preservation Strategies

Co-organized by EOS1/GI1

Convener: Anastasia AnastasiouECSECS | Co-conveners: Denis Istrati, Panagiotis Michalis, Katherine Peinhardt, Daniele Spizzichino

Orals

| Mon, 28 Apr, 16:15–18:00 (CEST)

Room 0.15

Posters on site

| Attendance Tue, 29 Apr, 10:45–12:30 (CEST) | Display Tue, 29 Apr, 08:30–12:30

Hall X5

Posters virtual

| Attendance Thu, 01 May, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | Display Thu, 01 May, 08:30–18:00

vPoster spot 5

This session, which is co-organised by the Green Cluster (TRIQUETRA, THETIDA, RescueME, STECCI Horizon Europe projects funded under topic HORIZON-CL2-2022-HERITAGE-01-08) and the FPCUP action, aims to host discussions focused on the identification and quantification of the impacts of Climate Change on Cultural Heritage, using novel and state-of-the-art techniques. At the same time, the session serves as an opportunity to showcase the latest advances in the field of Cultural Heritage protection and preservation, through systematic monitoring and documentation, while simultaneously encouraging citizen engagement and the development of crowdsourcing applications and activities. The session will also highlight the importance of EU initiatives and funding in the field of Cultural Heritage, which faces a series of new challenges as a result of Climate Change. Finally, presentations will provide all interested parties with valuable insight into new strategies and applied technologies that may serve as paradigms moving forward.

Session assets

Session materials

Orals: Mon, 28 Apr | Room 0.15

Chairpersons: Anastasia Anastasiou, Panagiotis Michalis, Daniele Spizzichino

16:15–16:20

5-minute convener introduction

Climate Resilience and Sustainability

16:20–16:30

EGU25-4316

ECS

On-site presentation

From Polygon to Prediction: A Request-Driven Architecture for Disaster Mapping and Impact Assessment

Luca Barco, Gaetano Chiriaco, Tommaso Monopoli, Edoardo Arnaudo, and Claudio Rossi

Disasters pose significant threats to cultural heritage and natural landscapes. To mitigate damage and plan effective recovery actions, it is crucial to conduct precise impact assessments.

This work presents a service that offers an innovative, adaptable and scalable solution, integrating remote sensing and delineation models to map catastrophic events and estimate the elements affected within the area of impact. By leveraging satellite imagery and advanced AI-based mapping models, the service is tailored to delineate and estimate the severity of the hazards, providing additional information about population, infrastructures, constructed elements (potentially including culturally significant structures) and land cover.

The primary utility of the service lies in its ability to map catastrophic events, i.e. fires, floods and landslides with high accuracy. By delineating the affected areas, stakeholders can gain immediate insights into the extent and nature of the disaster. In addition to this core functionality, the service also provides valuable metadata about the elements within the impacted area, enabling a deeper understanding of the disaster’s impact.

Cultural heritage sites, particularly those integrated into natural landscapes, are vulnerable to various natural phenomena. Assessing the extent of the damage requires accurate and timely information about the affected areas. Our approach is rooted in geospatial technologies, providing an automated workflow that begins with the input of a polygon defining the area of interest and a specific period. From there, the system downloads the best high-resolution remote sensing images available and runs delineation models designed for disaster mapping. These models enable the identification of impacted cultural and natural assets with high precision.

A unique aspect of the service is its adaptability. While current assessments are often based on standardized taxonomies, these classifications were generally not designed to explicitly characterize cultural heritage. The service allows for the integration of site-specific base maps, enabling a more refined analysis tailored to the unique attributes of cultural sites and their surrounding landscapes.

Impact assessments are a cornerstone for planning recovery actions post-disaster. service’s ability to integrate diverse datasets ensures that assessments are not only accurate but also actionable. By providing insights into the damage sustained by cultural heritage and natural landscapes, stakeholders can make informed decisions about restoration priorities and resource allocation.

Incorporating cultural heritage and natural landscapes into disaster impact assessments is a practical necessity for preserving our shared history and identity. By leveraging remote sensing, advanced delineation models, and adaptable taxonomies, the service provides a robust tool for understanding and mitigating the impacts of disasters.

How to cite: Barco, L., Chiriaco, G., Monopoli, T., Arnaudo, E., and Rossi, C.: From Polygon to Prediction: A Request-Driven Architecture for Disaster Mapping and Impact Assessment , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4316, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4316, 2025.

16:30–16:40

EGU25-18757

Virtual presentation

The GREENART project: "green" and sustainable materials for cultural heritage conservation

David Chelazzi, Giovanna Poggi, and Piero Baglioni

European Cultural Heritage (CH) is a crucial resource that must be maintained, preserved and made accessible, to counteract degradation enhanced by unfavorable environmental conditions and climate changes. Some of the conservation methodologies nowadays available lack sustainability and cost-effectiveness, and are typically based on energy-consuming processes or non-environmentally friendly materials. This contribution will report on the main results so-far achieved in the EU-funded project GREen ENdeavor in Art ResToration (GREENART), coordinated by the Center for Colloid and Surface Science of the University of Florence (CSGI). Coping with the imperatives of EU Green Deal, the project proposes new solutions based on green and sustainable materials and methods, to preserve, conserve and restore CH. In particular, several innovative materials have been developed and tested: 1) Protective coatings based on green materials from waste and plant proteins, with self-healing and reversibility character, possibly functionalized with organic/inorganic nanoparticles to impart VOC capture, anti-corrosion and barrier behaviors. 2) Foams and packaging materials made by biodegradable/compostable polymers from renewable sources (polyurethanes and natural fibers) to control temperature and relative humidity. 3) Consolidants based on natural polymers from renewable sources, to mechanically strengthen weak artifacts. 4) Gels and cleaning fluids inspired by the most advanced systems currently available to conservators, which will be improved according to green metrics and circular economy requirements. 5) Green tech solutions for monitoring CH assets non-invasively against pollutants and environmental oscillations. Life Cycle Assessment and modeling favor the “safe-by-design” creation of affordable solutions safe to craftspeople, operators and the environment, and minimize energy-consumption in monitoring museum environments. Such holistic approach is granted in GREENART by a multidisciplinary partnership that gathers hard and soft sciences and engineering, including academic centers, innovative industries and SMEs, conservation institutions and professionals, museums whose collections hold absolute masterpieces in need of conservation, public entities and policy makers. Innovative materials and products have been assessed at the lab scale on representative mock-ups of works of art (remedial conservation), or in simulated museum/archive environments (preventive conservation). The project intends to transfer the most promising systems to field assessment on actual artefacts and museums/archives, in cooperation with conservator partners. The best products are also fed into a GREENART open repository and an App to illustrate the new solutions and involve citizens in good preservation practices. Constant feedback from conservators (internal or external to the partnership) can stimulate iterative refinement of the products, triggering a positive loop in this methodological approach. Covering these topics, we provide here an overview of the most advanced green materials for art conservation that can be useful to end-users in this field.

How to cite: Chelazzi, D., Poggi, G., and Baglioni, P.: The GREENART project: "green" and sustainable materials for cultural heritage conservation, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18757, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18757, 2025.

16:40–16:50

EGU25-17815

On-site presentation

Agent-Based Modeling for analyzing the climate resilience and decision-making impact on drought dynamics in Cultural Landscapes

Aitziber Egusquiza, Carolina Cantergiani, and Asel Villanueva

The development of an Agent-Based Model (ABM) has proven highly effective for analyzing how the behavior of different agents leads to aggregated phenomena. Despite the challenges in creating such a model—including conceptualization, agent definition, relationship establishment, behavior design, programming, testing, validation, and reporting—the process allows for valuable testing and rethinking of strategies for enhancing the resilience of cultural landscapes, as the results offer significant insights into phenomena like drought. While not predictive, the observed trends can inform general analysis and highlight key areas for action to achieve specific goals. The RescueMe project developed an ABM that simulates three types of administration and underscores the impact of decision-making on territorial resilience, significantly influenced by timely policies and actions. The primary goal of the model is to simulate how farmers, agricultural plots, and decision-makers interact with each other and their environment, particularly under varying drought conditions. The model tests the hypothesis that decision-makers can intervene to mitigate the effects of drought by creating mechanisms that enhance plot resilience and/or attract new farmers safeguarding the values of the cultural landscapes. In this way, the ABM aims to develop a reflection and awareness-raising tool to allow cultural landscapes to consider the consequences of different climate change adaptation measures and behaviors. The impact chains co-created with the project case studies have been used as a basis for the modeling. The impact chain of drought on agriculture (impact of specific climatic hazards on a given sector) was selected due to its importance for a significant number of cultural landscapes, and the organigraphs created during the early stages of the project were used to help define the agents. The scenarios generated with the ABM simulate the impact of the behavior of agents on landscape resilience and potentially inform the definition of a serious game.

How to cite: Egusquiza, A., Cantergiani, C., and Villanueva, A.: Agent-Based Modeling for analyzing the climate resilience and decision-making impact on drought dynamics in Cultural Landscapes, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-17815, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-17815, 2025.

16:50–17:00

EGU25-16404

On-site presentation

Safeguarding the Past: Monitoring Climate Change at Kalapodi Sanctuary through the TRIQUETRA Project

Artemios Oikonomou, Angelos Sotiropoulos, Penelope Gourgouleti, and Themistoklis Bilis

Kalapodi arcaheological site is located in central Greece, in the region of present-day Fthiotis consisting of a complex of temples and surrounding remains. It comprises a very important sanctuary, being among the most significant of ancient Phokis, providing crucial insights into Greek religious practices and architectural forms from the Mycenaean to the Classical periods. The archaeogical site in Kalapodi has been the focus of extensive cultural heritage management efforts by the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) since 2017.

As a case study in the TRIQUETRA program, funded by the EU Horizon Europe research and innovation program (GA No. 101094818), this site exemplifies the challenges posed by climate change on cultural heritage. TRIQUETRA project aims to develop an integrated methodological model to safeguard archaeological remains, such as those at Kalapodi, from environmental risks and mainly frost. Central to the project is the creation of an evidence-based assessment platform for precise risk stratification, coupled with a comprehensive database of mitigation measures.

In this paper we would like to leverage environmental data and materials analysis from Kalapodi, so as to quantify the impacts of climate change and propose tailored preservation strategies. These include assessing the effects of frost on ancient structures and implementing preventative measures to ensure their long-term stability. To achieve this a pilot site has been designed and constructed on which several monitoring equipment has been attached to understand the influence of environmental conditions on the pilot and hence the ancient monument. The acquired knowledge and the methodology followed highlights the importance of combining scientific research and heritage management to address climate-related challenges and protect cultural heritage for future generations.

How to cite: Oikonomou, A., Sotiropoulos, A., Gourgouleti, P., and Bilis, T.: Safeguarding the Past: Monitoring Climate Change at Kalapodi Sanctuary through the TRIQUETRA Project, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16404, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16404, 2025.

Coastal and Underwater Cultural Heritage

17:00–17:10

EGU25-6132

On-site presentation

Value-based and stakeholder-driven complex risk mapping for underwater heritage through Living Labs

Deniz Ikiz, Paloma Guzman, Cristina Veiga-Pires, Sonia Oliveira, Stella Demesticha, Anna Demetriou-Patsalidou, Paschalina Giatsiatsou, Ionut Cristi Nicu, and Panagiotis Michalis

Climate change is one of the biggest threats to cultural and natural heritage across marine and coastal ecosystems. Multiple risks interact, cascade, and/or compound broader environmental, socio-economic, and cultural impacts on tangible (places, structures, ecosystems, etc.) and intangible heritage attributes (values, socio-economic activities, etc.). These risks arise from exposure, vulnerability, and responses to such impacts. For example, the physical materiality and integrity of underwater cultural properties are threatened by changes in water temperatures and acidity levels, compounded by extreme weather events causing strong waves and currents, which disrupt livelihoods tied to tourism and fisheries and provide conditions for looting and unregulated diving. This study adopts an empirical, value-based, and stakeholder-driven approach to identify, assess, and map these complex risks and their interactions.

As part of the THETIDA Horizon Europe project that aims to develop an integrated risk monitoring, preparedness, and management mechanism for underwater and coastal heritage sites, the Living Labs methodology has been employed in the pilot sites. Through public-private-people partnerships, the Living Labs engage relevant national and local stakeholders and community groups to identify values, determine impacts, and assess exposure, vulnerability, and responses. This stakeholder-driven complex risk mapping methodology relies on the framework for complex climate change risk assessment that includes response as the fourth determinant of risks, together with hazard, exposure, and vulnerability [1]. In addition, it builds upon the Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) for World Heritage, which employs a systematic and value-based approach to assess the climate vulnerability of shared values and attributes of cultural and natural properties [2]. Building upon CVI’s two-stepped procedure targeting to assess impacts on heritage values and communities, this complex risk mapping framework adopts a similar process to determine:

Risks to heritage values: The heritage values attributed to the sites are identified. Moreover, their vulnerability, exposure to risks, and the impacts of key hazards and climate stressors on the sites are assessed.
Risks to heritage communities: The heritage communities (stakeholders) and their socio-economic and cultural connections to the sites are identified. At the same time, their vulnerability, exposure to risks, and collective and/or institutional responses to climate-induced impacts are being evaluated.

This paper will present this innovative complex risk mapping framework and its preliminary implementation results in one of the THETIDA underwater sites. These sites include the Ottoman shipwreck in Paralimni, Cyprus, and the Second World War airplane wreck off the coast of Algarve, Portugal.

The complex risks posed to underwater heritage sites and their interactions remain largely underexplored in the existing literature, limiting the adoption of inclusive strategies to address them. This value-based and stakeholder-driven complex risk mapping framework outlined here enables a comprehensive assessment of risks and impacts on heritage values and communities. While initially tested for underwater sites, this framework provides a systematic methodology that can be applied to all heritage types, making it highly relevant for decision- and policy-makers working to safeguard underwater and coastal heritage.

Acknowledgement: This research has been funded by European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation funding under Grant Agreement No: 101095253, THETIDA project.

References:

[1] DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2021.03.005

[2] DOI: 10.5070/P536146384

How to cite: Ikiz, D., Guzman, P., Veiga-Pires, C., Oliveira, S., Demesticha, S., Demetriou-Patsalidou, A., Giatsiatsou, P., Nicu, I. C., and Michalis, P.: Value-based and stakeholder-driven complex risk mapping for underwater heritage through Living Labs, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6132, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6132, 2025.

17:10–17:20

EGU25-4992

Virtual presentation

Assessing the Exposure of Coastal Cultural Heritage Sites to Sea Level Rise Phenomena in the EU Mediterranean Countries using open access data

Sevasti Chalkidou, Charalampos Georgiadis, Themistoklis Roustanis, and Petros Patias

The Mediterranean Sea has a long record of cultural heritage sites located near its coast, reflecting each nation’s historical continuum and identity. These monuments also attract tourism and provide financial benefits to local communities. However, they are subject to structural damage and decay exacerbated by climate-change-related phenomena including extreme weather events, sea-level rise, etc. Sea Level Rise (SLR) is a major threat to coastal heritage sites as it can lead to extensive inundation and soil erosion. SLR projections are constructed by studying representative pathway scenarios (RCP), which try to deliver possible alternatives about the future atmospheric composition. SLR has escalated from an average of 1. 2 mm/year before 1990 to 3 mm/year between 1993 and 2010, with projections indicating a rise of 1–2 meters by 2100 across different scenarios.

The ongoing Triquetra Project, funded by the European Union, aims to design a toolbox for assessing and mitigating climate-related risks and natural hazards, expected to affect Heritage Sites. A methodology has been developed to evaluate future exposure of coastal heritage sites SLR in EU Mediterranean Countries. This workflow uses open-access data to produce SLR projection maps for 2050 and 2100 based on the IPCC (2019) report for RCP 2.6, 4.5, and 8.5. Four main sources of data were used: a hybrid coastline vector file combining national fine-scale datasets with the European Environment’s Agency (EEA) coastline file, FABDEM as the primary source of elevation information, the European Ground Motion Vertical Service’s (EGMS) L3 product which measures vertical ground movements using Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (InSAR) data from the Sentinel-1 mission, and, finally, NASA’s Sea Level Projection Tool which provides information on all RCP scenarios. Coastal Heritage Sites and Assets were identified using OpenStreetMap and UNESCO’s Word Heritage Site point layer.

The pre-processing stage of the algorithm involves the projection of all datasets into a common coordinate reference system, the clipping of the data into the area of interest (AOI), defined as a 2km buffer zone from the coastline, and the conversion of EGMS and NASA’s SLR data units to meters. The algorithm proceeds with raster calculations to determine the AOI’s elevation for the target years 2050 and 2100 under different RCP scenarios by adding the elevation values to the EGMS data and subtracting NASA’s SLR projected values. Raster calculations and Boolean algebra are performed to identify sub-areas affected by these scenarios. Finally, spatial queries are conducted to find coastal heritage sites at risk from Sea Level Rise, organized by monument type and country for vulnerability assessment.

The results demonstrate that Greece, France, and Italy are expected to be more affected by SLR phenomena due to their extensive coastline and unique geomorphology, with the impact being more severe on Greece and Italy between 2050 and 2100. Finally, more than 240 heritage sites appear to be at risk primarily on the Greek and Italian coast, including UNESCO sites like Delos, the Medieval City of Rhodes, et al.

How to cite: Chalkidou, S., Georgiadis, C., Roustanis, T., and Patias, P.: Assessing the Exposure of Coastal Cultural Heritage Sites to Sea Level Rise Phenomena in the EU Mediterranean Countries using open access data, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4992, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4992, 2025.

17:20–17:30

EGU25-9465

ECS

On-site presentation

An Operational Numerical Framework for Assessing Risks to Underwater Cultural Heritage

Lara Mills

Underwater cultural heritage (UCH) sites provide insight into past human behavior and history and thus their preservation is crucial. Within the scope of THETIDA, a Horizon Europe project dedicated to developing technologies and methods to protect coastal and underwater cultural heritage, this work aims to predict the physical processes that can put UCH at risk. This risk assessment is applied to a specific site in the Algarve, Portugal where a WWII U.S. B24 bomber plane crashed approximately 3 km offshore Praia de Faro. The plane now sits 21 m deep on the coastal shelf, which consists mainly of sand. The site is exposed to dominant, more energetic waves coming from W-SW and sheltered from less energetic E-SE waves. The mean significant wave height is 0.9 m, but it can rise to above 3 m with the occurrence of storms. As the site is located in the open ocean, a highly energetic environment, the site is subject to risks caused by wave-induced currents and sediment transport. To analyze and predict these risks in real time a numerical framework integrating three operational process-based models was developed. The numerical system is composed of: 1) the wave model SWAN, 2) the hydrodynamic model MOHID, and 3) the sediment transport model MOHID sediment. The operational wave model uses bathymetric data from EMODNET and is forced with wind conditions from the Skiron Atmospheric Modeling and Weather Forecasting Group in Athens and wave conditions at the boundary from the Copernicus Marine Environmental Monitoring Service (CMEMS). The model was calibrated by testing various formulas for the physical parameters attributed to wave propagation. A statistical analysis was completed to determine the best physics formulas to use for the model by comparing the results of each calibration setting with in-situ buoy measurements. SWAN was then two-way coupled to the hydrodynamic modeling system SOMA (Algarve Operational Modeling and Monitoring System), which is powered by MOHID. The coupling mechanism forces the wave model with velocities and water level output from SOMA and forces SOMA with wave results from SWAN. Preliminary results of the coupling revealed that the impact of current velocity and water levels on wave propagation in the study area is negligible in deeper areas, where the observations used for model validation lie. Further investigations are been conducted to analyze the effects of the two-way coupling in nearshore areas such as the location of the B24. The wave-hydrodynamic coupled system is now being used to develop a non-cohesive sediment transport model, which will be used to evaluate in real-time risks on UCH. This forecasting system will be included in the decision support system of the THETIDA platform.

How to cite: Mills, L.: An Operational Numerical Framework for Assessing Risks to Underwater Cultural Heritage, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-9465, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-9465, 2025.

Cultural Heritage Through Active Social Engagement

17:30–17:40

EGU25-8771

On-site presentation

CLICapp: A co-created tool for climate adaptation and safety in human tower exhibitions

Jon Xavier Olano Pozo, Òscar Saladié Borraz, and Anna Boqué-Ciurana

Climate change poses increasing challenges to outdoor cultural events, including human towers (castells) festivals, which demand favourable weather conditions. Human towers, recognised by UNESCO in 2010 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, rely on safe and comfortable conditions for participants and audiences alike. Building on a project developed in 2024, this communication wants to present the development of a climate-smart decision-making tool to enhance the management of casteller exhibitions under evolving climatic conditions. The prototype tool named Castells, Llindars i Informació Climàtica- CLICapp (Human Towers, Thresholds and Climate Information) aims to transform climate data into valuable information for decision-makers to manage the human tower exhibitions better, especially in summer (due to extreme temperatures and high humidity values) but not only.

The project’s groundwork is the study of temperature trends from 1951 to 2023 during the central hours of the day (12–15h) at four significant festivals (Sant Joan in Valls, Festa Major of La Bisbal del Penedès, Sant Magí in Tarragona, and Sant Fèlix in Vilafranca del Penedès). Results highlighted rising thermal stress, with Heat Index values underscoring the growing discomfort for Castellers (Olano et al., 2024). Then, participatory workshops based on the co-creation methodology for climate services (Font et al., 2021) were held with 109 castellers from 10 teams (colles castelleres), offering qualitative and quantitative insights into their perceptions of favourable and adverse weather for castells. These workshops also generated adaptation proposals prioritised by feasibility and importance (Saladié et al., 2025).

This communication will outline the two new steps undertaken in this project: the introduction of real-time measurements using temperature and humidity sensors in 11 urban squares during the summer season, which provided empirical data on thermal conditions of the exhibitions, and the initial insights into transforming all this data in useful information (climate raw data and co-creation insights) into an app. This app prototype aims to convert climate data and the information collected from the squares and participant groups into understandable and actionable insights for decision-makers—whether they are the Castellers, organisers (i.e. City Hall), other stakeholders (medical services, businesses, police, civil defence), or the public. The developing tool wants to integrate near real-time weather forecasts to identify potential risks for specific festival dates and times. Combining these insights with adaptive strategies proposed in the co-creation workshops provides a robust framework for pre-event planning. The advanced monitoring capabilities will allow organisers to receive near real-time updates on key parameters such as temperature, humidity, Heat Index, or co-created indices based on the information gathered during the workshops.

This project advances the adaptive management of outdoor cultural events by ensuring casteller festivals remain safe and sustainable amid climate change while preserving their cultural essence, safeguarding heritage, promoting climate innovation, and prioritising the well-being of participants. This initiative provides a replicable model for other cultural manifestations facing similar climate challenges worldwide. Incorporating climate services into intangible cultural event management combines scientific research and innovation with cultural preservation to protect the identity, ensure the sustainability of traditions under climate stress, and safeguard human health.

How to cite: Olano Pozo, J. X., Saladié Borraz, Ò., and Boqué-Ciurana, A.: CLICapp: A co-created tool for climate adaptation and safety in human tower exhibitions , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-8771, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-8771, 2025.

17:40–17:50

EGU25-2907

ECS

Virtual presentation

Digitizing Afro Brazilian Architectural Heritage buildings in Benin through LiDAR technology and social participation

Hlanganiso Mokwete

Architectural heritage in the African context, as a domain of cultural heritage, frequently encounters substantial obstacles for conservationists and custodians due to the lack of fully documented current conditions or as-built blueprints, which serves as the initial obstacle. Most architectural heritage buildings constructed prior to and during the colonial era lack documentation; traditional heritage structures were created through generational knowledge, while colonial buildings were built using imported knowledge, which largely dissipated after independence.
The second primary difficulty is the absence of documented social narratives pertaining to these heritage buildings. Numerous heritage buildings in Africa has profound cultural significance that is gradually being eroded owing to insufficient recording. This essay will introduce a prototype project in Porto-Novo, Benin, wherein the author utilizes local social engagement and digital technologies to chronicle Afro-Brazilian or Aguda architecture, a vanishing architectural heritage in Benin. Afro-Brazilian architecture is a construction style created by formerly enslaved Africans who resettled in the Bight of Benin countries following the abolition of slavery in Brazil. This settlement developed a distinctive architectural style that amalgamated Brazilian and native African influences, particularly Yoruba, significantly affecting the urban morphology of Benin.
The project utilizes LiDAR scanning, photogrammetry, and geolocation technologies to digitize heritage structures and develop interactive immersive interfaces that facilitate engagement with and access to this valuable architectural heritage.

H. Killion Mokwete is Assistant Professor at Northeastern and UK-trained and registered Architect (RIBA-chartered Architect & Urban Designer) and Co-Founder of the community-based design startup Social Impact Collective (SIC). He teaches various design studios both at undergraduate and graduate level and is currently undertaking multidisciplinary research initiative in Benin with local historians at the Ecole du Patrimoine Africain - School of African Heritage (EPA), Benin, Porto-Novo.

How to cite: Mokwete, H.: Digitizing Afro Brazilian Architectural Heritage buildings in Benin through LiDAR technology and social participation, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-2907, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-2907, 2025.

17:50–18:00

EGU25-12307

Highlight

On-site presentation

Monitoring Climate Change in Cultural Heritage Sites Through Enhanced Visualisation Experiences and Crowdsourcing

Kyriacos Themistocleous, Valentinos Evripidou, and Kyriakos Toumbas

One of the most significant consequences of climate change is the threat it poses to cultural heritage sites. The TRIQUETRA project addresses this critical challenge by applying a comprehensive risk assessment framework. This framework integrates both traditional and advanced technologies, including remote sensing and laser-based spectroscopy, to quantify the severity of risks, monitor their progression, and inform effective mitigation strategies.

Climate risks emerge from the interplay of climate hazards, exposure, and vulnerability. Understanding these risks at the site level is essential to ensure the implementation of appropriate adaptation and mitigation measures. Recent research highlights the compounded impacts of climate-induced geo-hazards, such as landslides and earthquakes, which threaten the physical integrity of monuments and the socio-economic systems they support.
Citizen engagement is a core component of the TRIQUETRA project, which includes a dynamic web and mobile platform where visitors actively participate in monitoring cultural heritage sites. The TRIQUETRA application enables citizens and visitors to contribute valuable datasets by capturing and uploading site photos, complementing and enhancing existing 3D models. A backend system assists cultural site authorities in better monitoring sites by providing up-to-date imagery and reports from visitors. Simultaneously, the TRIQUETRA Citizen Engagement Application creates an interactive and enriched experience for visitors through Virtual Reality (VR) and immersive Augmented Reality (AR) technologies. The application offers additional information through VR and AR experiences, allowing users to learn more about critical features at risk, such as areas affected by climate change or structural vulnerabilities. This fosters awareness and encourages preservation efforts.

The Choirokoitia case study demonstrates the application of the TRIQUETRA methodology in monitoring how the site is affected by climate change while also enhancing the visitor experience. Choirokoitia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the best-preserved Neolithic sites in the Mediterranean. It represents the Aceramic Neolithic period of Cyprus at its peak, around the beginning of the 9th millennium BCE. Located in the District of Larnaka, about 6 km from the southern coast of Cyprus, the site leverages crowd-sourced information to provide stakeholders with real-time updates on its condition. By comparing uploaded images to a referenced 3D model, authorities gain valuable insights for preservation.

By integrating advanced technologies and community-driven monitoring, TRIQUETRA ensures a holistic approach to safeguarding cultural heritage. The project establishes a replicable framework that enhances risk assessment and promotes active participation in preservation efforts, offering scalable benefits for cultural heritage sites worldwide.

How to cite: Themistocleous, K., Evripidou, V., and Toumbas, K.: Monitoring Climate Change in Cultural Heritage Sites Through Enhanced Visualisation Experiences and Crowdsourcing , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-12307, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-12307, 2025.

Posters on site: Tue, 29 Apr, 10:45–12:30 | Hall X5

Display time: Tue, 29 Apr, 08:30–12:30

Chairpersons: Anastasia Anastasiou, Denis Istrati, Katherine Peinhardt

X5.120

EGU25-19235

A Smart Decision Support System for the Mitigation of Climate Change Effects on Cultural Heritage

Vassiliki Charalampopoulou, Anastasia Anastasiou, Efthymios Magkoufis, Konstantinos Mpotonakis, and Christos Kontopoulos

Nowadays Cultural Heritage (CH) monuments face increasing effects of climate change (CC) that vitally impact their sustainability. The TRIQUETRA project, recognising the cruciality of the identification, quantification and mitigation of those CC-driven effects, aims to develop a novel Decision Support System (DSS) that leverages the existing knowledge, to efficiently provide a holistic approach for the conservation of the CH monuments.

More specifically, the TRIQUETRA project focuses on developing a comprehensive, evidence-based DSS for the identification and mitigation of the impacts of climate change on CH sites. TRIQUETRA is based on three key components i.e., Risk Identification, Risk Quantification, and Risk Mitigation. The basis for the DSS is the TRIQUETRA Knowledge Base Platform (KBP), which serves as a dynamic electronic repository equipped with advanced search functionalities and visualisation tools. The KBP concentrates a wide array of validated data regarding a wide variety of CH sites around the world, which climatic, geological and historical records, site-specific attributes, risk assessment, and mitigation strategies are provided through verified research publications.

The DSS features two distinctive modules: the a) Risk Severity Quantification module and b) the Mitigation Measure Selection and Optimisation module. The latter utilises the catalogued information of KBP to provide tailored mitigation measures for each pilot site and verify them based on project outcomes. By incorporating dynamic user stories that consistently reflect the stakeholders' needs, this module facilitates the selection of the most appropriate preservation and mitigation strategies for each site.

Moreover, to enhance functionality, the DSS integrates a search mechanism that allows users to filter results based on a series of criteria such as cost, implementation timeframe, topological effect, etc. The algorithm is adaptable to diverse user inputs and constitutes a scalable solution, leveraging the database of the KBP to identify optimal mitigation solutions, by cross-referencing the characteristics of a given CH site with those of similar sites documented in the relevant literature, providing users with a ranked list of applicable measures.

This adaptive module and the TRIQUETRA DSS as a whole aim to complement research contributing to the protection of cultural heritage against climate change, enabling tailored monitoring and preservation strategies for each pilot CH site.

How to cite: Charalampopoulou, V., Anastasiou, A., Magkoufis, E., Mpotonakis, K., and Kontopoulos, C.: A Smart Decision Support System for the Mitigation of Climate Change Effects on Cultural Heritage, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19235, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19235, 2025.

X5.121

EGU25-13403

Establishment of a transdisciplinary monitoring facility in Delos, Greece for the protection of Natural Heritage from the impacts of Climate Change

Ilias Fountoulakis, Nikolaos S. Melis, Stavros Solomos, John Kapsomenakis, Anastasia Poupkou, Christos Maris, Costas Synolakis, and Christos S. Zerefos and the Delos Observatory team

The Delos archaeological site, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage Site List, is situated on a small rocky island in the center of the Aegean Sea. This uninhabited island boasts of monuments with immense significance to human civilization and it is set within a pristine natural landscape. Delos is increasingly vulnerable to risks due to climate change and geodynamic events, which together endanger its cultural and natural heritage. Recently, a multi-hazard environmental monitoring facility has been established in Delos, incorporating climate and numerical prediction modelling, as well as satellite-based and in-situ real-time monitoring of various seismic, atmospheric, and oceanographic parameters. In addition to providing an overview of the overall facility, we discuss the potential long-term changes in atmospheric parameters such as air temperature, and precipitation along with sea level, that could impact the monuments and the landscape in the future, for different socioeconomic scenarios. Furthermore, we discuss how state-of-the-art models have been downscaled and optimized to forecast meteorological conditions, air quality, and wave activity in the Delos area. Local monitoring of earthquake activity and how it is incorporated into the National Seismic Network, as well as measurements of atmospheric and oceanic parameters are also discussed. The project is a groundbreaking initiative aimed at formulating policies and strategies to promote sustainable growth in the economy, tourism, and culture. It also serves as a model for strengthening the resilience of cultural heritage against natural hazards and risks, as well as a pilot program that aims to be applied to other monuments in Greece and abroad with the support of international organizations (e.g., UNESCO, ICOMOS, Europa Nostra, etc.).

Acknowledgments: This work has been performed in the framework of the project: “Development and installation of an integrated system for the monitoring of the impacts of climatic change on the monuments of Delos” that has been funded by benefit foundations of "Protovoulia ‘21“.

How to cite: Fountoulakis, I., Melis, N. S., Solomos, S., Kapsomenakis, J., Poupkou, A., Maris, C., Synolakis, C., and Zerefos, C. S. and the Delos Observatory team: Establishment of a transdisciplinary monitoring facility in Delos, Greece for the protection of Natural Heritage from the impacts of Climate Change, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13403, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13403, 2025.

Discussion Post a comment

X5.122

EGU25-15505

DInSAR analysis for slope instability monitoring due to Climate Change: CUZCO and Machu Picchu case study.

daniele spizzichino, federica ferrigno, gabriele leoni, and francesco menniti

Andean plateau in Peru and its World Heritage sites are particularly affected by the impacts of climate change. The sacred Valley Archaeological Site around the city of Cuzco, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is exposed to significant geological risks due to recurrent landslides induced and worsened by climate change effects that threaten its structural integrity, security and exploitation. The Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary was built on Upper Permian-Lower Triassic (250–300 Ma) igneous rocks, primarily plutonic, which form the Vilcabamba Cordillera's backbone (from 2000m since 6000m a.s.l.) These intrusive formations, oriented ONO–ESE, constitute the elevated regions of the Eastern Cordillera. The area is dominated by a batholith composed mainly of granite and granodiorite, with medium-textured basic granite prominently outcropping within the citadel. The Machu Picchu site and all the sacred valley of Cuzco its surroundings are characterized by instability phenomena driven by complex geomorphological and structural/tectonic conditions worsened by the effects induced at altitude by the climate change (melting of the permafrost, heavy rainfall and increase in temperature). The above mentioned phenomena are exacerbated by the interplay of primary discontinuity families, resulting in recurring processes such as planar slides, rockfalls, topples, debris slides, debris flows, and avalanches. The present work shows the application of Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) technique to measure slow, non-catastrophic morphological changes with millimeter-scale precision. A previous interferometric satellite analysis work carried out in the early 2000s to test the general stability of the Inca Citadel has been resumed and updated. The analysis captures both long-term and seasonal processes triggered by diverse causative factors, enabling informed planning of mitigation strategies. Specifically, DInSAR data processing was conducted for the Machu Picchu archaeological area and for the wider Cusco area, complemented by direct field surveys to validate the results (November 2024). Multi-temporal SAR images from the Sentinel-1 constellation (C-band radar) were processed using advanced DInSAR techniques to generate ground displacement measurement points. The spatial distribution and correlation of these measurements with slope instability and structural damage were analyzed, revealing ground deformation trends from January 2020 to August 2024. Preliminary results indicate that the citadel exhibits average ground and structural displacement of less than 1 mm/year substantially negligible. However, localized analyses highlight distinct patterns of small-scale displacement in the Grupo de las Tres Puertas with slight brick detachment and in the Upper Plaza and Eastern Citadel sector showing relative subsidence compared to adjacent areas, suggesting potential movements of the eastern flank. Monitoring systems (remote and in situ) are recommended. The use of Sentinel-1 DInSAR data provided critical insights into the interaction between ground displacement and archaeological structures. It facilitated the identification of potentially unstable areas, detected anomalies, and traced ground displacement accelerations over time. Displacement anomalies and weather-climate anomalies over time, highlights the effects of the latter on the spatial-temporal increase of instability phenomena. These findings underscore the utility of DInSAR as a powerful tool for addressing preservation of intervention on CH threatened by slope instability, offering data-driven approaches for damage prevention and site management.

How to cite: spizzichino, D., ferrigno, F., leoni, G., and menniti, F.: DInSAR analysis for slope instability monitoring due to Climate Change: CUZCO and Machu Picchu case study., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15505, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15505, 2025.

X5.123

EGU25-19751

ECS

CFD investigation of wave runup on coastal cliffs for impact assessment on cultural heritage

Raouf Sobhani, Denis Istrati, Salvatore Martino, Gian Marco Marmoni, and Federico Feliziani

Wave runup plays a pivotal role in shaping the stability of coastal cliffs, as it generates hydrodynamic pressures that can compromise their structural integrity over time. These cliffs, especially those near cultural heritage (CH) sites, are vital natural structures that indirectly safeguard invaluable assets. Their destabilization, however, poses significant risks, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of the underlying processes that threaten their stability. Despite growing interest in coastal hazard assessments, there remains a paucity of quantitative studies focused on the interplay between wave runup dynamics and the structural characteristics of cliffs. Addressing this gap is essential for improving risk assessment methodologies and developing effective mitigation strategies.

Field measurements conducted in the Horizon Europe project TRIQUETRA revealed that coastal cliffs rarely conform to idealized vertical geometries. Instead, they often exhibit structural irregularities, such as varying inclinations or pre-existing damage like notches, which can exacerbate their exposure to wave-induced pressures. These variations are critical in determining the wave runup and consequently the exposed height of the cliff, which affects its stability. In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method were employed to model wave-cliff interactions. The analysis focused on the influence of geometric configurations and structural irregularities on the maximum wave runup and the hydrodynamic pressure distributions, with particular attention to the behavior of steeply inclined cliffs and notched formations. The results demonstrate that wave runup is significantly amplified on near-vertical cliffs, with this effect becoming more pronounced under larger wave conditions. Conversely, notches reduce overall wave runup as their height increases, redistributing hydrodynamic forces along the cliff face and altering the pressure patterns. These findings highlight the intricate relationship between wave dynamics and structural variations, emphasizing the need for site-specific analyses when assessing cliff vulnerabilities.

By advancing the understanding of wave-cliff interactions, this research provides a valuable contribution to coastal hazard studies, offering new insights into the mechanisms driving cliff instability. The outcomes underscore the importance of integrating advanced CFD tools into risk assessments, enabling the design of targeted mitigation strategies to protect coastal regions and preserve the structural integrity of cliffs that play a critical role in safeguarding nearby CH sites.

Acknowledgments: This work is based on procedures and tasks implemented within the project “Toolbox for assessing and mitigating Climate Change risks and natural hazards threatening cultural heritage—TRIQUETRA”, which is a Project funded by the EU HE research and innovation program under GA No. 101094818.

How to cite: Sobhani, R., Istrati, D., Martino, S., Marmoni, G. M., and Feliziani, F.: CFD investigation of wave runup on coastal cliffs for impact assessment on cultural heritage, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19751, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19751, 2025.

X5.124

EGU25-4438

ECS

OSPP

Historic buildings under the impact of climate change: insights from geoelectric field monitoring

Wiebke Lehmann, Lukas Römhild, Wolfgang Gossel, and Peter Bayer

Extreme weather events driven by climate change, such as floods and droughts, are damaging the structural stability of historic buildings in Central Germany by causing moisture retention and soil desiccation. The alternating wet and dry periods lead to cracks in walls and subsidence from falling groundwater levels. Understanding the impact of these conditions on regional groundwater dynamics and building materials is crucial as droughts and floods are expected to increase in the coming years.
As part of this study, three geoelectric field campaigns with a total of 17 profiles are being carried out between April 2024 and April 2025 at five different field sites of monuments in the federal states of Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. For investigating seasonal and weather-dependent fluctuations in groundwater conditions, transient trends are observed by repeated electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) measurements. These provide insights into hydrological changes in the subsoil, and thus information on how weather events can affect different layers of the soil as well as foundation structures. In addition to the geoelectrical investigations, 14 groundwater wells are being drilled to a depth of around 10 m to monitor the fluctuations in the groundwater level over time. Furthermore, complementary laboratory tests are being conducted to characterize the soil properties, allowing a reliable interpretation of the ERT inversion results.
Preliminary results indicate that layers down to 25 m depth can be affected by weather-dependent variations in resistivity, depending on the hydraulic properties of the soil material at the respective site. Despite the elevated precipitation during the summer months of June and July, the topsoil underwent significant drying by November 2024, leading to a reduction in the groundwater level and subsequent saturation of the deeper soil layers. Ongoing continuous measurements shall provide further insights.

How to cite: Lehmann, W., Römhild, L., Gossel, W., and Bayer, P.: Historic buildings under the impact of climate change: insights from geoelectric field monitoring, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-4438, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-4438, 2025.

OSPP judging

X5.125

EGU25-18452

ECS

OSPP

A Multi-Scale Framework for Flood Risk Assessment in Cultural Heritage Sites: The Apollo Temple in Aegina

Marcos Julien Alexopoulos, Theano Iliopoulou, Denis Istrati, Sofia Soile, Styliani Verykokou, Charalabos Ioannidis, and Demetris Koutsoyiannis

Preserving cultural heritage sites demands risk management strategies that capture site-specific vulnerabilities at fine spatial resolutions. The present study introduces a novel framework for flood risk assessments that bridges large-scale hydrological modeling and sub-meter-level hydraulic simulations to provide enhanced insights into potential impacts. Our approach employs state-of-the-art Rain-on-Grid (RoG) hydraulic simulations, targeted field data collection, and high-resolution geometric documentation using UAV imagery and GNSS ground control points to account for detailed terrain characteristics.

Within the scope of the Horizon Europe TRIQUETRA Project, we apply this framework to the Apollo temple in the archaeological site of Kolona on Aegina Island, Greece. A total of 945 vertical and 4900 oblique UAV images were processed following a multi-image photogrammetric workflow, to produce a digital surface model with a resolution of 1 cm. We then use this data to set up the RoG model and to analyze flood scenarios for various return periods to obtain sub-meter-level hydraulic parameters and evaluate how the site’s vulnerability to flood intrusion might change if its existing wall obstructions were to be extended.

The proposed methodology offers a robust means to extract high-resolution boundary conditions for advanced computational fluid dynamics simulations. Using our multi-scale workflow, relevant stakeholders can enhance their data-driven decision-making for cultural heritage protection and preservation purposes.

How to cite: Alexopoulos, M. J., Iliopoulou, T., Istrati, D., Soile, S., Verykokou, S., Ioannidis, C., and Koutsoyiannis, D.: A Multi-Scale Framework for Flood Risk Assessment in Cultural Heritage Sites: The Apollo Temple in Aegina, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18452, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18452, 2025.

OSPP judging

X5.126

EGU25-1907

ECS

Natural disasters that occurred in ancient times in Anatolia and the damage they caused to ancient settlements

Funda Yüksel Özer

Anatolia is a geography that has experienced major natural disasters from ancient times to decay due to its geological location. In this context, Anatolia has always attracted the attention of researchers. The earthquakes that occurred in 6 provinces of Turkey, namely Anatolia, on February 6, 2022, and caused great loss of life and property, the re-emergence of the earthquake explosion in Anatolia. We, archaeologists, have been exposed to major earthquakes and climates from ancient times to decay, and situations that can be defined as natural have caused great losses. The Hittites, Assyrians, Hellenes, Romans, and societies before and after these civilizations, who continued their existence in Anatolia in ancient times, suffered great material and spiritual losses as a result of natural disasters experienced in the geography of Anatolia, and the ancient geological and climatological documentation of Anatolia has been documented. This is possible, the earthquakes and climatic conditions that occurred in Anatolia from ancient times to decay and are included in historical records due to its service location will be included, and it will be discussed how these earthquakes and climatic events will end archaeological settlements in ancient times and today.

How to cite: Yüksel Özer, F.: Natural disasters that occurred in ancient times in Anatolia and the damage they caused to ancient settlements, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1907, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1907, 2025.

X5.127

EGU25-21315

ECS

Aerial and ground-based surveying and 3D modeling of cultural heritage – a case study in Messolonghi, Western Greece

Panagiotis Tsikas, Aggeliki Kyriou, Epameinondas Lyros, Konstantinos Nikolakopoulos, and Christoforos Pappas

Digital twins of cultural heritage are urgently needed for both comprehensive documentation and digitalization of the monuments, and, also, for the efficient planning of restoration activities towards increased resilience to climatic stressors. Here, we present a workflow for geodetic field surveying followed by 3D building information modeling (BIM), to create a digital twin of an example historical building of Western Greece, the ‘Old Hatzikosta Hospital’ in Messolonghi. More specifically, a detailed point cloud was generated, based on data collected with a Terrestrial Laser Scanner. Building features not directly detectable from the ground (e.g., rooftops) were mapped with photogrammetry using an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The collected data were then further analysed to derive a detailed 3D model of the monument. This 3D model could serve as a baseline for future engineering applications, such as planning maintenance and restoration interventions. Moreover, the digitalization of cultural heritage could also assist in raising public’s awareness and making such historical buildings more widely visible and accessible (e.g., virtual tours, interactive geodatabases etc.).

How to cite: Tsikas, P., Kyriou, A., Lyros, E., Nikolakopoulos, K., and Pappas, C.: Aerial and ground-based surveying and 3D modeling of cultural heritage – a case study in Messolonghi, Western Greece, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-21315, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-21315, 2025.

X5.128

EGU25-19445

ECS

Wave Hazards on Underwater cultural Heritage: The Impact of Climate Change on Cadiz Bay

Carmen Ferrero Martín, Alfredo Izquierdo, Manuel Bethencourt, Lorenzo Mentaschi, and Tomás Fernández Montblanc

The combination of future Sea level rise and changes in wave climate in coastal areas represents one of the greatest threats to the preservation of underwater cultural heritage (UCH). This study presents a new methodology to assess climate change’s impacts on UCH preservation in shallow waters, focusing on wave-induced hazards like decontextualization of archaeological object, scouring, and wear erosion caused by sediment transport. The approach uses hybrid downscaling of bias-corrected wave fields to assess the changes on this hazard and associated risk under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 CMIP5 scenarios. The methodology was applied in the Bay of Cadiz, where an overall reduction in wave energy flux was observed. However, local increases were detected in rocky shoals and in the coastal zone, both areas with high UCH density. As a result, the shallow zones exhibited significant changes in decontextualization and scouring hazards. However, the most relevant risk changes were linked to wear erosion, particularly at sites on rocky outcrops near Cadiz. The developed methodology tested in this study is essential for identifying areas with higher risk and for evaluating UCH preservation under future climate conditions. It offers an effective tool for screening sites at risk and for conducting a long-term assessment of these risks in coastal environments affected by climate change.

How to cite: Ferrero Martín, C., Izquierdo, A., Bethencourt, M., Mentaschi, L., and Fernández Montblanc, T.: Wave Hazards on Underwater cultural Heritage: The Impact of Climate Change on Cadiz Bay , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-19445, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-19445, 2025.

Posters virtual: Thu, 1 May, 14:00–15:45 | vPoster spot 5

Display time: Thu, 1 May, 08:30–18:00

Chairpersons: Shalenys Bedoya-Valestt, Annemarie Eckes-Shephard

EGU25-3882 | ECS | Posters virtual | VPS6

Climate Change and Cultural Heritage: Assessing Future Risks of Damage at Selected European Cultural Heritage Sites

Efstathia Tringa, Aristeidis K. Georgoulias, Dimitris Akritidis, Haralambos Feidas, and Prodromos Zanis
Thu, 01 May, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) vPoster spot 5 | vP5.9

Assessing the risks posed by climate change to cultural heritage (CH) is crucial for developing effective strategies to preserve this non-renewable heritage. This study provides a comprehensive approach to assess climate change-related risks to cultural heritage across five selected sites in Europe: Choirokoitia, Aegina, Epidaurus, Kalapodi, and Ventotene. By applying the Heritage Outdoor Microclimate (HMR_out) and Predicted Risk of Damage (PRD) indices, the study quantifies potential damage to inorganic materials due to long-term changes in temperature and relative humidity (RH). Climate projections are based on high-resolution EURO-CORDEX Regional Climate Model (RCM) simulations under three Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5) for the periods 2021–2050, and 2071–2100. Results reveal a significant increase in temperature and the related indices under all emission scenarios highlighting a warming trend and intensified heat stress across the CH sites. The projected rise in temperature leads to an increase in the HMR_out index across all the CH sites, with the rate of change differing between time periods and scenarios. This rise in the HMR_out index suggests an increase in the predicted risk of damage (PRD) to monuments made of inorganic materials due to heat stress. In contrast, RH and the associated PRD index are expected to decrease. Overall, the projected changes in the HMR_outand PRD indices provide a deeper insight into how climate change may influence preservation of cultural heritage sites constructed from stone and marble.

This work is based on procedures and tasks implemented within the project “Toolbox for assessing and mitigating Climate Change risks and natural hazards threatening cultural heritage - TRIQUETRA”, which is a Project funded by the EU HE research and innovation program under GA No. 101094818.

How to cite: Tringa, E., Georgoulias, A. K., Akritidis, D., Feidas, H., and Zanis, P.: Climate Change and Cultural Heritage: Assessing Future Risks of Damage at Selected European Cultural Heritage Sites, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-3882, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-3882, 2025.

EGU25-3194 | Posters virtual | VPS6

IoT-Enabled Underwater Devices and Crowdsourcing for Monitoring Climate Risks at Submerged Heritage Sites

Marios Vlachos, Panagiotis Michalis, Iasonas Mourounas, Pavlos Koukio, Apostolos Gkatzogias, Anastasios Georgakopoulos, and Angelos Amditis
Thu, 01 May, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | vP5.10

Underwater cultural heritage, such as ancient shipwrecks and submerged archaeological sites, faces increasing risks from climate-driven environmental changes. Salinity shifts, temperature anomalies, and biofouling contribute to the degradation of these resources [1]. This study explores deploying two IoT-enabled devices with a crowdsourcing strategy to monitor and address these challenges effectively.

The first device, designed for divers, measures pressure, temperature, and salinity during underwater campaigns and can be placed on the seabed for long-term data collection [2]. The second device, used by local communities like fishers and diving centers, is deployable from boats to 2-3 meters, capturing salinity, temperature, and chlorophyll concentration. Each device incorporates a data logger built on a microcontroller, connected to sensors via robust serial interfaces such as RS485. This configuration ensures reliable communication and minimizes signal degradation in challenging underwater conditions. The microcontroller interfaces with sensors to record measurements, storing data locally until retrieval. Both devices feature a power management system with custom-designed PCBs for efficient energy use.

Data gathered by the devices is stored locally and transferred to a cloud platform via an intuitive mobile app. Communication between the devices and the smartphone uses Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), while data uploads to the cloud via LTE. This simplifies retrieval and reduces the need for complex equipment or infrastructure.

Community participation plays a central role in this system. Local communities deploy and retrieve boat-based sensors, improving the coverage and frequency of monitoring activities. By pooling data from various contributors, detailed information of environmental conditions near cultural heritage sites is acquired.

The devices undergo rigorous calibration to ensure reliable data collection. Conductivity sensors are standardized with salinity benchmarks, temperature sensors tested with laboratory-grade instruments, pressure sensors calibrated in controlled chambers, and chlorophyll sensors validated using fluorescence references.

Field trials at two underwater sites tested the system under diverse conditions, providing a robust environment to assess device performance and crowdsourcing effectiveness. Feedback from divers, local participants, and heritage professionals refined functionality. Adjustments included stronger enclosures, improved BLE connection stability, and an enhanced mobile app interface.

This study demonstrates the potential of combining smart sensor technology with community engagement to protect underwater heritage. Leveraging IoT devices and collaboration expands monitoring, reduces costs, and fosters local stewardship, offering a scalable, sustainable solution to mitigate environmental impacts on submerged cultural treasures.

References:

[1] P. Michalis, C. Mazzoli, V. Karathanassi, D. I. Kaya, F. Martins; M. Cocco, A. Guy and A. Amditis, "THETIDA: Enhanced Resilience and Sustainable Preservation of Underwater and Coastal Cultural Heritage," IGARSS 2024 - 2024 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, Athens, Greece, 2024, pp. 2208-2211, doi: 10.1109/IGARSS53475.2024.10642229.

[2] L. Pavlopoulos, P. Michalis, M. Vlachos, A. Georgakopoulos, C. Tsiakos and A. Amditis, "Integrated Sensing Solutions for Monitoring Heritage Risks," IGARSS 2024 - 2024 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, Athens, Greece, 2024, pp. 3352-3355, doi: 10.1109/IGARSS53475.2024.10641101.

Acknowledgement:

This research has been funded by European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under THETIDA project (Grant Agreement No. 101095253).

How to cite: Vlachos, M., Michalis, P., Mourounas, I., Koukio, P., Gkatzogias, A., Georgakopoulos, A., and Amditis, A.: IoT-Enabled Underwater Devices and Crowdsourcing for Monitoring Climate Risks at Submerged Heritage Sites, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-3194, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-3194, 2025.

EGU25-16429 | Posters virtual | VPS6

Impact of fire risk on archaeological heritage in the Age of climate change. Geodata science for prediction and development of strategies for protection.

Maria Danese, Valentina Florio, Nicola Masini, and Rosa Lasaponara
Thu, 01 May, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | vP5.11

Fires are among the most significant causes leading to significant alterations, both at the level of the natural and built landscape. These in fact induce significant alterations not only on the vegetation cover, but also on fauna, soil, atmosphere, artifacts and, inevitably, economic losses as well. In the context of the archaeological heritage, fires are a cause of extensive damage especially at the territorial scale, on sites and fragments not yet subject to either excavation or reconnaissance campaigns, but also on known sites that suffer from insufficient protection actions.

Traditional methods of assessing fire severity and property damage incur costs in terms of money and time because of the necessary field survey activities. A combination of geodata science and remote sensing, on the other hand, turns out to be an inexpensive and effective tool for modeling fires, understanding their causes and fire evolution.

In this work we use the potential of geodata science methods applied to spatial and satellite data, to analyse past trends and its correlation with environmental and anthropic factors and to forecast fire risk in the context of climate change, considering the evolution of environmental parameters stated from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2022). These findings can be the starting point for the development of forecasting models also with a view to proposing prevention and protection strategies for the archaeological heritage of the Basilicata Region.

Reference

IPCC, 2022: Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability. Contribution of Working Group II to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [H.-O. Pörtner, D.C. Roberts, M. Tignor, E.S. Poloczanska, K. Mintenbeck, A. Alegría, M. Craig, S. Langsdorf, S. Löschke, V. Möller, A. Okem, B. Rama (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK and New York, NY, USA, 3056 pp., doi:10.1017/9781009325844.

How to cite: Danese, M., Florio, V., Masini, N., and Lasaponara, R.: Impact of fire risk on archaeological heritage in the Age of climate change. Geodata science for prediction and development of strategies for protection., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16429, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16429, 2025.

EGU25-16568 | ECS | Posters virtual | VPS6

Preliminary analysis for energy efficiency assessment. Deriving technical parameters with spatial analysis and GEE

Valentina Florio, Maria Danese, and Marilisa Biscione
Thu, 01 May, 14:00–15:45 (CEST) | vP5.12

When discussing climate change and cultural heritage, the focus often lies exclusively of the vulnerability aspects of the latter. However, cultural heritage can also play an active role in activating strategies and actions to increase its sustainability and mitigate environmental impacts.

Energy rehabilitation and reuse of existing buildings hold the potential to contribute to sustainable heritage conservation while embracing new energy efficiency principles.

According to literature, energy rehabilitation and retrofitting of the building envelope need to be carried out with respect to historic and cultural features and the protection of cultural heritage. This applies as much to listed buildings as to those that, although not formally protected, are part of the historical heritage and define the identity and the skyline of the place (Magrini, Franco, 2016).

In this work, starting from the spatial modeling of the territory and use of satellite data thank to the free-cloud application Google Earth Engine (GEE), it is possible to perform some preliminary analysis. These ones are useful to derive some formal characteristics that directly influence both the energy requirements and the choice of some technological solutions for integrating renewable energy sources (Forster et al.,2025).

References

Forster et al.,2025: Forster, J., S. Bindreiter, B. Uhlhorn, V. Radinger‐peer, and A. Jiricka‐pürrer. 2025. 'A Machine Learning Approach to Adapt Local Land Use Planning to Climate Change', Urban Planning, 10.

Magrini, Franco, 2016: Magrini, A., and G. Franco. 2016. 'The energy performance improvement of historic buildings and their environmental sustainability assessment', Journal of Cultural Heritage, 21: 834-41.

How to cite: Florio, V., Danese, M., and Biscione, M.: Preliminary analysis for energy efficiency assessment. Deriving technical parameters with spatial analysis and GEE, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-16568, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-16568, 2025.