Integrated hyperspectral and geomorphological mapping of soil units and paleoriverbeds in the area of the Bacchiglione and Brenta basins between Padova and Vicenza.

The alluvial plain of Brenta and Bacchiglione rivers between Vicenza and Padova represents a key archive of Holocene landscape evolution in the venation plain. This research integrated hyperspectral remote sensing and LiDAR- derived topographic data to map soil units and reconstruct the paleo-riverbed network, revealing the genetic imprint of fluvial processes on the modern landscape. Hyperspectral classification delineated seven distinct soil units, successfully discriminating carbonate-rich channel deposits, transitional loams, waterlogged abandoned channels, and distal clay plains. Concurrently, LiDAR analysis revealed a dense, multi-generational network of paleochannels, showcasing braided channels in the proximal fan, complex anabranching and meandering patterns in the dynamic central basin, and broad distributary forms in the distal plains. The integrated results demonstrate a direct genetic link: coarse-grained soils align precisely with former river channels, while finer and hydromorphic units correspond to floodplains and abandonment features. This pattern confirms the area as a well-preserved Holocene alluvial megafan, whose evolution was dominated by frequent avulsion and lateral migration, particularly in the central sector. The study validates the powerful synergy of hyperspectral and LiDAR data for decoding buried geomorphological structures and their soil expressions. Beyond paleo-geographical reconstruction, this work provides a process-based framework that explains contemporary soil distribution and hydrological patterns. The findings offer a critical baseline for applied studies in land-use planning, water resource management, and geoarchaeology within the Brenta and Bacchiglione basins.