INFLUENCE OF CLIMAT CHANGE ON THE BALTIC SEA COAST

Abstract

This paper analyzes the Baltic Sea coast measurements taken during the period between 2008 and 2015. The formation of the strip of the Northern breakwater - Giruliai during this period was influenced by the Hurricane Felix on January 10 of 2015. Describing the Baltic Sea coast strip dynamics trends, the Baltic Sea coastline change during the period between 2008 and 2015 was selected and calculated on the basis of the measurements results. Analysis of the erosive and accumulation processes of strip from the northern breakwater to Giruliai strip was provided.
The carried out data of the Baltic Sea coast changes analysis show that seacoast limits are constantly changing. Reasons for the changes: swell, prevailing winds, extreme climatic events, underwater currents movement. The replenishment of the Baltic seacoast spatial data set during the period between 2008 and 2013 with the revised spatial data of the period between 2014 and 2015 showed that during the months of January during the period between 2008 and 2015 the 4 km long strip of the Baltic Sea coast (from the Northern breakwater to Giruliai) decreased by 3.7075 ha, in the Ist Melnrage area, the 0.7 km long strip of coastline has moved more than 30 m inland. It was found that in the southern half of the researched section erosional processes prevailed, while in the northern part – both erosional and accumulative ones.

Keywords: spatial data set (SDS), coastal zone, coastline, shore storage, accumulation, erosion.

Article DOI: http://doi.org/10.15544/RD.2015.063