Kovaleva, Olga (2013) Coastal erosion and coastal protection in the Baltic Sea. (Master thesis), Saint-Petersburg State University ; University of Hamburg, Saint Petersburg, Russia ; Hamburg, 52 pp.

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	Text (Appendix 1) Appendix 1. Table of computing data for locations of the German Baltic Sea.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Available under License German copyright act UrhG. Download (578kB) | Contact
	Text (Appendix 2) Appendix 2. Table of computing data for locations of the Eastern Gulf of Finland.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Available under License German copyright act UrhG. Download (535kB) | Contact

Abstract

The world-wide problem of the erosion of coastal zones is performed more acute in the conditions of the ongoing climate change and the swift in the development of the society. Distinct parameters of territory such as the change of sea level, tectonic movement, the structure and composition of sediments, hydro- and meteorological particularities and the degree of anthropogenic influence determine the rate of the abrasion.
Complex investigations for the exploration of the German Baltic Sea and the Eastern Gulf of Finland were carried out, including the assessment of the geological situation via field observations, the execution of underwater profiles, using sonar data, the determination coast evolution via comparison of old and recent maps, images and the assessment the hydrometeorological conditions. Analyses showed significant differences of parameters for each study areas and therefore distinct rates of ongoing erosion processes.
Examined by the CERC-approach the amount of the long-shore transported sediment detected the important cause of the abrasion processes – the movement of material from the coast part to the adjacent regions induced by wave influence. The rate of long-shore material transport varies in dependence of the predominant wave characteristics, morphology and orientation of the coast. The prevalent winds from western (W) direction cause waves from the same direction on the territory of the Eastern Gulf of Finland and form the pattern of sediment motion mainly directed to the east. The north-western (NW) winds effective on the German Baltic Sea induce the sediment motion directed to the East also. The various geological and morphological conditions promote the generation of accumulation zones and zones of strong erosion.
The planning and construction of the coast protection structures have to be executed regarding the prediction of climate change and, most important, the pattern of the sediment transport. The present complex of groins on the German Baltic Sea is a good example of effect of material transport on the protection elements. The Eastern Gulf of Finland is characterized by the absence of a general plan of the coast maintenance and preservation. The detailed analyses of this region showed that the most compatible way for the cessation of the coast retreat is the beach nourishment.

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