Baltic Sea coastal erosion; a case study from the Jastrzębia Góra region

The coastline in the Jastrzębia Góra area can be divided into three major zones of general importance: a beach and barrier section, a cliff section, and a section protected by a heavy hydrotechnical construction. These areas are characterised by a diverse geology and origin, and hence different vulnerability to erosion. In addition, observations have demonstrated a different pace of erosion within each zone. Based on the results obtained by remote sensing methods (analysis of aerial photographs and maps), it has been determined that the coastline in the barrier area, i.e., to the west of Jastrzębia Góra, moved landwards by about 130 m, in a period of 100 years, and 80 m over about 50 years. A smaller displacement of the shoreline could be observed within the cliff. Between the middle of the twentieth and the start of the twenty-first centuries the shore retreated by about 25 m. However, in recent years, an active landslide has led to the displacement of the uppermost part of the cliff locally up to 25 m. Another issue is, functioning since 2000, a heavy hydrotechnical construction which has been built in order to protect the most active part of the cliff. The construction is not stable and its western part, over a distance of 50 m, has moved almost 2 m vertically downwards and c. 2.5 m horizontally towards the sea in the past two years. This illustrates that the erosional factor does not comprise only marine abrasion, but also involves land-based processes determined by geology and hydrogeology. Changes in the shoreline at the beach and barrier part are constantly conditioned by rising sea levels, the slightly sloping profile of the sea floor and low elevation values of the backshore and dune areas. Cliffs are destroyed by mass wasting and repetitive storm surges that are responsible for the removal of the colluvium which protects the coast from adverse wave effects. Presumably, mass movements combined with groundwater outflow from the cliff, plus sea abrasion cause destabilisation of the cliff protection construction

Offshore geological cartography in the research history of the Marine Geology Branch of the Polish GeologicalInstitute – National Research Institute

The article is an overview of 50 years of Marine Geology Branch (MBG) activity in the field of geological cartography in Polish maritime areas. As a result of successive recognition of the geological structure of the Cenozoic, sheets of the Geological Map of the Baltic Sea Bottom at a scale of1 : 200,000 had been published by 1994, followed by a geological map without Quaternary deposits. The summary of the stage of over 25 years of intense research was the Geological Atlas of the Southern Baltic. The achievements of the Marine Geology Branch also include geochemical atlases, geo-environmental maps, and coastal zone maps created on the basis of detailed mapping works. The successively expanded geological database enables the creation of many map products for the needs of specific users. Various studies related to marine geological cartography, and extensive national and international cooperation have significantly contributed to the development of the scientific staff of the Marine Geology Branch

History of the Gdańsk Branch of the Polish Geological Society

The Gdańsk Branch of the Polish Geological Society was established in 1962. Earlier, geologists from Gdańsk were active within the framework of the Kraków Branch. The number of members of the branch varied over time -from about 30 to over 100 people. The Gdańsk Branch plays an important role in integrating the geological community of the Tri-City. Over 180 lectures were delivered at regular meetings of the branch members. The Gdańsk Branch was also the organizer of several annual meetings of the Society - in 1958,1990 and2002 in Gdańsk, and in 1972 in Cetniewo. The first annual meeting at the seaside took place in 1935 in Gdynia, before the creation of the Gdańsk Branch. The research results presented at the annual meetings showed a continuous progress in geological exploration of the Pomerania region and the Baltic Sea bottom

Paleocene and Eocene deposits on the eastern margin of the Gulf of Gdańsk (Yantarny P-1 borehole, Kaliningrad region, Russia)

Lithological and palynological studies of Paleogene siliciclastic deposits from the Yantarny P-1 borehole located on the western coast of the Sambian Peninsula (Kaliningrad region, Russia) show that the succession is characterized by numerous sedimentary discontinuities related to lithification horizons and erosional surfaces. Sedimentary gaps are emphasised by hardgrounds. Palynological data suggest the Selandian-Priabonian age of the succession and indicate a number of significant stratigraphic gaps. An important change in heavy mineral composition is recognized between the Paleocene and Eocene deposits in the area studied. A significant number of reworked Cretaceous microfossils is observed in the Selandian part of the succession studied

Baltic Sea coastal erosion; a case study from the Jastrzębia Góra region

The coastline in the Jastrzębia Góra area can be divided into three major zones of general importance: a beach and barrier section, a cliff section, and a section protected by a heavy hydrotechnical construction. These areas are characterised by a diverse geology and origin, and hence different vulnerability to erosion. In addition, observations have demonstrated a different pace of erosion within each zone. Based on the results obtained by remote sensing methods (analysis of aerial photographs and maps), it has been determined that the coastline in the barrier area, i.e., to the west of Jastrzębia Góra, moved landwards by about 130 m, in a period of 100 years, and 80 m over about 50 years. A smaller displacement of the shoreline could be observed within the cliff. Between the middle of the twentieth and the start of the twenty-first centuries the shore retreated by about 25 m. However, in recent years, an active landslide has led to the displacement of the uppermost part of the cliff locally up to 25 m. Another issue is, functioning since 2000, a heavy hydrotechnical construction which has been built in order to protect the most active part of the cliff. The construction is not stable and its western part, over a distance of 50 m, has moved almost 2 m vertically downwards and c. 2.5 m horizontally towards the sea in the past two years. This illustrates that the erosional factor does not comprise only marine abrasion, but also involves land-based processes determined by geology and hydrogeology. Changes in the shoreline at the beach and barrier part are constantly conditioned by rising sea levels, the slightly sloping profile of the sea floor and low elevation values of the backshore and dune areas. Cliffs are destroyed by mass wasting and repetitive storm surges that are responsible for the removal of the colluvium which protects the coast from adverse wave effects. Presumably, mass movements combined with groundwater outflow from the cliff, plus sea abrasion cause destabilisation of the cliff protection construction

Picking Up the PiecesHarmonising and Collating Seabed Substrate Data for European Maritime Areas

The poor access to data on the marine environment is a handicap to government decision-making, a barrier to scientific understanding and an obstacle to economic growth. In this light, the European Commission initiated the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet) in 2009 to assemble and disseminate hitherto dispersed marine data. In the ten years since then, EMODnet has become a key producer of publicly available, harmonised datasets covering broad areas. This paper describes the methodologies applied in EMODnet Geology project to produce fully populated GIS layers of seabed substrate distribution for the European marine areas. We describe steps involved in translating national seabed substrate data, conforming to various standards, into a uniform EMODnet substrate classification scheme (i.e., the Folk sediment classification). Rock and boulders form an additional substrate class. Seabed substrate data products at scales of 1:250,000 and 1:1 million, compiled using descriptions and analyses of seabed samples as well as interpreted acoustic images, cover about 20% and 65% of the European maritime areas, respectively. A simple confidence assessment, based on sample and acoustic coverage, is helpful in identifying data gaps. The harmonised seabed substrate maps are particularly useful in supraregional, transnational and pan-European marine spatial planning