2014 Issue №1

The submerged (ancient) wave-cut cliffs have been mapped as a result of seabed exploration using the side-scan sonar, echo-sounding and grain-size analysis methods in the area of Cape Taran; they have been classified according to the morphological features; a detailed electronic lithological map has been drawn. The authors analyse the correlation between bottom currents and meteorological conditions. The sediment trend analysis based on statistical parameters of grain size distribution helped identify the sediment trend from the 10 m isobath northward towards the open sea and that along the shore at a 20 m depth eastward.

This paper studies the passive tracer and Lagrange particle propagation in the coastal area of South-East Baltic using hydrodynamic numerical modelling. The inclusion of an additional parameter, which describes the variation of the passive tracer concentration as well as its connection with the Lagrange particle random walk model, into the model made it possible to identify the features of the coastal water dynamics during upwelling. The possibilities of the penetration of suspended particles of different origin from the coastal area into the open sea and vice versa are investigated.

The changes in the total area of the coastal zone were estimated on four test sites in 1979-2010. The author emphasizes the domination of abrasive processes over accumulative ones. The total area of losses ranges from 4 to 50 ha per year against the background of a 2 – 21 ha annual accumulation.

This article examines the genesis of disputed geomorphologic zones. The authors propose identifying the Sambian end moraine site on the Sambian peninsula. It has been established that the right bank of the River Instruch is not an end moraine ridge, whereas the Neman – Sesupe interfluve is a relict alluvian plain. The genesis of the Polessk lowland and a number of geomorphological borders require further study.

This article justifies the methodology for assessing the geoecological seismic risk associated with the construction of the Kaliningrad Underground Gas Storage (KUGS). A modified Leopold matrix helped obtain semi-quantitative seismic safety estimate for the object under consideration. The risk assessment is taken into account when developing technological solutions at the design stage.