GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF THE SOUTHERN BALTIC COAST AND RELATED HAZARDS

Abstract

Polish coast of the Baltic Sea has a total length of 498 km (without internal lagoons coasts). Quaternary deposits dominate coastal zone, similar to central and northern Poland. According to morphology and geological structure, three types of coast are distinguished: cliffs (c. 101 km), barriers (380 km) and coast similar to wetlands (salt marshes) (c. 17 km). Generally, three types of mass movements can be distinguished on cliff coast: eboulements (rock falls) dominated on the cliffs built mainly by tills, talus and landslip, dominated on sandy cliffs, and typical landslides occurred on cliff stretches with a complex structure where the main role play clay layers being initial slide layers for other deposits. Serious risks are related to erosion of low and narrow barriers, which could be easy broken during storm surges. Storm floods in case of barrier being broken threaten lowlands behind the barriers. Similar flood hazard exists also on lagoon coasts located behind large and relatively stable barriers. It is caused by barographic high water stands, which in extreme cases reach up to 2 m above the mean sea level, and water back flow into straits connecting lagoons with the sea.