Recording of selected effects and hazards caused by current and expected storm events in the Baltic Sea coastal zone

Abstract

Furmańczyk, K., Andrzejewski, P., Benedyczak, R., Bugajny, N., Cieszyński, Ł., Dudzińska-Nowak, J., Giza, A., Paprotny, D., Terefenko, P., Zawiślak, T., 2014. Recording of selected effects and hazards caused by current and expected storm events in the Baltic Sea coastal zone. In: Green, A.N. and Cooper, J.A.G. (eds.), Proceedings 13th International Coastal Symposium (Durban, South Africa), Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 70, pp. 338–342, ISSN 0749-0208.Routine monitoring has already become a legal obligation and apparent necessity for EU members, especially of such dynamic and important habitat as the Baltic Sea and its shores. One of the subsystems of SatBałtyk, a Polish research project for maritime observation, is dedicated to coastal monitoring. It focuses on recording and forecasting the consequences of storm events along the Baltic's Polish shoreline. Three sites (7–12 km-long sections of dune coast) were selected for detailed research: the Dziwnow Spit, Jamno and Bukowo lakes' spits and part of the Hel Peninsula. Work started in 2010 and will continue until 2015. A numerical model, XBeach, was implemented in order to provide forecasts of several parameters, i.e. beach flooding, dune erosion, suspension of matter in the water after storm and rip current occurrence. It combines external data with in situ measurements by the researchers. Many pieces of equipment were installed for this research: a satellite receiving station, underwater probe ADCP (Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler), a tide gauge, a hyperspectral radiometer and two video cameras for constant shoreline observation. The system is currently being calibrated and verified; an online visualisation available to the public is due to be launched as a long-lasting outcome of the project.