Alongshore sediment transport analysis for a semi-enclosed basin: a case study of the Gulf of Riga, the Baltic Sea

<p>The properties of wave-driven sediment transport and the dimensions of single sedimentary compartments are often radically different in different parts of semi-enclosed waterbodies with an anisotropic wind climate. The western, southern and eastern shores of the Gulf of Riga are a remote pa...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: T. Soomere, M. Z. Jankowski, M. Eelsalu, K. E. Parnell, M. Viška
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2025-03-01
Series:Ocean Science
Online Access:https://os.copernicus.org/articles/21/619/2025/os-21-619-2025.pdf
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850051209481682944
author T. Soomere
T. Soomere
M. Z. Jankowski
M. Eelsalu
K. E. Parnell
M. Viška
author_facet T. Soomere
T. Soomere
M. Z. Jankowski
M. Eelsalu
K. E. Parnell
M. Viška
author_sort T. Soomere
collection DOAJ
description <p>The properties of wave-driven sediment transport and the dimensions of single sedimentary compartments are often radically different in different parts of semi-enclosed waterbodies with an anisotropic wind climate. The western, southern and eastern shores of the Gulf of Riga are a remote part of the more than 700 km long interconnected sedimentary coastal system of the eastern Baltic Sea from Samland in Kaliningrad District, Russia, to Pärnu Bay, Estonia. Even though shores of the gulf are generally straight or gently curved, the presence of small headlands and variations in the orientation of the coastline give rise to numerous fully or partially separated sedimentary compartments. We decompose sedimentary shores of this gulf into single compartments and cells based on the analysis of wave-driven potential sediment transport using high-resolution wave time series and the Coastal Engineering Research Centre (CERC) approach. The western shore of the Gulf of Riga forms a large interconnected sedimentary system with intense sediment transport that is largely fed by sand transported from the Baltic proper. The southern shore has much less intense sediment transport and is mostly an accumulation area. The south-eastern sector of the gulf is an end-station of counter-clockwise sand transport. The eastern shore consists of several almost isolated sedimentary cells and contains a longer segment where clockwise transport predominates. The transport rates along different shore segments show extensive interannual variations but no explicit trends in the period 1990–2022.</p>
format Article
id doaj-art-611dbe4cf69d4bb3b495e595a8ef6c5a
institution DOAJ
issn 1812-0784
1812-0792
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Copernicus Publications
record_format Article
series Ocean Science
spelling doaj-art-611dbe4cf69d4bb3b495e595a8ef6c5a2025-08-20T02:53:13ZengCopernicus PublicationsOcean Science1812-07841812-07922025-03-012161964110.5194/os-21-619-2025Alongshore sediment transport analysis for a semi-enclosed basin: a case study of the Gulf of Riga, the Baltic SeaT. Soomere0T. Soomere1M. Z. Jankowski2M. Eelsalu3K. E. Parnell4M. Viška5Department of Cybernetics, School of Science, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, EstoniaEstonian Academy of Sciences, Kohtu 6, 10130 Tallinn, EstoniaDepartment of Cybernetics, School of Science, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, EstoniaDepartment of Cybernetics, School of Science, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, EstoniaDepartment of Cybernetics, School of Science, Tallinn University of Technology, 19086 Tallinn, EstoniaDepartment of Marine Monitoring, Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology, 1007 Riga, Latvia<p>The properties of wave-driven sediment transport and the dimensions of single sedimentary compartments are often radically different in different parts of semi-enclosed waterbodies with an anisotropic wind climate. The western, southern and eastern shores of the Gulf of Riga are a remote part of the more than 700 km long interconnected sedimentary coastal system of the eastern Baltic Sea from Samland in Kaliningrad District, Russia, to Pärnu Bay, Estonia. Even though shores of the gulf are generally straight or gently curved, the presence of small headlands and variations in the orientation of the coastline give rise to numerous fully or partially separated sedimentary compartments. We decompose sedimentary shores of this gulf into single compartments and cells based on the analysis of wave-driven potential sediment transport using high-resolution wave time series and the Coastal Engineering Research Centre (CERC) approach. The western shore of the Gulf of Riga forms a large interconnected sedimentary system with intense sediment transport that is largely fed by sand transported from the Baltic proper. The southern shore has much less intense sediment transport and is mostly an accumulation area. The south-eastern sector of the gulf is an end-station of counter-clockwise sand transport. The eastern shore consists of several almost isolated sedimentary cells and contains a longer segment where clockwise transport predominates. The transport rates along different shore segments show extensive interannual variations but no explicit trends in the period 1990–2022.</p>https://os.copernicus.org/articles/21/619/2025/os-21-619-2025.pdf
spellingShingle T. Soomere
T. Soomere
M. Z. Jankowski
M. Eelsalu
K. E. Parnell
M. Viška
Alongshore sediment transport analysis for a semi-enclosed basin: a case study of the Gulf of Riga, the Baltic Sea
Ocean Science
title Alongshore sediment transport analysis for a semi-enclosed basin: a case study of the Gulf of Riga, the Baltic Sea
title_full Alongshore sediment transport analysis for a semi-enclosed basin: a case study of the Gulf of Riga, the Baltic Sea
title_fullStr Alongshore sediment transport analysis for a semi-enclosed basin: a case study of the Gulf of Riga, the Baltic Sea
title_full_unstemmed Alongshore sediment transport analysis for a semi-enclosed basin: a case study of the Gulf of Riga, the Baltic Sea
title_short Alongshore sediment transport analysis for a semi-enclosed basin: a case study of the Gulf of Riga, the Baltic Sea
title_sort alongshore sediment transport analysis for a semi enclosed basin a case study of the gulf of riga the baltic sea
url https://os.copernicus.org/articles/21/619/2025/os-21-619-2025.pdf
work_keys_str_mv AT tsoomere alongshoresedimenttransportanalysisforasemienclosedbasinacasestudyofthegulfofrigathebalticsea
AT tsoomere alongshoresedimenttransportanalysisforasemienclosedbasinacasestudyofthegulfofrigathebalticsea
AT mzjankowski alongshoresedimenttransportanalysisforasemienclosedbasinacasestudyofthegulfofrigathebalticsea
AT meelsalu alongshoresedimenttransportanalysisforasemienclosedbasinacasestudyofthegulfofrigathebalticsea
AT keparnell alongshoresedimenttransportanalysisforasemienclosedbasinacasestudyofthegulfofrigathebalticsea
AT mviska alongshoresedimenttransportanalysisforasemienclosedbasinacasestudyofthegulfofrigathebalticsea