Rapid coastal erosion, its dynamics and cause – an erosional hot spot on the southern Baltic Sea coast

Abstract

Coastal erosion is one of the major problems in coastal management. To adapt to it, and prevent it where possible and needed, it is important to recognize the temporal and spatial scale of the phenomenon as well as its causes. This paper describes the rapid erosion rate along an approximately 2.25 km stretch of the southern Baltic coast. The erosion occurs within a nature reserve, which is not subject to direct anthropogenic impact. Historical maps and modern remote sensing were used to trace changes in the shoreline position from 1875 to the present, and detailed DTMs derived from airborne LiDAR were used to trace elevation changes of the beach and dunes over the past years. The weighted maximum annual erosion rate since 1875 averages 2.3 m. An increase in this annual erosion rate has been observed since the turn of the millennium. The maximum average erosion rate from 2001 to 2005 was 15 m/year. The erosion has caused serious changes in elevation within the inland part of the coastal zone, manifested by a reduction in the width of the beach and a decrease in the height of the beach and dunes.