Bottom structure of selected basins in The Port of Gdynia

Abstract

Bottom structure of the basins in the Port of Gdynia, Poland, was analysed based on the archival materials of the Department of Operational Oceanography of Marine Institute in Gdańsk, particularly seismic profiles and macroscopic descriptions of sediment cores. Seismic profiling and core collection were performed in selected basins and within the fairway. The rich source material was used to draw a detailed bathymetric map of the bottom of the basins, a map of surface sediments, and a synthetic geological cross-section. A considerable variation in bottom depth within the analysed basins was observed. Bedrock sediments comprised Miocene sands and silts covered with glacial and fluvioglacial sediments, which reach the surface of the water, especially in the central part of the fairway. Within the eastern part of the fairway, fluvioglacial sediments are covered with marine sediments related to the Littorina transgression. Within the inner port and in the outport, a series of glacial and fluvioglacial sediments are covered with a thick (about 10 m) series of glaciolacustrine and lacustrine sediments, which in turn is covered with fluvial and deltaic sediments. The surface of the bottom is composed of contemporary, anthropogenically modified sediments. The map of surface sediments of the bottom corresponds to the geological map on the horizon of about 10 meters beneath land surface.

Subaqueous geomorphology: options, tasks, needs

“…The Przekop Wisły is a canal excavated in 1895 to enable unconstrained flow of waters in order to prevent floods associated with the impeded run-off of river waters flowing on a significant stretch along the shore (Wróblewski et al 2015;Rudowski et al 2017). The length of the canal (from Świbno to its mouth) is 3.4 km, its width is 420-450 m, and its depth is up to 7 m. It is a characteristic model of a rectilinear river with stable banks, a variable flow with a usual speed of around 1 m/s (depending on the state of the Vistula river and the sea conditions).…”

“…A part of the surveys carried out in order to assess the possibility of occurrence of an unconstrained flow of spate waters (precipitation waters, ice blockages) and to prevent flood hazards in the Żuławy area was presented by Lisimenka et al (2015) and Rudowski et al (2017).…”

“…Rudowski 2000;Rutkowski et al 2005;Osadczuk 2017), in rivers and channels (e.g. Lisimenka et al 2015;Wróblewski et al 2016;Rudowski et al 2017), basins and port canals (e.g. Dworniczak et al 2017).…”

“…2010; Gajewski L. 2010), the analysis of sediments from grab and core samples, CPT probes, etc. The subsequent step is to assess whether the study provides useful clues to achieve the indicated cognitive and utilitarian goals (Gajewski et al 1999;Rudowski et al 2009Rudowski et al , 2011Rudowski et al , 2017Szefler et al 2011Hac et al 2012;Kubacka et al 2017).…”