scholarly journals Freight Flows in the Baltic Seaports of Russia: Factors, Trends and Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 168-185
Author(s):  
Irina Boyko ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
The World ◽  
Sea Ports ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Impact

The volatility of the exogenous conjuncture has been increasingly affecting the Russian Baltic sea ports economics in terms of freight flows dynamics, destinations and commodity items share. The methodological distinction between the notion of ‘freight turnover’ and ‘freight flow’ is given for specification of the port activity, measured in qualitative indicators, consistent with the supply chain peculiarity on the contrary of the quantitative indicators, measured in tons. The classification of the factors, affecting the freight flows is represented as well. The freight turnover at the Russian Baltic ports has been gradually dropping. The unfavorable political conditions as well the world economy and trade downturns are not the only main reasons. The research is focused on the dynamics and structure of the freight flows at the Russian Baltic sea ports under the impact of political, ecological and economic factors, when the COVID-19 pandemic reveals the main ‘bottlenecks’ of their current economics and entails the global supply chain disruption. The ongoing global economic crisis results in the world trade squeezing, causes trade conflicts and increase the cases when trade became unfair practice in the political deals. The author of the article makes a special focus on the raw resource freight turnover specialization of the Russian sea ports as one of the most critical characteristics. In a time of growing risks and uncertainty large scale investments with the long term return into development of port facilities and port construction should be thoroughly analyzed. The author concludes that the freight redirection from the European sea ports to the Russian sea ports, located on Baltic Sea, will have positive, however, short-term, effect. The long term sustainability of the Russian Baltic sea ports will be determined by the reduction of the raw resources dependence and diversification of the freight flows, which also means increasing the share of cabotage and containerized cargo

scholarly journals A century of genetic homogenization in Baltic salmon—evidence from archival DNA

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1949) ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan Östergren ◽  
Stefan Palm ◽  
John Gilbey ◽  
Göran Spong ◽  
Johan Dannewitz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Isolation By Distance ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Genetic Change ◽  
Past Century ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Archival Dna

Intra-species genetic homogenization arising from anthropogenic impacts is a major threat to biodiversity. However, few taxa have sufficient historical material to systematically quantify long-term genetic changes. Using archival DNA collected over approximately 100 years, we assessed spatio-temporal genetic change in Atlantic salmon populations across the Baltic Sea, an area heavily impacted by hydropower exploitation and associated with large-scale mitigation stocking. Analysis was carried out by screening 82 SNPs in 1680 individuals from 13 Swedish rivers. We found an overall decrease in genetic divergence and diminished isolation by distance among populations, strongly indicating genetic homogenization over the past century. We further observed an increase in genetic diversity within populations consistent with increased gene flow. The temporal genetic change was lower in larger wild populations than in smaller wild and hatchery-reared ones, indicating that larger populations have been able to support a high number of native spawners in relation to immigrants. Our results demonstrate that stocking practices of salmon in the Baltic Sea have led to the homogenization of populations over the last century, potentially compromising their ability to adapt to environmental change. Stocking of reared fish is common worldwide, and our study is a cautionary example of the potentially long-term negative effects of such activities.

scholarly journals Impact of upper-level jet-generated inertia-gravity waves on surface wind and precipitation

2007 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 15873-15909 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Zülicke ◽  
D. H. W. Peters
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Gravity Waves ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Surface Wind ◽  
Synoptic Situation ◽  
Strong Wind ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Inertia Gravity Waves

Abstract. A meteorological case study for the impact of inertia-gravity waves on surface meteorology is presented. The large-scale environment from 17 to 19 December 1999 was dominated by a poleward breaking Rossby wave transporting subtropical air over the North Atlantic Ocean upward and north-eastward. The synoptic situation was characterized with an upper tropospheric jet streak passing Northern Europe. The unbalanced jet spontaneously radiated inertia-gravity waves from its exit region. Near-inertial waves appeared with a horizontal wavelength of about 200 km and an apparent period of about 12 h. These waves transported energy downwards and interacted with large-scale convection. This configuration is simulated with the nonhydrostatic Fifth-Generation Mesoscale Model. Together with simplified runs without orography and moisture it is demonstrated that the imbalance of the jet (detected with the cross-stream ageostrophic wind) and the deep convection (quantified with the latent heat release) are forcing inertia-gravity waves. This interaction is especially pronounced when the upper tropospheric jet is located above a cold front at the surface and supports deep frontal convection. Weak indication was found for triggering post-frontal convection by inertia-gravity waves. The realism of model simulations was studied in an extended validation study for the Baltic Sea region. It included observations from radar (DWDPI, BALTRAD), satellite (GFZGPS), weather stations (DWDMI) and assimilated products (ELDAS, MESAN). The detected spatio-temporal patterns show wind pulsations and precipitation events at scales corresponding to those of inertia-gravity waves. In particular, the robust features of strong wind and enhanced precipitation near the front appeared with nearly the same amplitudes as in the model. In some datasets we found indication for periodic variations in the post-frontal region. These findings demonstrate the impact of upper tropospheric jet-generated inertia-gravity waves on the dynamics of the boundary layer. It also gives confidence to models, observations and assimilation products for covering such processes. In an application for the Gotland Basin in the Baltic Sea, the implications of such mesoscale events on air-sea interaction and energy and water budgets are discussed.

scholarly journals The climate in the Baltic Sea region during the last millennium simulated with a regional climate model

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 1419-1433 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Schimanke ◽  
H. E. M. Meier ◽  
E. Kjellström ◽  
G. Strandberg ◽  
R. Hordoir
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Climate Model ◽  
Regional Climate ◽  
Last Millennium ◽  
Nutrient Loads ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Variability and long-term climate change in the Baltic Sea region is investigated for the pre-industrial period of the last millennium. For the first time dynamical downscaling covering the complete millennium is conducted with a regional climate model in this area. As a result of changing external forcing conditions, the model simulation shows warm conditions in the first centuries followed by a gradual cooling until ca. 1700 before temperature increases in the last centuries. This long-term evolution, with a Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and a Little Ice Age (LIA), is in broad agreement with proxy-based reconstructions. However, the timing of warm and cold events is not captured at all times. We show that the regional response to the global climate anomalies is to a strong degree modified by the large-scale circulation in the model. In particular, we find that a positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) simulated during MCA contributes to enhancing winter temperatures and precipitation in the region while a negative NAO index in the LIA reduces them. In a second step, the regional ocean model (RCO-SCOBI) is used to investigate the impact of atmospheric changes onto the Baltic Sea for two 100 yr time slices representing the MCA and the LIA. Besides the warming of the Baltic Sea, the water becomes fresher at all levels during the MCA. This is induced by increased runoff and stronger westerly winds. Moreover, the oxygen concentrations in the deep layers are slightly reduced during the MCA. Additional sensitivity studies are conducted to investigate the impact of even higher temperatures and increased nutrient loads. The presented experiments suggest that changing nutrient loads may be more important determining oxygen depletion than changes in temperature or dynamic feedbacks.

Switching cargo capacity to the transport hub of Ust-Luga

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-177
Author(s):  
Ju. A. Moroz ◽  
A. N. Illarionova
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Railway Network ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Railway Infrastructure ◽  
Leading Position ◽  
Cargo Capacity ◽  
Sea Ports ◽  
Operational Activities ◽  
The Baltic

The purpose of the article is to assess the probability of transferring the cargo flow of the main cargo of Belarus from the Baltic ports to the railways of Russia and Russian ports in the Baltic. Using such theoretical methods of research as analysis, generalization, forecasting and hypothesizing, the main trends in the development of the railway network and Russian ports in the Baltic Sea, as well as factors affecting the likelihood of changes in the scheme of cargo flows of export cargo, are identified. Brief conclusions are made about the probability of changes in cargo traffic. In particular, it was found that such criteria as the price offered by Russian logistics companies and port operators for servicing significant volumes of Belarusian cargo, as well as the development of logistics chains, will have a significant impact on the decision of Belarus to abandon the services of Baltic ports. A study of the operational activities of the Baltic sea ports and the Lenin-grad Region suggests that they take place in a highly competitive environment and require constant work to diversify cargo flows, as well as investments to modernize the port and related railway infrastructure. The construction of the Ust-Luga railway junction has brought this junction to a leading position not only in Russia, but also in Europe. The Ust-Luga transport hub is capable of processing 20 types of cargo at 12 terminals, according to the level of technological equipment. It is assumed that when the port of Ust-Luga reaches its maximum capacity by 2024, the transit potential of Belarusian cargo will be fully provided.

Early spring SST distribution in the Baltic Sea: in search of the coldest water

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Bukanova ◽  
Irina Chubarenko
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Basic Research ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Heat Fluxes ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Convergence Zones ◽  
The Baltic

<p>We examine three hypotheses of formation of waters of the Cold Intermediate Layer (CIL) in the Baltic Sea: the coldest baltic waters are formed (1) at the beginning of spring warming in the Arkona and Bornholm basins, (2) in the centers of mesoscale vortexes (similar to those in the Black Sea), and (3) in the convergence zones of alongshore fronts while cooling over shelves (as in the Mediterranean Sea).</p><p>In search of the coldest surface water we analyzed the dynamics of sea surface temperature (SST) in the Baltic Proper for February-April 2003-2019 from satellite imagery of infrared sensors (MODIS-Terra/Aqua and VIIRS-Suomi-NPP), and microwave sensors (AMSR-E-Aqua, AMSR-2-GCOM-W1, and WindSat-Coriolis).</p><p>Long-term mean SST maps (for February, March, April 2003-2019) show patterns that indicate rather quick, abrupt re-structuring of thermohaline fields in late March - early April, especially evident in the Arkona and Bornholm basins. This supports the idea that seasonal transfer from two-layered winter-time vertical water stratification to the summer-time three-layered stratification is driven in the Baltic Sea not by the direct heat fluxes through the surface, but rather by the large-scale north-south water exchange.</p><p>Coastal fronts may persist for a few weeks, however their location is changeable. Stable frontal zones and vortexes are not observed under long-term SST averaging. However the sequential warming of waters from south to north direction due to geographical reasons is clearly seen with long-term averaging.</p><p>The features of spring differential warming development above shallows and along shore can be observed only from daily SST maps (not from annually averaged maps).</p><p>Investigations are supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, grant No. 19-05-00717 (in part of data analysis) and the State Assignment No 0149-2019-0013 (in part of satellite data collecting and processing).</p>

scholarly journals Urban population exposure to NO<sub>x</sub> emissions from local shipping in three Baltic Sea harbour cities – a generic approach

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Otto Paul Ramacher ◽  
Matthias Karl ◽  
Johannes Bieser ◽  
Jukka-Pekka Jalkanen ◽  
Lasse Johansson
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Population Data ◽  
Population Exposure ◽  
Population Activity ◽  
Port Area ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Dynamic Population ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Ship emissions in ports can have a significant impact on local air quality (AQ), population exposure, and therefore human health in harbour cities. We determined the impact of shipping emissions on local AQ and population exposure in the Baltic Sea harbour cities Rostock (Germany), Riga (Latvia) and the urban agglomeration of Gdansk-Gdynia (Poland) for 2012. An urban AQ study was performed using a global-to-local Chemistry Transport Model chain with the EPISODE-CityChem model for the urban scale. We simulated NO2, O3 and PM concentrations in 2012 with the aim to determine the impact of local shipping activities to outdoor population exposure in Baltic Sea harbour cities. Based on simulated concentrations, dynamic population exposure on outdoor NO2 concentrations for all urban domains was calculated. We developed and used a novel generic approach to model dynamic population activity in different microenvironments based on publicly available data. The results of the new approach are hourly microenvironment-specific population grids with a spatial resolution of 100 × 100 m2. We multiplied these grids with surface pollutant concentration fields of the same resolution to calculate total population exposure. We found that the local shipping impact on NO2 concentrations is significant, contributing with 22 %, 11 %, and 16 % to the total annually averaged grid mean concentration for Rostock, Riga and Gdansk-Gdynia, respectively. For PM2.5, the contribution of shipping is substantially lower with 1–3 %. When it comes to microenvironment-specific exposure to annual NO2, the highest exposure to NO2 from all emission sources was found in the home environment (54–59 %). Emissions from shipping have a high impact on NO2 exposure in the port area (50–80 %) while the influence in home, work and other environments is lower on average (3–14 %), but still with high impacts close to the port areas and downwind of them. Besides this, the newly developed generic approach allows for dynamic population exposure calculations in European cities without the necessity of individually measured data or large-scale surveys on population data.

scholarly journals The climate in the Baltic Sea region during the last millennium

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1369-1407 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Schimanke ◽  
H. E. M. Meier ◽  
E. Kjellström ◽  
G. Strandberg ◽  
R. Hordoir
Keyword(s):  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Dynamical Downscaling ◽  
Ice Age ◽  
Last Millennium ◽  
Nutrient Loads ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
Baltic Sea Region ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Variability and long-term climate change in the Baltic Sea region is investigated for the pre-industrial period of the last millennium. For the first time dynamical downscaling covering the complete millennium is conducted with a regional climate model in this area. As a result of changing external forcing conditions the model simulation shows warm conditions in the first centuries followed by a gradual cooling until c. 1700 before temperature increases in the last centuries. This long-term evolution, with a Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and a Little Ice Age (LIA), is in broad agreement with proxy-based reconstructions. However, the timing of warm and cold events is not captured at all times. We show that the regional response to the global climate anomalies is to a strong degree modified by the large-scale circulation in the model. In particular, we find that a positive NAO-phase simulated during MCA contributes to enhancing winter temperatures and precipitation in the region while a negative NAO-anomaly in the LIA reduces them. In a second step, the regional ocean model RCO is used to investigate the impact of atmospheric changes onto the Baltic Sea for two 100 yr time slices representing the MCA and the LIA. Besides the warming of the Baltic Sea the water becomes fresher at all levels during the MCA. This is induced by increased runoff and stronger westerly winds. Moreover, the oxygen concentrations in the deep layers are slightly reduced during the MCA. Additional sensitivity studies are conducted to investigate the impact of even higher temperatures and increased nutrient loads. The presented experiments suggest that changing nutrient loads may be more important determining oxygen depletion than changes in temperature or dynamic feedbacks.

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