Why should the Odra River mouth area not be regarded as an estuary? A geologist's point of view

Why should the Odra River mouth area not be regarded as an estuary? A geologist's point of viewThe authors find no arguments that would justify application of the term "estuary" to the area of the Odra River discharge into the Baltic Sea. The physiography, geology, and hydrology of the Odra river mouth show that the area possesses many more characteristics typical of flow-through coastal lagoons than those of estuaries. Of key importance in this respect is the Szczecin Lagoon, an extensive, shallow water body separated from the open sea by a barrier intersected by three narrow and long straits. The lagoonal nature of the area is demonstrated also by its geological history.

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Water level fluctuations in the Odra River mouth area in relation to passages of deep low-pressure systems

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies ◽

10.2478/v10009-007-0009-2 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Bernard Wiśniewski ◽

Halina Kowalewska-Kalkowska

Keyword(s):

Sea Level ◽

Atmospheric Pressure ◽

River Mouth ◽

Storm Surges ◽

Low Pressure ◽

Mouth Area ◽

Water Level Fluctuations ◽

River Mouth Area ◽

Odra River ◽

Low Pressure Systems

Water level fluctuations in the Odra River mouth area in relation to passages of deep low-pressure systemsThe Odra River mouth area is affected by storm surges caused by passages of deep low-pressure systems over the Baltic Sea. The surges are the result of wind action and changes in atmospheric pressure at the sea surface. The two effects may be additive, in which both factors increase or decrease the sea level on the coast, or they may be non-additive, where one factor increases the sea level and the other decreases it. This paper discusses the role of the wind field and changes in atmospheric pressure in the duration and extent of storm surges in the Odra River mouth area.

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Storm-Surge Induced Water Level Changes in the Odra River Mouth Area (Southern Baltic Coast)

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12121559 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (12) ◽

pp. 1559

Author(s):

Halina Kowalewska-Kalkowska

Keyword(s):

Water Level ◽

Storm Surge ◽

River Mouth ◽

Storm Surges ◽

Mouth Area ◽

Water Levels ◽

Szczecin Lagoon ◽

Sea Levels ◽

River Mouth Area ◽

Odra River

The Odra River mouth area is a region of the Southern Baltic coastal zone especially prone to the influence of storm surges. In the present study, the height and extent of the Baltic storm surges, and temporal offsets of the respective maximum water level occurrences in the Odra River mouth area were explored using cross-correlation, cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The analyses were based on hourly water level readings retrieved from water gauging stations located along the lower Odra reaches and at the coasts of the Szczecin Lagoon and the Pomeranian Bay during storm surge years 2008/2009–2019/2020. The analysis of mutual relationships between water levels during storm surges indicated that the extent of marine influence on the lower Odra River and within the Szczecin Lagoon was variable during the studied surge events, and dependent on meteorological conditions (the strongest during the sustained occurrence of wind blowing from the northern sector), discharge from the Odra River catchment (the strongest at low discharge), ice conditions on the lower Odra (suppressing the storm surge propagation upstream), and general sea level in the Pomeranian Bay (stronger at high sea levels). The strongest correlation between sea levels at Świnoujście and water levels in the Szczecin Lagoon and the lower Odra was found at a 6–7 h offset. The extent of storm surges usually reached 100 km up the lower Odra channels, less frequently reaching 130 km away from the sea.

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Modeling water exchange in the Oder River mouth area

Oceanological and Hydrobiological Studies ◽

10.2478/v10009-007-0002-9 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 36 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Halina Kowalewska-Kalkowska ◽

Marek Kowalewski

Keyword(s):

Baltic Sea ◽

Water Exchange ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

River Mouth ◽

Ocean Model ◽

Mouth Area ◽

The Baltic Sea ◽

River Mouth Area ◽

Oder River ◽

The Baltic

Modeling water exchange in the Oder River mouth areaA three-dimensional operational hydrodynamic model of the Baltic Sea (M3D_UG) developed based on the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) was applied to model water exchange in the Oder River mouth area. Due to wind-driven back flow in the Oder mouth, a simplified operational model of river discharge was also developed based on the water budget in a stream channel. Linking the Oder discharge and Baltic Sea models into a single system allowed simulating hydrodynamic conditions in the Szczecin Lagoon and the Pomeranian Bay. Since the model adequately approximates hydrodynamic variability, it is a reliable tool for modeling water exchange in the Oder River mouth area and for assessing Oder water spread in the Baltic Sea.

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