Dynamics Of Dune Massifs In Various Meteorological Conditions On The Example Of The Curonian Spit (South-Eastern Baltic Sea Coast)

A study of geomorphological changes in the continental dune massifs of the Curonian Spit is presented. Analysis of sand dynamics was carried out using satellite images. A relative decrease in the area of open dunes as a result of vegetation of the western slope was revealed. It was determined that the dune belt displacement of the southern part of the Curonian Spit occurs eastward at a speed of 2-5 mper year. Good correlation of the directions of the slopes of large dunes in the villages Morskoe and Rybachy with the direction of the resulting wind vector at the nearest weather station was noted. The relationship between the formation of relief microforms on the surface of the dunes and the resulting wind vector is revealed. In addition, meteorological parameters affecting aeolian processes in the southeast of the Baltic Region were investigated. The prevailing importance for the formation of aeolian relief forms of the Curonian Spit are the speed and direction of the wind in conjunction with precipitation. For the period 2006–2018 the average annual number of favorable days for the formation of the dunes of the Curonian Spit was 36±17