ABOUT THE STUDY OF MORPHOLOGICAL CONDITIONS OF THE UTLUTSKY LIMAN COASTAL ZONE WITHIN HENICHESK

Abstract

Henichesk is a seaside resort town located on the shores of the southwestern part of the Utlyutsky liman, near the Tonka (Henichesk) Strait. Within the city there are a large number of private hotels and apartments, the appropriate entertainment infrastructure is built, but every year the number of vacationers is steadily declining. According to the community, this trend is caused by the lack of embankment within the city, and the “City Beach” and the coast in general have a very low aesthetic appearance and do not meet the safety requirements of vacationers. At the beginning of the XXI century, on the background of global climate changes, a stable ice cover is not formed and the number of storm surges increases within the Utlyutsky liman in the cold period. Storm surges are the most important factor in the relief formation within the liman coastal zone, therefore they cause increased abrasion of the shore and underwater slope, as well as flooding and destruction of the surface of the “City Beach” and adjacent areas of the coastal protection complex. Under such conditions, in order to further city development and preservation its status as a resort, it is necessary to reconstruct the coastal protection complex and artificial terrace, as well as to build a modern embankment. However, appropriate measures should be taken only after detailed scientific studies of the coastal zone state, aimed at studying geological, geomorphological and hydrodynamic conditions. That is why, in September and October 2021, we have conducted a comprehensive study of the current state of the Utlyutsky liman coastal zone within the city of Henichesk. The research was conducted during research expeditions, using modern research tools, which included GPS-capture, geodetic profiling and aerial photography. We have made a detailed description of the morphological conditions of the underwater and surface parts of the liman coastal zone based on the results of our research. Thus, the functionality of the existing shore protection structures was determined and the prospect of introducing natural shore protection in the Utlyutsky liman was assessed.