GRANULOMETRY OF COASTAL SEDIMENTS AS AN INDICATOR OF LITHODYNAMIC PROCESSES: KINBURNSKA-POKROVSKADOVGIY COASTAL SYSTEM, BLACK SEA, UKRAINE

Abstract

Global climate change could lead, already by 2100, to an increase in the average sea level of theWorld's oceans by 0.63–1.01 meters. Rising levels will lead to active transformation of the coastal zone,especially within coastal sandy accumulative forms. The evolution of sandy coastal accumulative formscan have different trends.In this context, there are two opposing viewpoints in the scientific world. One view suggests thatcoastal sand molds will experience severe erosion, while another view suggests that these molds willadapt to the new hydrodynamic conditions and gradually rebuild.To gain the most accurate understanding of how sandy coastal accumulation forms may change overtime, it is important to consider both the hydrodynamic conditions of their formation and the uniquegranulometry composition of these forms. The granulometry composition represents one of the mostimportant factors in the stability of coastal accumulative forms.In the north-western part of the Black Sea lies the Kinburnska-Pokrovska-Dovgiy coastal system.All morphological elements of the system are composed exclusively of sand-shell sediments and arecharacterized by insignificant morphometric parameters. The described conditions cause very highdynamism in coastal processes, a significant probability of destructive evolution of the whole system, anda significant risk of flooding coastal areas.The granulometry analysis of the coastal-marine sediments comprising the coastal system understudy is very important for understanding its stability and identifying possible evolutionary trends. Thisanalysis is a very important source of information on the potential for creating artificial aeolian landformsas natural shore protection barriers along the seashore of the system.To carry out the granulometry analysis, we collected sediment samples along the entire offshorecontour of the system during field surveys between 2019 and 2021. The selected samples were analyzedin the laboratory of Kherson State University. Granulometry analysis results determined the coastal-marine sediment's dominant sediment fraction,median, and sorting factor for the whole system and its constituent elements. The study of the spatialdifferentiation of the coastal-marine sediments made it possible to confirm the lithodynamic conditionsand identify the most morpho-dynamically vulnerable areas within the system.