Abstract
This article presents aeolian landforms and meteorological parameters affecting aeolian processes on the south Baltic coastal cliffs of Poland. The analysis was conducted for two weather stations at different locations. The bluffs in the vicinity of the stations have similar geological structure, but differ in height. Velocity and direction of the wind, as well as precipitation, are of dominating importance. Dispelling the cliff starts at wind speeds of two–three ms-1. At this speed, the distance at which the material is transported is short and is only a few meters, while for the transport of fine sand and dust on the top of the bluff the wind speed must be over 10 ms-1. It was observed that such speeds of the wind or gust are characteristic of days with an average wind velocity of at least six ms-1. The number of days with potential deflation on the bluff is four times higher in the area of Ustka than in the Świnoujście region. On average, the bluff in Ustka can be dispersed by wind throughout 33 days in a year, while the one in Wolin in less than eight days. Erosive and accumulative eolian forms are small, their sizes are generally less than one meter, only with rhythmic swelling to the size of several meters.
Keywords: aeolian landform, coastal cliff, wind speed, deflation, Wolin Island, Ustka
DOI: 10.5200/baltica.2014.27.07
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