Long term water level and surface temperature changes in the lagoons of the southern and eastern Baltic

• Published in: Oceanologia Vol. 53; no. 1; pp. 293 - 308
• Main Authors: Dailidienė, Inga, Baudler, Henning, Chubarenko, Boris, Navrotskaya, Svetlana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o 01.01.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Baltic Sea lagoons; Brackish; Climate changes; Marine; Sea surface temperature; Variability; Water level; ANE, Europe, Curonian Lagoon; ANE, Baltic Sea; ANE, Europe, Vistula Lagoon; ANE, Germany, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Darss-Zingst Bodden; ANE, Lithuania, Kursiu Marios Lagoon; ANE, Russia, Kaliningradskaya, Kaliningradskiy Lagoon; ANE, Poland, Wislany Lagoon; ANE, Poland; ANE, Germany, Darss-Zingst Bodden Chain; INW, Russia; ANE, Germany; ANE, Lithuania; Water level; Sea surface temperature; Variability; Climate changes; Baltic Sea lagoons
• ISSN: 0078-3234
• DOI: 10.5697/oc.53-1-TI.293

The paper studies variations in the water level and surface temperature of coastal lagoons along the southern and south-eastern shores of the Baltic Sea: the Curonian Lagoon, Vistula Lagoon, and Darss-Zingst Bodden Chain. Linear regressions for annual mean water level variations showed a positive trend in water level, but at different rates. The highest rate during the period between 1961–2008 was recorded for the Curonian and Vistula lagoons (~ 4mm year−1), the lowest for the DarssZingst Bodden Chain (approximately ~ 1mm year−1). The warming trend of the mean surface water temperature in the lagoons was 0.03°C year−1 in the period 1961–2008. Moreover, the variability in annual water temperature and sea level as well as their extreme values have increased most dramatically since the 1980s.