Ice Conditions on the Southern Baltic Sea Coast

Abstract

The paper describes basic ice parameters: date of first ice appearance, date of last ice disappearance, duration of ice season, number of days with ice, and maximum ice thickness in winter on the southern Baltic Sea coast. These parameters are used to develop descriptions of the ice regime along the coast, including frequency. The archive data originates from Germany, Poland, and Russia. The missing data were completed by the correlation and regression analysis method. The data concerning the areas of Arkona, Sassnitz, Koserow, Karnin, Kamminke, Ueckermünde, Krasnoflotskoje, Baltijsk, and Ušakovo cover the period from 1950–1951 through 1989–1990, whereas the data concerning the areas of Szczecin, Trzebież, Świnoujście, Kołobrzeg, Darłowo, Ustka, Łeba, Rozewie, Hel, Puck, Gdynia, Świbno, Tolkmicko, and Krynica Morska cover the period from 1946–1947 through 1999–2000. In sheltered basins (internal), the ice phenomena appear earliest (on average, in December) and disappear latest (on average, in March). The intensity increases eastward in accordance with the severity of ice conditions. On the other hand, in unsheltered basins (open sea water) the ice appears later—on average, in January—and it disappears in late February to early March. The intensity increases westward, primarily influenced by bathymetric factors.