Chapter
15
________________________________________________________________________________
Dynamics of the Northeastern Caspian Sea
Coastal Zone in Connection with Sea-Level Rise
Valentina I. Kravtsova
Department of Geography
Moscow State University
Moscow, Russia
Abstract
The northeastern Caspian Sea is distinguished by a large shallow area. We mapped bottom topography and sediments, underwater vegetation, and the subsea landscapes using photographs taken during the regressive stage in 1976. At that time ridge-and-swale topography formed in response to wave action, wind-induced surge phenomena, and currents. Data from subsequent space photographs from 1985, 1992 and 1996 showed that in the transgressive stage, passive flooding of the land occurred without noticeable changes to the coastal zone profile. We documented extensive flooding of dry land and solonchaks and dry hollows that were saturated with water. Ridge-and-swale topography may be subject to future erosion in response to rising sea level.
Citation for the published article
Kravtsova, V. I., 2000. Dynamics of the northeastern Caspian Sea coastal zone in connection with sea-level rise, in Dynamic Earth Environments: Remote Sensing Observations from Shuttle-Mir Missions (K. P. Lulla and L. V. Dessinov, eds.), John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp. 191-199, 267, 282.
Links to Color Images
 |
Figure 15.1
Map of bottom relief forms in the northeastern Caspian Sea and old coastlines, compiled from pictures taken from Soyuz 22, September 19, 1976. The letters a, b, and c mark features compared among figures. Key to bottom relief forms: 1, underwater ridges, (1a, of supposed wave-formed origin; 1b, ridges now forming); 2, banks and sandbars of complex origin. Numbers 3-9 comprise a series of underwater ridges and inter-ridge depressions formed by waves and wind-induced surges: 3, sharp crests of relict ridges and those now forming; 4, underwater crests of ridges now forming at the water surface; 5, underwater crests of ridges now forming at significant depths; 6, underwater crests of ridges in early stages of formation at significant depths; 7, low slopes of underwater ridges; 8, inter-ridge depressions with hollows now forming; 9, inter-ridge hollows in early stages of formation. 10, Contemporary erosional hollows formed by wind-induced surges; 11, relict channels shown in contemporary relief; 12, relict channels separated by special bottom vegetation. |
|
 |
Figure 15.2
Northeastern Caspian Sea photographed from Soyuz 22 in September 1976. The numbered features are discussed in the text. The letter a refers to a feature compared across photographs in the text. |
|
 |
Figure 15.3
Benchmarks of Caspian sea level used for reference in this study. Bars indicate sea level in the indicated year as reported by the authors. Line indicates data for the twentieth century used by Varuschenko, et al. (Chapter 16). |
|
 |
Figure 15.4
Portion of the northeastern coast of the Caspian Sea near the mouth of Komsomolets Bay and the Mertvyy Kultuk dry bed between Prorva and Buzachi Peninsula August 1, 1985, (NASA photograph STS51F-34-67). The letters a, b, and d mark features compared among figures. |
|
 |
Figure 15.5
Mosaic of the northeastern coast of the Caspian Sea compiled from Landsat images, 1992. |
|
 |
Figure 15.6
Mouth of Komsomolets Bay and the Kaydak dry beds, flooded with water and frozen March, 1996 (NASA photographs NM21-704-12 and NM21-704-15). The letter d marks a feature compared among figures. |
