Storm surges in the Odra mouth area during the 1997–2006 decade

The 1997-2006 storm surges in the Odra River mouth area (a complex structure encompassing the terminal section of the Odra split into two branches, the Szczecin Lagoon, and the inshore Pomeranian Bay in the southern Baltic Sea) were analysed to assess the impact of wind action and changes in atmospheric pressure during passages of low-pressure systems over the Baltic on the magnitude, duration, and extent of the surges. The study revealed three types of storm surges differing with respect to the dominant causative factor (baric wave, wind, and wind and baric wave combined). The baric wave-induced storm surges, recorded only at the Pomeranian Bay coast, were associated with the passage of deep and fast cyclones. The wind- and baric wave-caused storm surges coupled with an extensive system of northerly and north-westerly winds resulted in wind-driven backflow in the Odra branches. Most of the surges were recorded within November-February.