Morphological Features of the Seabed Slope and Their Influence on Cross-Slope Transport of Suspended Matter Under Storm Conditions off the Coast of the Kaliningrad Peninsula

An analysis of small-scale gradient characteristics of the underwater coastal slope surface near the shallow sandy shores of the Kaliningrad Peninsula provided qualitative and quantitative estimates of the horizontal gradients of the bottom slope, curvature, and the steepest descent trajectories. Sections of the slope with morphological features such as erosional gullies and cross-slope-oriented channels were identified, creating favorable conditions for suspended sediment transport during severe storms in the form of along-slope suspension currents. Based on the criterion proposed in this study, a classification of the coastal zone near the Kaliningrad Peninsula was carried out according to the degree of negative impact of bottom slope morphological features in the context of potential shoreline erosion under storm conditions.