Development of the Narva-Jõesuu beach, mineral composition of beach deposits and destruction of the pier, southeastern coast of the Gulf of Finland

Abstract

Abstract Narva-Jõesuu lies at the eastern southeastern coast of the Gulf of Finland, at the Estonian and Russian border. The beach is influenced by heavy winds, waves and drift ice attacks, which are seriously changing the beach. It is the longest sandy beach in Estonia and longshore drift on this beach has induced favorable conditions for the separation of heavy minerals. The aims of the study were to describe the development of the coast, discuss the influence of the destructed pier, and to identify the mineral composition of beach sands. The dynamics of the coast were mainly through comparison with older topographic maps (from the beginning of the 20th century). For mineral analysis the immersion method was applied. The heavy mineral content was found to increase from east to west. The pier was built in Narva-Jõesuu in 1987/88 for protecting the coast, but it is now broken. Consequently, storms are crashing against the coast and erosion of the sandy shore has started. Therefore, the pier should be restored to avoid further beach destruction.