CHANGES IN THE COMPOSITION AND FORMATION CONDITIONS OF NEVA INLET BOTTOM SEDIMENTS AS A RESULT OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SEA BARRIER

The authors investigate whether the construction of a massive sea barrier to protect the city of St. Petersburg from flooding has introduced changes in the patterns of deposition and bottom sediment accumulation in the Neva Inlet, already suffering accelerated eutrophication as a result of the project (see Soviet Geography, October 1988, pp. 725-735). They emphasize linkages between this preliminary study of the problem and that of the overall pollution of the Inlet, inasmuch as conclusions derived reflect the overall pattern of water circulation and, since sediments in many cases contain pollutants, indicate areas of concentration of environmentally harmful substances. Translated by Edward Torrey, Alexandria, VA 22308 from: Izvestiya Vsesoyuznogo Geograficheskogo Obshchestva, 1991, No. 1, pp. 51-60.