Vistula Lagoon Ice Shove Morphology and Impact Characterized in New Study

This study examines the development of an ice shove and its impact on the southern coast of the Vistula Lagoon in January 2024. The aim was to characterise the morphology and spatial extent of ice accumulations and assess their effects on coastal relief and infrastructure. Field surveys were conducted during the development of the ice shove and subsequently in spring along affected sections of the southern coast within the Polish part of the lagoon. Measurements of coastal relief and cross-sections through the highest ice pileups were combined with observations of geomorphological impacts. Satellite imagery was additionally used to determine the temporal and spatial displacement of the ice shove. The results indicate that ice advance and pile-up were controlled by both shoreline elevation and water level during the event. Ice accumulation affected a range of coastal environments, including organic shores with reed beds, beaches, dunes and higher coastal sections, causing erosion and morphological changes. The maximum height of ice pile-ups along the shore reached 4–7 m, while on low-lying shores the maximum inland extent of the ice reached an average of up to 55 m. The ice shove also damaged utility infrastructure located near the lagoon shore. The results demonstrate that the magnitude and inland extent of ice-shove impacts vary considerably according to coastal elevation and hydrological conditions and that low-lying shores are particularly exposed to extensive inland ice displacement and associated geomorphological impacts.