Amber in sediments of the Baltic Sea and the Curonian and Kaliningrad bays

Abstract

In the Kaliningrad region, sediments of the Upper Eocene Prussian Formation accommodates the world’s largest explored amber deposits (up to 90% of world reserves). They are also partly tracked on the shelf of the southeastern Baltic region and subjected to bottom erosion, which is particularly intense during storm activity in the sea. Recent alongshore currents transport amber fragments over great distances, resulting in the formation of new (secondary) amber-bearing deposits in Holocene sediments in some places. The paper addresses formation conditions of such deposits. Catastrophic events, such as hydrospheric floods provoked by the regional glaciation, meteorite falls, and earthquakes (tsunamis), are of great significance.