The arctic ocean is currently responding to the significant global atmospheric warming by dramatic panarctic seaice loss steele et al. Arctic coastal erosion rates in the united states have doubled since the. For this section, the number of years of measurement data varies from 5 to 8, with most having 8 years available figure 2. Alaska district website library reports and studies.
Coastal erosion variability at the southern laptev sea. Uarctic education courses arctic hydrology and climate change. Erosion and sediment transport in high arctic rivers, svalbard. The purpose of this study has been to coordinate, plan and prioritize appropriate responses to erosion in alaska. Report to congress department of defense arctic strategy. Studies in norway and elsewhere have shown that sediment concentrations in glacial meltwater rivers are subject to large temporal. Pdf in the present study, numerical modelling breaking waves over a slope and the resulting erosion in the arctic region is presented. Numerical modelling of arctic coastal erosion due to. Climate change and the deteriorating archaeological and environmental archives of the arctic melting glaciers and rising sea levels are just some of the changes affecting the natural system acia 2004, and causing physical and chemical damage to archaeological sites and. Technological applications in the arctic environment. The erosion information paper eip development process was based on a telephone interview that used an office of management and budget approved questionnaire, the department of commerce, community and economic development division of community advocacy community profile database, and existing corps files. Stability of permafrost dominated coastal cliffs in the arctic. Effects of permafrost on stream channel behavior in arctic. Iqaluit, located on southern baffin island, is a thriving city with an increasing.
The shoreline positions were established based on a map 1927, orthophotos. Exploring permafrost coastal erosion in the arctic 5 february 2019, by jennifer matthews sandbags lining the coast, which is currently barrows only defense against coastal erosion. With arctic warming, sea ice has been forming later in the fall, leaving the low shoreline exposed to erosion from powerful storms. The arctic coastal plain of northern alaska is an area of strategic economic importance to the united states, is home to remote native communities, and encompasses unique habitats of global significance. Updated assessment of erosion rates on alaskas arctic coast.
Arctic coasts characterized by icerich permafrost are possibly one of the most sensitive environments solomon, 2005 to climate change. For most of the year, landfast sea ice has buffered alaskas northern coastline from waves, winds, and currents. Temporal and spatial trends in marine carbon isotopes in the. The shoreline positions were established based on a map 1927. It sits on a gravel bar between kivalina lagoon and the chukchi sea. Temporal and spatial trends in marine carbon isotopes in. One of the reports, a study published in the journal estuaries and coasts, found an average rate of erosion of 1. Coastal erosion of permafrost soils along the yukon coastal plain and fluxes of organic carbon to the canadian beaufort sea nicole j. There is little sunlight in winter, the summer days are long, the storms can include hurricane force winds, bitter cold temperatures, and at times, even rainfall.
Proceedings of the workshop on sea ice extent and the global climate system, pp. Impact assessment study on societal benefits of arctic. Coastal erosion along the arctic coast is chronic, widespread, and may be accelerating, which threatens defense and energyrelated. Timelapse series of coastal bluff erosion along the arctic coast at drew point, beaufort sea, alaska. The influence of cryogenic processes on the erosional.
Aug 29, 2012 investigations of arctic greenhouse gas releases have focused on terrestrial permafrost systems 4,9,15, and only recently on subsea permafrost 6,7,16,17, with a notable scarcity of studies on the. Dod cooperation with arctic allies and partners strengthens our shared approach to regional security and helps deter strategic competitors from seeking to unilaterally change the existing rulesbased order. Relation between planimetric and volumetric measurements. The alaska baseline erosion assessment is a result of study efforts specifically authorized and funded by congress.
Erosion and sediment transport in high arctic rivers. Arctic coastal infrastructure and cultural and archeological sites are increasingly vulnerable to erosion and flooding due to amplified warming of the arctic, sea level rise, lengthening of open water periods, and a predicted increase in frequency of. Flooding and erosion affects 184 out of 2, or 86 percent, of alaska native villages to some extent. Erosion control along transportation routes erosion control in northern climates by definition, afrozen soil is one where the temperature remains below 0c. Erosion and floodingthreats to coastal infrastructure in. Erosion and sediment transport hydrological models. The loss of sea ice in the arctic also exposes shorelines to rapid coastal erosion. Coastal erosion of permafrost soils along the yukon coastal. The arctic coastal plain acp is a large region of lowlying, lakerich land on the north slope of alaska. The tuktoyaktuk area lies within the arctic coastal plain. Refuge researchers, along with other agencies and scientists, are studying the impacts of global climate change within the arctic refuge. The coastal areas have become more prone and vulnerable to natural and hu man made hazards which leadto coastal erosion. The shoreline retreat is recognized as a burg eoning threat because of global climate change and other anthropogenic activities that alter the natural processes of sustaining beaches and coasts. Arctic coastal erosion research group home facebook.
Erosion, accelerated by decreased sea ice extent and thawing permafrost, is leading. Investigations of arctic greenhouse gas releases have focused on terrestrial permafrost systems 4,9,15, and only recently on subsea permafrost 6,7,16,17, with a. Coastal erosion due to decreased ice coverage, associated. Pdf this poster presents some of the ongoing geocryolabs studies on ground ice and permafrost erosion on bylot island, nunavut, canada. Erosion control along transportation routes in northern. Climate change and the deteriorating archaeological and.
Recent studies seem to link those tremendous moves to the annual thermal variations within the soil. In the late 1970s, five permafrost ground temperature boreholes were instrumented at cfs alert 82. On a volume basis, the arctic ocean receives higher levels of terrestrially derived organic matter than. Maintaining good soil tilth and healthy vegetation can reduce runoff by promoting increased. Soil erosion is the displacement of the upper layer of soil, it is one form of soil degradation. Pdf the arctic coastal erosion problem researchgate. An analysis of arctic coastal resilience in response to. Activation of old carbon by erosion of coastal and subsea. Academic studies in arctic law and governance have been focusing on a variety of topics over the last few years including. A major goal of the arctic coastal dynamics project was to develop. Pdf numerical modelling of arctic coastal erosion due to. Effects of permafrost on stream channel behavior in arctic alaska. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice glaciers, snow, air wind, plants, animals, and humans.
Climate change impacts on the hydrological cycle with focus on the arctic. This region is underlain by thick ground ice, which is susceptible to erosion and thaw. Permafrost ground temperatures at depths of up to 60 m have been. The overall influence of cryogenic processes on arctic coasts composed of loose sediments is seen in that the average rate of coastal retreat is larger than in the temperate environments, even though arctic coasts are protected by a continuous ice cover most of the year. The goals of the aapc included continuing the work of the nwtf, creating actionable arctic policy for alaska, and positively. It extends 60km from flamborough in the north to spurn point in the south. Our study examines the organic carbon added to the canadian. In this study, we present an assessment of sea level rise, shoreline recession, and flooding on simpson point fig. Coper is a scientific programme, funded by the helmholtz association and the alfred wegener institute, assessing.
Apr 17, 2011 one of the reports, a study published in the journal estuaries and coasts, found an average rate of erosion of 1. For example, coastal erosion has threatened many arctic alaska native villages, forcing a number of villages to consider. He believes the issue isnt studied enough because large research vessels avoid the shallow water where coastal erosion is taking place. Coastal erosion dynamics on the permafrostdominated bykovsky. Effects of permafrost on stream channel behavior in arctic alaska plain east of the sagavanirktok river, notes that such rivers have a greater tendency.
Find, read and cite all the research you need on researchgate. Jul 29, 2011 timelapse series of coastal bluff erosion along the arctic coast at drew point, beaufort sea, alaska. Climateinduced displacement of alaska native communities. Nds goals and priorities guide dods strategic approach to the arctic. Erosion control along transportation routes in northern climates. Relation between planimetric and volumetric measurements of permafrost coast erosion. The influence of cryogenic processes on the erosional arctic. Coastal erosion variability at the southern laptev sea linked. Thick layers of sand are found under most of the area, and beds of coarse 489 erosion progression and adaptation strategy in a northern coastal community. Trough the past decades, mappings of the arctic s shorelines point out huge erosion rates and show the threat of a climate change upon the coast. The significance of these com ments is less in their substance than in the fact that.
While many of the problems are longstanding, various studies indicate that coastal villages are becoming more susceptible to flooding and erosion due in part to rising temperatures. The baseline yearof 1947does not countin this total since it is the reference. The widespread occurrence of permafrost in northern climates dictates the use of specialized measures to protect the. Canadian arctic faces threat of coastal erosion climate change is hastening shoreline erosion in the arctic, where communities are facing tough decisions about how to stop homes and infrastructure from being washed away. Nov 12, 2015 arctic coastal infrastructure and cultural and archeological sites are increasingly vulnerable to erosion and flooding due to amplified warming of the arctic, sea level rise, lengthening of open water periods, and a predicted increase in frequency of major storms. Couture1,2, anna irrgang 3,4, wayne pollard2, hugues lantuit, and michael fritz3 1geological survey of canada, natural resources canada, ottawa, ontario, canada, 2department of geography, mcgill university, montreal, quebec, canada, 3department of periglacial. Your use of this pdf, the bioone complete website, and all posted and associated content. These physical changes are likely to alter ecosystems by changing the availability of habitats and food resources upon which wildlife depends.
Sustainability free fulltext coastal erosion affecting. Case study of coastal erosion flamborough head and holderness coast background and the problem of erosion the holderness coast is on the ne coast of the uk, facing the north sea. An analysis of arctic coastal resilience in response to erosion, eustasy, and anthropogenic catastrophes team. This study investigates the rate of erosion during the 19512006 period on the. The study compares costs and benefits of arctic observation systems. Arctic region, and thus the cornerstone of dods arctic strategy. Since the main focus of this study is to examine the difference in wave height estimates. The rates of subsea permafrost degradation and occurrence of gasmigration pathways are key factors controlling the east siberian arctic shelf esas methane ch4 emissions, yet. Global climate change and the arctic region the worlds climate is changing. Chapter 2 synthesizes decades of observationbased studies aimed at quantifying longterm rates of coastal erosion across the arctic. Hiorthhamn is an abandoned norwegian coal mining settlement with a loading dock and a lot of industrial infrastructure left in the coastal zone. Mitigating these hazards necessitates decisionmaking tools at an appropriate scale. Coastal erosion rates exceeding 20 meters per year are being observed along the arctic coast. Some early findings from these ongoing studies include.
Greenland ice sheets winds driving tundra soil erosion, study finds date. Fritz and his colleagues published a paper this month in the journal nature climate change, calling for more research into the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of arctic coastal erosion. Erosion progression and adaptation strategy in a northern. At the same time, recent environmental changes have created challenges for the people living in the arctic and the ecosystem upon which many of them rely for culture and sustenance. Arctic hydrology and climate change uarctic education. Erosion and floodingthreats to coastal infrastructure in the arctic. Arctic coastal plain studies the arctic coastal plain acp is a large region of lowlying, lakerich land on the north slope of alaska. The variability of arctic coastal erosion also responds to environmental conditions within the ows, such as positive air surface temperatures gunther et al. Mattsunamis lucas arthur jacob cucinello cade johnstone sarah montalbano leah wyzykowski matsu career and technical high school 2472 n. Seward meridian pkwy wasilla, ak 99654 primary contact. Arctic permafrost temperature observatories, including five boreholes at canadian forces station cfs alert.
However, the mechanisms of thermal abrasion that are suggested to be. Temperatures in the arctic are rising at more than twice the rate of the global average. Arctic policy the united states strategic position near russia and neighboring canada allows the u. Greenland ice sheets winds driving tundra soil erosion. Coastal erosion of permafrost soils along the yukon. The alaska arctic policy commission aapc was created by the alaska legislature in 2012, at the recommendation of the alaska northern waters task force nwtf, and was comprised of 26 commissioners, including 10 legislators and 16 experts from around alaska. Arctic coastal infrastructure and cultural and archeological sites are increasingly vulnerable to erosion and flooding due to amplified warming of the arctic, sea level rise, lengthening of open water periods, and a predicted increase in frequency of major storms. On average, the temperature on the earths surface has increased by 0.
Current observations and future projections show that as sea ice melts earlier and forms later in the year, arctic coasts will be more vulnerable to. Increased rates of erosion along arctic coasts is related to the synergistic effects of warming permafrost, reduced sea ice extent, longer open water seasons, sea level rise and increased storm activity. Sea ice that once protected the island from winter storms no longer forms early enough in the fall. Arctics icy coastlines retreat as planet warms live science. Erosion and floodingthreats to coastal infrastructure in the. Institutions, regimes and forums dealing with arctic governance on various scales, gaps in arctic regulations and necessary reforms e. This unpredictability is partly due to the dynamic behavior of the arctic.
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