Coastal erosion dynamics on the permafrostdominated bykovsky. When a big storm hit tuktoyaktuk on august 4, beaufort drive the communitys main. In physical or mechanical weathering, due to cold temperatures, much of the rock material in the arctic. Study finds canadas arctic coastline eroding fastest. Arctic in response to climate warming, with coastal erosion.
Little erosion is predicted by a theoretical, maximum ice cover over the queen elizabeth islands, arctic canada fig. But its gotten faster in recent years, due to climate change. 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. The arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, causing ice to melt and sea levels to rise, according to snow, water, ice. Erosion control along transportation routes in northern. The goal is to calculate how much sediment is eroding each year. Timelapse series of coastal bluff erosion along the arctic coast at drew point, beaufort sea, alaska.
Jan 04, 2017 scientists consider the effects of coastal erosion in the arctic we can until now only guess the implications for the food chain, said geoscientist michael fritz. The observation period is defined by black diamonds initial and final. Pitman the 2008 circum arctic resource appraisal edited by t. Erosion and floodingthreats to coastal infrastructure in the. The canadian government is putting some resources into measuring the rate of coastal erosion in the arctic. A case study from herschel island, yukon territory, canada. Erosion and floodingthreats to coastal infrastructure in the arctic. Landforms and climate of the northern arctic ecozone.
Activation of old carbon by erosion of coastal and subsea. Canadas marine coasts in a changing climate natural resources. The arctic tundra is a harsh environment that only the toughest plants and animals can survive in. It is an incipient structure that diminishes in degree of development northwestward, bifurcates at the head of baffin bay and disappears into the arctic archipelago. Arctic coasts to erosion, inundation, and damage to settle ments and. The arctic tundra can be found in the northern parts of north america, europe, and asia. Interagency arctic research policy committee report on the arctic observing network. Extensional stresses along the entire length of the rift system have resulted in. Below are some really neat facts about the arctic tundra. Geological survey assessed the potential for undiscovered oil and gas resources of the franklinian shelf province of northern canada and greenland as part of the u.
A major goal of the arctic coastal dynamics project was to develop circumarctic estimates of the coastal. Permafrost and climate change in northern coastal canada. Pdf the arctic coastal erosion problem researchgate. Eight of its 10 provinces and all three territories border ocean waters. 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. 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. Finkellimited icesheet erosion and complex exposure histories derived from in situ cosmogenic 10 be, 26 al and 14 c on baffin island, arctic canada quaternary geochronology, 1 2006, pp. Erosion control along transportation routes erosion control in northern climates by definition, afrozen soil is one where the temperature remains below 0c.
Jan 25, 2017 the canadian government is putting some resources into measuring the rate of coastal erosion in the arctic. The canadian arctic coastline is vast, stretching from the u. Hes driving the great dempster highway, 747 kilometres of gravel linking southern canada to the arctic. Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas. Permafrostcoasts introduction continuing sea level rise slr and the declining extent and duration of sea ice and landfast ice render arctic coasts increasingly vulnerable to coastal erosion, a region where warming exceeds the global mean hartmann et al. Jan 26, 2017 coastal erosion is nothing new in the arctic. Sep 27, 2016 arctic coastlines are on the retreat, especially in canada, and their disappearance has significant implications for both the ecosystem and the economic and social life of the north, according to. In 2014, our research covered those topics, both as fundamental and applied research at many key sites across the arctic, particularly in southern baffin island iqaluit airport, on bylot island thermo erosion and. Arctic coastline erosion speeding up anchorage daily news. That puts the western arctic, canadas southeastern atlantic coast, and major cities like vancouver and halifax right on the front lines of sealevel rise.
In the eastern arctic, highwater and erosion concerns have been noted at hall beach, iqaluit, pond inlet and arctic bay, nu, prompting discussions about adaptation options shirley, 2006. Jul 29, 2011 timelapse series of coastal bluff erosion along the arctic coast at drew point, beaufort sea, alaska. When you go to canadian arctic, in particular the beaufort sea, we see changes in a summer, in a month, sometimes even in a day, during coastal storms says dustin whalen of natural resources canada. Fifty years of coastal erosion and retrogressive thaw. As global climate change continues, the arctic is growing progressively warmer, and as continental and glacial ice melts, increased water makes its way to the ocean basins, causing sea levels to rise in a form of eustasy. They key difference is that the new policy is being developed from the bottom up rather than the top down, meaning northerners will have a greater say in how their needs will be addressed. The erosion taking place on pelly island in canada s north may be the most dramatic in the country, but it is happening all along coastlines and is having a severe impact on some communities. Its clustered leaves resemble its near relative the azalea. Erosion of arctic coasts reflects the complex interaction between climate, geomorphology and geology in which the unique soil properties related to permafrost are subject to thermal as well as mechanical instability. Year by year, metre by metre, the canadian arctic is getting smaller. Some arctic coasts eroding by a hundred feet a year.
Although the rate of erosion from construction sites may range from 20 to 500 thayr, erosion associated with construc. The 7 landform regions of canada are the innuitian mountains, hudson bay arctic lowlands, western cordillera, interior plains, canadian shield, great lakesst. When you go to canadian arctic, in particular the beaufort sea, we see changes in a summer, in a month, sometimes even in a day, during coastal storms says dustin whalen of. In december 2016, prime minister trudeau committed to codeveloping an arctic policy framework, with northerners, territorial and provincial governments, and indigenous peoples. Erosion causing island in canadas north to disappear. Coastal erosion of permafrost soils along the yukon coastal plain and fluxes of organic carbon to the canadian beaufort sea nicole j. The efficacy of erosion by high arctic glaciers remains poorly understood. Thats about 25 percent of the total arctic coastline. Erosion and floodingthreats to coastal infrastructure in. For example, coastal erosion has threatened many arctic alaska native villages, forcing a number of villages to consider. For too long, canada s arctic and northern residents, especially indigenous people, have not had access to the same services, opportunities, and standards of living as those enjoyed by other canadians. The habitat has a long and brutal winter and the barren landscape provides many challenges. Towards a calculation of organic carbon release from erosion of arctic coasts using nonfractal. The communitys future in now uncertain due to rising sea levels and coastal erosion.
The collective efforts of researchers leads to a fairly consistent conclusion. Apr 17, 2011 one of the reports, a study published in the journal estuaries and coasts, found an average rate of erosion of 1. Canada s arctic feels impact of climate change as coastline disappears into the sea. The construction of roads, parking lots, and buildings are examples of this problem. The mose recognizable animal living in the arctic is the polar bear. Scientists consider the effects of coastal erosion in the arctic. Glacial erosion at the fjord onset zone and implications for. Erosion control along transportation routes in northern climates. In some regions of the beaufort sea, more than 70 feet of coastline are lost each year. The tuktoyaktuk area lies within the arctic coastal plain. A subsequent period of inactivity and erosion persisted until sedimentation resumed as the opening of the canada basin. What types of weathering take place in arctic regions. Seaice cover and sealevel rise are key determinants of coastal erosion rates.
I, because much of the ice was coldbased sugden, 1978. Geological survey circum arctic resource appraisal program. A new international study has concluded that canada s arctic coastline is eroding, on average, faster than anywhere else in. The tuktoyaktuk area lies within the arctic coastal. Coastal erosion rates exceeding 20 meters per year are being observed along the arctic coast. But in the arctic, the erosion of coastline can sometimes be measured from one day to another.
Into the vortex we are also pleased to include a collection of interviews with jane glassco northern fellows these thoughtful indigenous women from across canada s north share their. For most of the year, landfast sea ice has buffered alaskas northern coastline from waves, winds, and currents. In some very short stretches of shoreline, the scientists recorded erosion of 65 to 100 feet 20 to 30 meters a year. General information read instructions and eligibility requirements before completing application. The widespread occurrence of permafrost in northern climates dictates the use of specialized measures to protect the. Pdf erosion and floodingthreats to coastal infrastructure. In the past, canada eschewed nato exercises in its arctic as too provocative for its russian neighbour. 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. Much of the northern arctic ecozone consists of low rolling plains covered with soil and rock debris left by glaciers. Thick sea ice and shorefast ice limit wavebased erosional processes to a brief open water season, however despite this, permafrost coasts containing massive ice, ice wedges and icebonded sediments tend to experience high rates of erosion. The impacts of climate change and sealevel rise around the pacific and arctic oceans can vary tremendously. Patterns of coastal erosion in the arctic differ dramatically from those coasts in more temperate environments. Coastal erosion in the arctic differs from its counterpart. Hamlets shoreline erosion a warning to rest of canada s north.
Fifty years of coastal erosion and retrogressive thaw slump. The sedimentary rock contains lignite a form of coal, oil and natural gas deposits. 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. It is difficult to place bank protection during a flood event due to the high flows and velocities, and expensive due to the cost of materials and equipment. Nato, canada and the arctic by andrea charron september, 2017 page 1 nato, canada and the arctic anadas latest defence policy, strong, secure engaged,1 contains a small paragraph that may signal a change in longheld canadian defence practice. Rising temperatures and sea levels have put the community at risk. Weathering occurs when rocks and soils breakdown due to interaction with the environment.
In the arctic this a selfguided nature trail canada. Arctics icy coastlines retreat as planet warms live science. Although glacial erosion now occurs only in the cordillera and the arctic, residual features formed during the pleistocene still dominate most landscapes. May 26, 2009 most of canada was covered by ice during the pleistocene epoch 2. Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources. Coastal erosion along the arctic coast is chronic, widespread, and may be accelerating, which threatens defense and energyrelated. The arctic and northern policy framework is a profound change of direction for the government of canada. Jug handle state natural reserve the ecological staircasepreventing erosion and runoff. In one of the coldest places in canada, steve kokelj is searching for arctic thaw. The canadian arctic rift system is a major north american geological structure extending from the labrador sea in the southeast through davis strait, baffin bay and the arctic archipelago in the northwest.
Erosion rates are greatly accelerated during large floods and often it is too dangerous or impractical to effectively halt erosion. Annual erosion rates along a 100kilometre 62mile segment of the beaufort sea shoreline averaged 5. Mitigating these hazards necessitates decisionmaking tools at an appropriate scale. For instance, dustin whalen, a physical scientist with natural resources canada, has been using an aerial drone to take photos of the changing beaufort sea coastline. The loss of sea ice in the arctic also exposes shorelines to rapid coastal erosion. The government of canada launches codeveloped arctic and.
Thermal erosion also affects the arctic coast, where wave action and nearshore temperatures combine to undercut permafrost bluffs along the shoreline and cause them to fail. Talk of climate change impact often focuses on the future 10, 20 or 50 years ahead. Arctic coastlines are on the retreat, especially in canada, and their disappearance has significant implications for both the ecosystem and the economic and social life. How climate change is thawing the glue that holds the. Coastal erosion of permafrost soils along the yukon.
The framework replaces canada s northern strategy 2009 and the statement on canada s arctic foreign policy 2010. Arctic sovereignty and security in a climatechanging world. Updated assessment of erosion rates on alaskas arctic coast. In these areas, the landscape may be covered by nothing more than frostpatterned soils, frostshattered limestone, and sandstone for hundreds of square kilometres. The remote town of barrow, alaska, home to more than 4,000 people, touts picturesque views of the arctic ocean as well as an unparalleled connection to the alaskan wild, but underneath its stunning beauty lies a major global crisis permafrost coastal erosion causing barrow to. Province, arctic canada, 2008 chapter g of the 2008 circum arctic resource appraisal. Thus far the vast majority of national and international impact assessments and models of coastal climate change have focused on lowrelief coastlines that are not near seismically active zones. Resources of the northwest canada interior basins province, arctic canada, 2008 by marilyn e. The arctic lowland is a series of islands in canada s far north.
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. Coastal erosion rates exceeding 20 meters per year are being observed along the arctic. The effect of changing sea ice on the physical vulnerability of arctic. An analysis of arctic coastal resilience in response to. Erosion progression and adaptation strategy in a northern. Implications of changing climate for the arctic environment. 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. An analysis of arctic coastal resilience in response to erosion the current environment of the arctic coastline is shifting. The picture show a warming climate and erosion are causing arctic coasts to recede by an average of 1. The arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, causing ice to melt and sea levels to rise, according to snow, water, ice and permafrost in the arctic swipa, an update to the.
There are longstanding inequalities in transportation, energy, communications. The head of small flowers can be seen in late summer. 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. During the brief open water season, icerich permafrost coasts in the southern beaufort sea experience erosion rates on the order of 1 to 5 myr solomon, 2005. Geological survey professional paper 1824 chapter g abstract the northwest canada interior basins province is bounded. The new arctic policy framework addresses many of the same issues found in the previous northern strategy and the statement on canada s arctic foreign policy. Plain and fluxes of organic carbon to the canadian.
There are longstanding inequalities in transportation, energy, communications, employment. A case study from herschel island, yukon territory, canada november 2015 estuaries and coasts 394. Bhabesh roy, regional engineer, government of nunavut, pers. Canada first defence policy commits to augmenting the canadian forces capacity to. It consists of a series of interconnected rifts that formed during the paleozoic, mesozoic and cenozoic eras. These landforms can be formed by numerous natural factors, including erosion or floods. Canadas marine coasts in a changing climate ressources.
Erosion is defined as a negative coastline position change landward. Nov 28, 2017 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. The canadian arctic rift system is a branch of the midatlantic ridge that extends 4,800 km 3,000 mi into the north american continent. Coastal erosion of permafrost soils along the yukon coastal. The innuitian mountains occur in canada s far north.
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