Implications of changing climate for the arctic environment. The construction of roads, parking lots, and buildings are examples of this problem. Erosion rates are greatly accelerated during large floods and often it is too dangerous or impractical to effectively halt erosion. Towards a calculation of organic carbon release from erosion of arctic coasts using nonfractal. The arctic and northern policy framework is a profound change of direction for the government of canada. The tuktoyaktuk area lies within the arctic coastal plain. 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 in response to climate warming, with coastal erosion. Canadas marine coasts in a changing climate natural resources. Mitigating these hazards necessitates decisionmaking tools at an appropriate scale. Erosion causing island in canadas north to disappear.
There are longstanding inequalities in transportation, energy, communications. Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas. Arctic sovereignty and security in a climatechanging world. 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. In the past, canada eschewed nato exercises in its arctic as too provocative for its russian neighbour. A case study from herschel island, yukon territory, canada november 2015 estuaries and coasts 394. In physical or mechanical weathering, due to cold temperatures, much of the rock material in the arctic. Erosion control along transportation routes in northern. 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. An analysis of arctic coastal resilience in response to erosion the current environment of the arctic coastline is shifting.
An analysis of arctic coastal resilience in response to. Fifty years of coastal erosion and retrogressive thaw. Canada first defence policy commits to augmenting the canadian forces capacity to. The effect of changing sea ice on the physical vulnerability of arctic. Weathering occurs when rocks and soils breakdown due to interaction with the environment. Coastal erosion of permafrost soils along the yukon coastal. Pitman the 2008 circum arctic resource appraisal edited by t. The canadian government is putting some resources into measuring the rate of coastal erosion in the arctic. Permafrost and climate change in northern coastal canada. Arctics icy coastlines retreat as planet warms live science.
Hamlets shoreline erosion a warning to rest of canada s north. 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. These landforms can be formed by numerous natural factors, including erosion or floods. Seaice cover and sealevel rise are key determinants of coastal erosion rates. Glacial erosion at the fjord onset zone and implications for. 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. 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. Jan 26, 2017 coastal erosion is nothing new in the arctic. 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. The loss of sea ice in the arctic also exposes shorelines to rapid coastal erosion.
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. Erosion is defined as a negative coastline position change landward. Coastal erosion rates exceeding 20 meters per year are being observed along the arctic. Jug handle state natural reserve the ecological staircasepreventing erosion and runoff. Erosion progression and adaptation strategy in a northern.
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. May 26, 2009 most of canada was covered by ice during the pleistocene epoch 2. In the arctic this a selfguided nature trail canada. 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. A case study from herschel island, yukon territory, canada. Below are some really neat facts about the arctic tundra. The arctic tundra is a harsh environment that only the toughest plants and animals can survive in. When a big storm hit tuktoyaktuk on august 4, beaufort drive the communitys main. Canada s arctic feels impact of climate change as coastline disappears into the sea. Geological survey professional paper 1824 chapter g abstract the northwest canada interior basins province is bounded.
Coastal erosion dynamics on the permafrostdominated bykovsky. 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 head of small flowers can be seen in late summer. Coastal erosion in the arctic differs from its counterpart. The efficacy of erosion by high arctic glaciers remains poorly understood.
The communitys future in now uncertain due to rising sea levels and coastal erosion. 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. Study finds canadas arctic coastline eroding fastest. Thats about 25 percent of the total arctic coastline. The goal is to calculate how much sediment is eroding each year. Arctic coastline erosion speeding up anchorage daily news. Pdf the arctic coastal erosion problem researchgate. 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. Jul 29, 2011 timelapse series of coastal bluff erosion along the arctic coast at drew point, beaufort sea, alaska. Annual erosion rates along a 100kilometre 62mile segment of the beaufort sea shoreline averaged 5. In some very short stretches of shoreline, the scientists recorded erosion of 65 to 100 feet 20 to 30 meters a year. The impacts of climate change and sealevel rise around the pacific and arctic oceans can vary tremendously. 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. 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.
In december 2016, prime minister trudeau committed to codeveloping an arctic policy framework, with northerners, territorial and provincial governments, and indigenous peoples. The government of canada launches codeveloped arctic and. But its gotten faster in recent years, due to climate change. The innuitian mountains occur in canada s far north. The widespread occurrence of permafrost in northern climates dictates the use of specialized measures to protect the. Erosion and floodingthreats to coastal infrastructure in the. Coastal erosion along the arctic coast is chronic, widespread, and may be accelerating, which threatens defense and energyrelated.
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. A new international study has concluded that canada s arctic coastline is eroding, on average, faster than anywhere else in. Arctic coasts to erosion, inundation, and damage to settle ments and. 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. Coastal erosion rates exceeding 20 meters per year are being observed along the arctic coast. 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. 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.
The tuktoyaktuk area lies within the arctic coastal. The mose recognizable animal living in the arctic is the polar bear. The arctic tundra can be found in the northern parts of north america, europe, and asia. Some arctic coasts eroding by a hundred feet a year. Apr 17, 2011 one of the reports, a study published in the journal estuaries and coasts, found an average rate of erosion of 1. Eight of its 10 provinces and all three territories border ocean waters. Geology and assessment of undiscovered oil and gas resources. I, because much of the ice was coldbased sugden, 1978. For most of the year, landfast sea ice has buffered alaskas northern coastline from waves, winds, and currents. Plain and fluxes of organic carbon to the canadian. 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. Interagency arctic research policy committee report on the arctic observing network. The observation period is defined by black diamonds initial and final. 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.
General information read instructions and eligibility requirements before completing application. But in the arctic, the erosion of coastline can sometimes be measured from one day to another. 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 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. Rising temperatures and sea levels have put the community at risk. Talk of climate change impact often focuses on the future 10, 20 or 50 years ahead. The sedimentary rock contains lignite a form of coal, oil and natural gas deposits.
For example, coastal erosion has threatened many arctic alaska native villages, forcing a number of villages to consider. The canadian arctic coastline is vast, stretching from the u. Erosion and floodingthreats to coastal infrastructure in the arctic. A subsequent period of inactivity and erosion persisted until sedimentation resumed as the opening of the canada basin. The 7 landform regions of canada are the innuitian mountains, hudson bay arctic lowlands, western cordillera, interior plains, canadian shield, great lakesst. Fifty years of coastal erosion and retrogressive thaw slump. Bhabesh roy, regional engineer, government of nunavut, pers. Jan 25, 2017 the canadian government is putting some resources into measuring the rate of coastal erosion in the arctic. 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. The arctic lowland is a series of islands in canada s far north. Hes driving the great dempster highway, 747 kilometres of gravel linking southern canada to the arctic. Erosion control along transportation routes in northern climates. Resources of the northwest canada interior basins province, arctic canada, 2008 by marilyn e.
That puts the western arctic, canadas southeastern atlantic coast, and major cities like vancouver and halifax right on the front lines of sealevel rise. Scientists consider the effects of coastal erosion in the arctic. Patterns of coastal erosion in the arctic differ dramatically from those coasts in more temperate environments. In some regions of the beaufort sea, more than 70 feet of coastline are lost each year. Geological survey circum arctic resource appraisal program. The collective efforts of researchers leads to a fairly consistent conclusion. Province, arctic canada, 2008 chapter g of the 2008 circum arctic resource appraisal. Although the rate of erosion from construction sites may range from 20 to 500 thayr, erosion associated with construc. Although glacial erosion now occurs only in the cordillera and the arctic, residual features formed during the pleistocene still dominate most landscapes.
Year by year, metre by metre, the canadian arctic is getting smaller. Coastal erosion of permafrost soils along the yukon coastal plain and fluxes of organic carbon to the canadian beaufort sea nicole j. The habitat has a long and brutal winter and the barren landscape provides many challenges. Much of the northern arctic ecozone consists of low rolling plains covered with soil and rock debris left by glaciers. 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. 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. It consists of a series of interconnected rifts that formed during the paleozoic, mesozoic and cenozoic eras. A major goal of the arctic coastal dynamics project was to develop circumarctic estimates of the coastal.
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. 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. Extensional stresses along the entire length of the rift system have resulted in. In one of the coldest places in canada, steve kokelj is searching for arctic thaw. 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.
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. Timelapse series of coastal bluff erosion along the arctic coast at drew point, beaufort sea, alaska. Erosion control along transportation routes erosion control in northern climates by definition, afrozen soil is one where the temperature remains below 0c. Canadas marine coasts in a changing climate ressources. Pdf erosion and floodingthreats to coastal infrastructure. Activation of old carbon by erosion of coastal and subsea.
There are longstanding inequalities in transportation, energy, communications, employment. 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. 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. The picture show a warming climate and erosion are causing arctic coasts to recede by an average of 1.
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. 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. Its clustered leaves resemble its near relative the azalea. 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. The framework replaces canada s northern strategy 2009 and the statement on canada s arctic foreign policy 2010. Little erosion is predicted by a theoretical, maximum ice cover over the queen elizabeth islands, arctic canada fig. How climate change is thawing the glue that holds the. In these areas, the landscape may be covered by nothing more than frostpatterned soils, frostshattered limestone, and sandstone for hundreds of square kilometres. What types of weathering take place in arctic regions. 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. Updated assessment of erosion rates on alaskas arctic coast. Coastal erosion of permafrost soils along the yukon. Landforms and climate of the northern arctic ecozone.
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