Sea ice loss enhances wave action at the Arctic coast
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Abstract
Erosion rates of permafrost coasts along the Beaufort Sea accelerated over the past 50 years synchronously with Arctic‐wide declines in sea ice extent, suggesting a causal relationship between the two. A fetch‐limited wave model driven by sea ice position and local wind data from northern Alaska indicates that the exposure of permafrost bluffs to seawater increased by a factor of 2.5 during 1979–2009. The duration of the open water season expanded from ∼45 days to ∼95 days. Open water expanded more rapidly toward the fall (∼0.92 day yr−1), when sea surface temperatures are cooler, than into the mid‐summer (∼0.71 days yr−1).Time‐lapse imagery demonstrates the relatively efficient erosive action of a single storm in August. Sea surface temperatures have already decreased significantly by fall, reducing the potential impact of thermal erosion due to fall season storm waves.
Publication type | Article |
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Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Title | Sea ice loss enhances wave action at the Arctic coast |
Series title | Geophysical Research Letters |
DOI | 10.1029/2011GL048681 |
Volume | 38 |
Issue | 17 |
Year Published | 2011 |
Language | English |
Publisher | American Geophysical Union |
Contributing office(s) | Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center |
Description | L17503, 6 p. |
Larger Work Title | Geophysical Research Letters |
Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |