Coastal morphology, coastal erosion, and barrier islands of the Beaufort Sea, Alaska

1978 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Moody Hopkins ◽  
Roger W. Hartz
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Erosion ◽  
Barrier Islands ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Coastal Morphology

scholarly journals Coastal vulnerability of a pinned, soft-cliff coastline, II: assessing the influence of sea walls on future morphology

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 233-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Barkwith ◽  
M. D. Hurst ◽  
C. W. Thomas ◽  
M. A. Ellis ◽  
P. L. Limber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Erosion ◽  
Morphological Changes ◽  
Numerical Models ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Wave Climate ◽  
Sediment Flux ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Coastal Morphology ◽  
Coastal Evolution ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Coastal defences have long been employed to halt or slow coastal erosion, and their impact on local sediment flux and ecology has been studied in detail through field research and numerical simulation. The non-local impact of a modified sediment flux regime on mesoscale erosion and accretion has received less attention. Morphological changes at this scale due to defending structures can be difficult to quantify or identify with field data. Engineering-scale numerical models, often applied to assess the design of modern defences on local coastal erosion, tend not to cover large stretches of coast and are rarely applied to assess the impact of older structures. We extend previous work to explore the influences of sea walls on the evolution and morphological sensitivity of a pinned, soft-cliff, sandy coastline under a changing wave climate. The Holderness coast of East Yorkshire, UK, is used as a case study to explore model scenarios where the coast is both defended with major sea walls and allowed to evolve naturally were there are no sea defences. Using a mesoscale numerical coastal evolution model, observed wave-climate data are perturbed linearly to assess the sensitivity of the coastal morphology to changing wave climate for both the defended and undefended scenarios. Comparative analysis of the simulated output suggests that sea walls in the south of the region have a greater impact on sediment flux due to increased sediment availability along this part of the coast. Multiple defence structures, including those separated by several kilometres, were found to interact with each other, producing complex changes in coastal morphology under a changing wave climate. Although spatially and temporally heterogeneous, sea walls generally slowed coastal recession and accumulated sediment on their up-drift side.

scholarly journals Geochemistry of Coastal Permafrost and Erosion-Driven Organic Matter Fluxes to the Beaufort Sea Near Drew Point, Alaska

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily M. Bristol ◽  
Craig T. Connolly ◽  
Thomas D. Lorenson ◽  
Bruce M. Richmond ◽  
Anastasia G. Ilgen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Marine Sediments ◽  
Coastal Erosion ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
The Holocene ◽  
Kuparuk River

Accelerating erosion of the Alaska Beaufort Sea coast is increasing inputs of organic matter from land to the Arctic Ocean, and improved estimates of organic matter stocks in eroding coastal permafrost are needed to assess their mobilization rates under contemporary conditions. We collected three permafrost cores (4.5–7.5 m long) along a geomorphic gradient near Drew Point, Alaska, where recent erosion rates average 17.2 m year−1. Down-core patterns indicate that organic-rich soils and lacustrine sediments (12–45% total organic carbon; TOC) in the active layer and upper permafrost accumulated during the Holocene. Deeper permafrost (below 3 m elevation) mainly consists of Late Pleistocene marine sediments with lower organic matter content (∼1% TOC), lower C:N ratios, and higher δ13C values. Radiocarbon-based estimates of organic carbon accumulation rates were 11.3 ± 3.6 g TOC m−2 year−1 during the Holocene and 0.5 ± 0.1 g TOC m−2 year−1 during the Late Pleistocene (12–38 kyr BP). Within relict marine sediments, porewater salinities increased with depth. Elevated salinity near sea level (∼20–37 in thawed samples) inhibited freezing despite year-round temperatures below 0°C. We used organic matter stock estimates from the cores in combination with remote sensing time-series data to estimate carbon fluxes for a 9 km stretch of coastline near Drew Point. Erosional fluxes of TOC averaged 1,369 kg C m−1 year−1 during the 21st century (2002–2018), nearly doubling the average flux of the previous half-century (1955–2002). Our estimate of the 21st century erosional TOC flux year−1 from this 9 km coastline (12,318 metric tons C year−1) is similar to the annual TOC flux from the Kuparuk River, which drains a 8,107 km2 area east of Drew Point and ranks as the third largest river on the North Slope of Alaska. Total nitrogen fluxes via coastal erosion at Drew Point were also quantified, and were similar to those from the Kuparuk River. This study emphasizes that coastal erosion represents a significant pathway for carbon and nitrogen trapped in permafrost to enter modern biogeochemical cycles, where it may fuel food webs and greenhouse gas emissions in the marine environment.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF BARRIER ISLAND DEGRADATION ON HURRICANE-INDUCED SEDIMENT TRANSPORT

2018 ◽  
pp. 49
Author(s):  
Ke Liu ◽  
Qin Chen ◽  
Kelin Hu
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Storm Surge ◽  
Coastal Wetland ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Barrier Islands ◽  
Coastal Morphology ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
Barataria Bay ◽  
The Impact

Hurricanes are recognized as a strong forcing in changing coastal morphology by redistributing sediments. Barrier islands protect estuaries from storm surge and severe waves and confine water and sediment discharge into estuaries during a hurricane event. In this study, we developed a three-dimensional, fully coupled storm surge, waves, and sediment transport model. The impacts of barrier islands degradation on hurricane hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics were evaluated by comparing a hypothetical model configuration for four major barrier islands in Terrebonne Bay and Barataria Bay against a baseline configuration. With the hypothetical deterioration of barrier islands, model results showed that the sediment transport from the shelf to the estuary increased in Terrebonne Bay but decreased in Barataria Bay. In the simulations, most of the deposition on coastal wetland still originated from the bay even when the barrier islands were degraded.

scholarly journals Coastal erosion and mass wasting along the Canadian Beaufort Sea based on annual airborne LiDAR elevation data

Geomorphology ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 293 ◽  
pp. 331-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaroslav Obu ◽  
Hugues Lantuit ◽  
Guido Grosse ◽  
Frank Günther ◽  
Torsten Sachs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Erosion ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Airborne Lidar ◽  
Mass Wasting ◽  
Elevation Data

scholarly journals The interactive relationship between coastal erosion and flood risk

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 574-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
JA Pollard ◽  
T Spencer ◽  
SM Brooks
Keyword(s):  
Flood Risk ◽  
Coastal Erosion ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
Management Policy ◽  
Simultaneous Occurrence ◽  
General Applicability ◽  
Morphological Response ◽  
Coastal Morphology ◽  
Interactive Relationship ◽  
Coastal Risk

Coastal erosion and flooding are hazards that, when combined with facilitative pathways and vulnerable receptors, represent sources of coastal risk. Erosion and flooding risks are often analysed separately owing to complex relationships between driving processes, morphological response and risk receptors. We argue that these risks should be considered jointly and illustrate this through discussion of three ‘expressions’ of this interactive relationship: coastal morphology modifies flood hazard; future flood risk depends on changing shoreline position; and the simultaneous occurrence of erosion–flooding events. Some critical thoughts are offered on the general applicability of these expressions and the implications for coastal risk management policy.

scholarly journals Coastal Erosion of Permafrost Soils Along the Yukon Coastal Plain and Fluxes of Organic Carbon to the Canadian Beaufort Sea

2018 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 406-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole J. Couture ◽  
Anna Irrgang ◽  
Wayne Pollard ◽  
Hugues Lantuit ◽  
Michael Fritz
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Coastal Erosion ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Permafrost Soils

Effect of underwater seismic surveys on molting male Long-tailed Ducks in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (11) ◽  
pp. 1862-1875 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah L Lacroix ◽  
Richard B Lanctot ◽  
John A Reed ◽  
Trent L McDonald
Keyword(s):  
Seismic Activity ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Barrier Islands ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Diving Behavior ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Seismic Area ◽  
And Control ◽  
Clangula Hyemalis

Large numbers of Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis) (10 000 – 30 000) undergo a postnuptial wing molt along barrier islands of the Beaufort Sea, Alaska. To investigate the potential effects of underwater seismic activities on this species, we monitored the number and diving behavior of molting Long-tailed Ducks before, during, and after seismic activities in a seismic area and two control areas nearby between July and September 2001. Aerial surveys documented a decline in duck numbers in both seismic and control areas during the period of seismic activity. We used automated data-collection computers to monitor the presence and diving behavior of radio-equipped Long-tailed Ducks residing within 2.5 km of a series of computer setups located along the barrier islands and on the mainland. A statistical analysis based on a modified before–after control–impact approach found no difference in indices of site fidelity or diving intensity between the seismic area and two control areas. Thus, we found no effect of seismic activity on movements and diving behavior of molting Long-tailed Ducks. These results should be evaluated carefully, however, as logistical and ecological factors limited our ability to detect more subtle disturbance effects. We recommend additional studies on other bird species to fully understand the effects of underwater seismic testing.

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