Rapid retreat of Arctic coastline revealed

Drone surveys have revealed extreme erosion on the Arctic coastline.

Storms in the Canadian Arctic are washing away increasing amounts of coastal permafrost - frozen ground - which is exposed when sea ice melts during the summer.

The results highlight the ongoing change in the region, as a warming climate leads to longer summer seasons. Sea ice melts earlier and reforms later in the year than before, exposing the coastline and presenting more opportunities for storms to cause damage.

An international team of researchers led by the University of Edinburgh flew drone-mounted cameras over a section of permafrost coastline on Herschel Island, also known as Qikiqtaruk, off the Yukon coast in the Canadian Arctic.

The team mapped the area seven times over 40 days in the summer of 2017. Their results, from image-based computer models, showed that the coast had retreated by 14.5 metres during the period, sometimes more than a metre a day.

Comparison with surveys dating from 1952 until 2011 showed that the rate of erosion in 2017 was more than six times the long-term average for the area.

Around the Arctic, rapidly changing permafrost landscapes threaten infrastructure essential to local communities such as on Qikiqtaruk - Herschel Island, as well as significant cultural and historic sites.

Have you ever visited the Canadian Arctic? Are you worried about the impact climate change is already starting to have on the planet?

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No, I haven't visited the Canadian Arctic and, no, I'm not worried about the impact climate change is already starting to have on the planet? We keep hearing about the Arctic losing ice but nobody wants to talk about the Antarctic where there is an increase of ice. Apparently it doesn't suit the debate of climate change warriors. I'd like the bloggers to take a bit of time to look at the video below which gives another side of climate change, especially the need for CO² in our lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFHX526NPbE

The changes that are happening in the Arctic don’t just affect the Arctic. It has an impact on the rest of the planet since it plays an important role in maintaining the Earth’s temperature. The shiny white ice in the Arctic is crucial because it reflects light and heat that the ocean would otherwise absorb. Reflecting this light and heat back into space helps keep the Northern Hemisphere cool. As snow and ice melt, the ability of the Arctic to reflect heat back to space is reduced, accelerating the overall rate of global warming.

In Alaska, there’s also another problem tied to vanishing sea ice. The ice protects coastal towns from big waves. Vanishing sea ice also means vanishing polar bears. According to a new study one third of al the polar bears in the world are likely to be dead in 40 years.

Thanks Bijou, another new study by the National Geographic has noted, "As a whole, polar bear populations around the world are not in immediate peril."

Data collected by the Canadian government shows that polar bears along the entire west coast of Baffin Island are 'stable.' On the southeastern side of the island (around the Nunavut capital of Iqaluit) polar bears have even experienced a 'likely increase.' It's only on the island's northeastern corner — in a management area that meets Greenland — that polar bears are suspected to be in decline."

It should be noted that in other countries with significant polar bear populations, including Norway and Russia, polar bear populations are increasing. On Norway's Svalbard Island, for instance, the Norwegian Polar Institute reported a 42% increase from 2004 to 2015. Russia also reports increases.

Interesting information Old Man, thank you. One of the most difficult conundrums for scientists is do we wait and see what happens? Or do we tackle the problem before the situation becomes dire?

I am all for preparing for the future.

Oh I agree, Bijou, that we should confront a problem and find a solution. The difficulty that I see is that there could be a problem, not that there is a problem, and if it within the abilities of man to find a solution. I agree that there is climate change but where I differ from some is that I don't agree that it is all man made. In fact, I believe that the role man plays in climate change is very small and therefore whatever we do to correct the man made contribution will also be very small in the overall picture. Did you open the attachment in my earlier post? Not a definitive answer but certainly a valid argument about what climate change is. 

It is possible that the increase in polar bears in certain areas is because of the ones struggling to survive are moving into areas were they will be able to survive.

A recent study in the arctic showed that the ice was thining from underneath as the sea is warming thus melting the ice above it.

This is an extremely complicated situation and strong evidence is pointing to glaciers around the world in retreat. The Earth's climate has never been static and has moved from cold to hot and keeping in mind the driver of our climate is the Sun and its output also fluctuates. It would possibly be unwise to discount effects caused by us on the climate as we remeber the camel and the straw. If nothing else cutting back on emissions should at least clean up the air we breathe as natural gas and coal emissions are definitely not healthy.

 

It is possible that the increase in polar bears in certain areas is because of the ones struggling to survive are moving into areas were they will be able to survive.

A recent study in the arctic showed that the ice was thining from underneath as the sea is warming thus melting the ice above it.

This is an extremely complicated situation and strong evidence is pointing to glaciers around the world in retreat. The Earth's climate has never been static and has moved from cold to hot and keeping in mind the driver of our climate is the Sun and its output also fluctuates. It would possibly be unwise to discount effects caused by us on the climate as we remeber the camel and the straw. If nothing else cutting back on emissions should at least clean up the air we breathe as natural gas and coal emissions are definitely not healthy.

 

Hello Old Man, finally had a chance to watch the video you posted. I don’t agree with all of Patrick Moore’s views unfortunately, on the whole I find him bewildering to say the least. I’ll give a couple of examples: ” According to Mr. Moore, “Three Mile Island was a success story. The concrete containment structure did as it was designed to do: it prevented radiation from escaping into the environment.” As reports show that’s not true because, although there were no deaths, countless cases of cancer and birth defects emerged. Then on another occasion, after the World Health Organization released a study concluding that glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup herbicide, is probably carcinogenic, Moore told a French film maker that glyphosate is safe to drink.Upon being offered some to try, Moore refused to take up his own suggestion, ending the interview  by saying he was not an idiot. How can I take him seriously?

I do agree with you though that climate change is not all man made and the climate has been changing since the beginning of time. However, I believe since the industrial revolution, we have really added to polluting the atmosphere and are continuing to do so with millions of cars on the road, factories and plants belching out clouds of smoke. There are so many ways we can cut down on pollution without going nuclear.

Latest Arctic Sea Ice News & Analysis news from ...

National Snow and Ice Data Center

The National Snow and Ice Data Center, or NSIDC, is a United States information and referral center in support of polar and cryospheric research. NSIDC archives and distributes digital and analog snow and ice data and also maintains information about snow cover, avalanches, glaciers, ice sheets, freshwater ice, sea ice, ground ice, permafrost, atmospheric ice, paleoglaciology, and ice cores.

the average person does not give it much thought in my opinion..mostly worried about whether they can afford their heating and other utility bills.

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