Arctic Coastal Erosion Modeling

A process-based coastal erosion/shoreline change model has been developed for Arctic coastal bluffs subject to niche erosion/block collapse. The model explicitly accounts for many environmental/geographic variables including: water temperature, water level, wave height, and bluff height. The model was originally developed for a small coastal segment near Drew Point, Beaufort Sea, Alaska. This coastal setting has experienced a dramatic increase in erosion since the early 2000's. The bluffs at this site are 3-4 m tall and consist of ice-wedge bounded blocks of fine-grained sediments cemented by ice-rich permafrost and capped with a thin organic layer. The bluffs are typically fronted by a narrow (~ 5 m wide) beach or none at all. During a storm surge, the sea contacts the base of the bluff and a niche is formed through thermal and mechanical erosion. The niche grows both vertically and laterally and eventually undermines the bluff, leading to block failure or collapse. The fallen block is then eroded both thermally and mechanically by waves and currents, which must occur before a new niche forming episode may begin. The model has been calibrated based on shoreline change data at Drew Point for two time periods: 1979-2002 and 2002-2007. Measured and modeled shoreline change rates were about 8 m/yr and 16 m/yr, for the earlier and later periods, respectively. In this paper, this work is extended to include modeling and measurement of coastal erosion at Drew Point on an annual basis for the period 2007-2010. In addition, the model is applied at three other Arctic coastal locations - Elson Lagoon, Cape Halkett, and Barter Island - where niche erosion/block collapse prevails.