Objective
Although the Arctic coastal zone is generally only a few kilometres wide, land-ocean interactions and changes in the biosphere and cryosphere focus on this narrow area. Recent studies suggest that the sediment supply to the Arctic shelves through coastal erosion may be equal to or even greater than the river input. A similar situation can be expected for the organic carbon balance. Thus, the understanding of modern Arctic coastal processes is critical for both the prediction of future development of these coasts in response to climatic and sea-level changes and the interpretation of the geological history of the shelves.
The objectives of this project are:
1. to establish the rates and magnitudes of erosion and accumulation of Arctic coasts as a function of environmental forcing (e.g. wind waves, water temperatures, sea-ice) and geological/morphological control (e.g. composition, relief, permafrost, ground-ice);
2. to estimate the amount of sediments and organic carbon derived from coastal erosion and their ways of transformation and transport.
In order to achieve these objectives, four interrelated tasks are proposed. Field studies of coastal dynamics at onshore key sites in the Eurasian Arctic and comparative studies of bedrock coasts (Task 1) will be complemented by investigations of seafloor dynamics under the influence of hydrodynamic and cryogenic processes in the offshore zone of land-sea interaction (Task 2). Based on these studies, which will be applied to the same key sites, the relationship between coastal retreat/accumulation and both environmental and geological/ morphological control will be identified. Samples collected during onshore and offshore fieldwork will be analysed for sedimentological and geochemical parameters in the laboratory (Task 3). The analytical data will be used to reconstruct the transport, transformation and fate of the material liberated by coastal erosion. A local coastal classification scheme and local models will be developed (Task 4).
The main results will comprise:
(a) quantitative assessments of coastal retreat/accumulation rates in the Eurasian Arctic and the sediment and organic carbon input into the shelf seas by coastal erosion;
(b) local classification schemes and models for coastal/seafloor dynamics and sediment and organic carbon transformation and balance;
(c) a schematic reconstruction of previous coastal dynamics and a prediction of future coastal development for selected regions (Kara and Bering Seas).
The project is integrated into the framework of ACD (Arctic Coastal Dynamics), which is a project of the International Arctic Sciences Committee (IASC) and a part of the International Permafrost Association´s (IPA) Working Group on Coastal and Offshore Permafrost. The project is a contribution to ACD, which is an international umbrella for Arctic coastal processes. Furthermore, local and regional governments, environmental organisations (CAFF, AMAP, WCMC), policy organisations (IPCC, ACIA) and industry will benefit from the outcome of this project.
Call for proposal
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14473 Potsdam
Germany