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Coastal Ocean Dynamics in the Arctic
What Are They Doing?
A view of a storm in the Bering Sea on August 2nd, 2019, as seen from Nome, Alaska. Photo by Piper Bartlett-Browne.
Coastal flooding events are becoming more common, as reductions in seasonal sea ice create large fetches for autumn storms. The proposed work concerns the oceanographic factors associated with coastal erosion and flooding, which are distinct from the geologic controls. Key among these oceanographic factors is the previously demonstrated increasing trend in surface wave activity throughout the western Arctic.
The results will determine: 1) The significance of coastal protection via scattering and dissipation of waves by sea ice 2) The thermodynamic and mechanical effects of increasing wave energy 3) The changes in coastal flooding and circulation associated with increasing wave momentum.
Northlake, IL
United States