PERMAFROST EROSION ALONG THE BEAUFORT SEA COAST

The purpose of the report is to illustrate and focus attention on the permafrost erosion along the Beaufort Sea coast of Northern Alaska. The thermal erosion of permafrost along the coast results in shore line recessions as great as ten meters (33 feet) per year. The recession is caused by wave acti...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Lewellen, Robert I.
Other Authors: ARCTIC INST OF NORTH AMERICA ARLINGTON VA
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1970
Subjects:
Snow
Ice and Permafrost
*COASTAL REGIONS
*PERMAFROST
DEGRADATION
CRACKS
ALASKA
ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE
TERRAIN
EROSION
SOILS
FREEZING
ICE
MELTING
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS
ISLANDS
*BEAUFORT SEA
TUNDRA
Barrow
Beaufort Sea
Ice
permafrost
Point Barrow
Prudhoe Bay
Tundra
Alaska
Online Access:http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0711344
http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0711344
Description
Summary:The purpose of the report is to illustrate and focus attention on the permafrost erosion along the Beaufort Sea coast of Northern Alaska. The thermal erosion of permafrost along the coast results in shore line recessions as great as ten meters (33 feet) per year. The recession is caused by wave action and air temperatures thawing the frozen sediments. The two areas which are discussed in detail are Elson Lagoon and Flaxman Island. Elson Lagoon is located south of Point Barrow, Alaska. Flaxman Island is adjacent to the Prudhoe Bay oil development activity. The receding shore lines must be considered before a logical definition of this region is possible. Prepared in cooperation with Denver Univ., Colorado, Dept. of Geography and Geology.

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