Alaskan Arctic Coastal Processes and Morphology

• Main Authors: Wiseman, Jr , William J, Coleman, James M, Gregory, Anthony, Hsu, Shih-Ang, Short, Andrew D, Suhayda, J N, Waters, Jr , C D, Wright, L D
• Other Authors: LOUISIANA STATE UNIV BATON ROUGE COASTAL STUDIES INST
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1973
• Subjects: Physical and Dynamic Oceanography; *ALASKA; ARCTIC OCEAN; BEACHES; COASTAL REGIONS; ENVIRONMENTS; EROSION; FREEZING; INTERACTIONS; MELTING; MICROMETEOROLOGY; OCEAN WAVES; RIVERS; SEA ICE; SEDIMENTATION; SNOW; STORMS; WIND; AIR WATER INTERACTIONS; COASTAL MORPHOLOGY; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Chukchi; Sea ice; Alaska
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0766475; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0766475

A study of the temporal and spatial variability of the physical processes and environments of the Alaskan Arctic Coast was conducted over a 2- year period (May 1971 - June 1973). Micrometeorological studies demonstrated the difficulty of characterizing momentum transfer from air to ice by a single constant drag coefficient but indicated that such a coefficient may characterize air-sea momentum transfer in the nearshore waters. Summer wind-driven currents were far stronger and more variable than those during the winter season. They caused large meteorological tides and subsequent modification of the nearshore water mass characteristics. Statistically significant contrasts were noted between the morphology of the Chukchi and Beaufort coasts. The study demonstrated the dominance of storm-induced modification of the nearshore region and indicated that the arctic coastal environment cannot be adequately characterized from short-term studies conducted during moderate conditions. Sponsored in part by DARPA.