Past and present evolution of a high Arctic delta

• Main Author: Alice Hough 1998-
• Other Authors: Háskólinn á Akureyri
• Format: Master Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: 2024
• Subjects: Háskólasetur Vestfjarða; Haf- og strandsvæðastjórnun; Meistaraprófsritgerðir; Norðurheimskautið; Hlýnun jarðar; Strandrof; University Centre of the Westfjords; Coastal- and marine management; Arctic coastlines; Climate change; Erosion; Nunavut
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1946/47937

Ritgerðin er lokuð til 20.05.2025 Arctic coastlines have been experiencing increased rates of erosion over the last few decades in response to climate change impacts in the Arctic. However, the precise mechanisms and rates of change remain uncertain in numerous locations due to the understudied nature of much of Arctic coastlines, which makes adaptation and management of these coastlines difficult. The community of Ausuittuq in Grise Fjord, Nunavut, Canada makes use of a paraglacial delta system nearby that has been impacted by storm events in the last few years, but it is unknown if this is part of a longer trend of erosion and will thus impact the use of the beach by the community in the future. To that end, drone and nearshore bathymetric surveys were combined with wave observations to analyze the current influence of wave height and water levels on erosive events. In conjunction, a shoreline migration analysis was run on historical satellite and aerial imagery to establish long term trends of coastline movement. There has been significant movement of the sand spits in front of the delta, with one spit experiencing 20m of rollover retreat over a single year. Estimation of wave runup and total water levels indicates waves overtopping across sand spits, primarily in extreme storm events. The coastal system is not undergoing a constant retreat, but rather tends to adjust laterally. As the open water season continues to increase, future storm impacts may change coastline location and affect both traditional activities and the use of beaches in the High Arctic. Strandlínur á norðurheimskautinu hafa orðið fyrir auknu strandrofi á undanförnum áratugum vegna aukins hraða hlýnunar á norðurskautinu. Þó eru ferli og hraði breytinga enn óljós vegna lítt kannaðrar náttúru stórs hluta norðurskauts strandlengjunnar, sem torveldar framtíðarspár og stýringu þessara strandlengja. Samfélagið í Ausuittuq í Grisefirði í Kanada notar jökulmótað árósakerfi í nágrenninu sem hefur orðið fyrir áhrifum af stormum á allra síðustu ...