Impacts of past and future coastal changes on the Yukon coast — threats for cultural sites, infrastructure, and travel routes

• Published in: Arctic Science
• Main Authors: Irrgang, Anna M., Lantuit, Hugues, Gordon, Richard R., Piskor, Ashley, Manson, Gavin K.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Zenodo 2019
• Subjects: Arctic coastal dynamics; permafrost coast; shoreline projection; Inuvialuit cultural features; Inuvialuit; permafrost; Yukon
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1139/as-2017-0041

Yukon’s Beaufort coast, Canada, is a highly dynamic landscape. Cultural sites, infrastructure, and travel routes used by the local population are particularly vulnerable to coastal erosion. To assess threats to these phenomena, rates of shoreline change for a 210km length of the coast were analyzed and combined with socioeconomic and cultural information. Rates of shoreline change were derived from aerial and satellite imagery from the 1950s, 1970s, 1990s, and 2011. Using these data, conservative (S1) and dynamic (S2) shoreline projections were constructed to predict shoreline positions for the year 2100. The locations of cultural features in the archives of a Parks Canada database, the Yukon Archaeological Program, and as reported in other literature were combined with projected shoreline position changes. Between 2011 and 2100, approximately 850ha (S1) and 2660ha (S2) may erode, resulting in a loss of 45% (S1) to 61% (S2) of all cultural features by 2100. The last large, actively used camp area and two nearshore landing strips will likely be threatened by future coastal processes. Future coastal erosion and sedimentation processes are expected to increasingly threaten cultural sites and influence travelling and living along the Yukon coast.