SNACS: Erosion Rates and Soil Physiochemical Properties in Northern Alaska Coastline (Photos)

This proposed research addresses scientific questions through four main components designed to: (1) characterize the abundance, composition, and age of soil organic carbon (OC) and the abundance and structure of ground ice in relation to geomorphic environments, (2) estimate the total OC flux along the entire Alaskan Beaufort Sea coast and develop empirical models based on terrain and oceanographic factors to assess the vulnerability of the coasts to increased erosion resulting from a longer fetch due to sea-ice retreat, (3) to determine the biogeochemical transformation and bioavailability of OC associated with various dissolved and particulate forms as they cross the land/sea interface through field study and controlled laboratory experimentation; and (4) integrate our results to the pan-arctic scale through international collaboration with the Arctic Coastal Dynamics program.

The study will involve extensive sampling at 50 random locations along the entire coast to develop precise estimates of OC abundance and flux with explicit confidence limits. Intensive sampling at three key sites that represent the dominant coastline types will be conducted to evaluate the transformation of the eroded OC. Three additional secondary sites will be established to broaden the monitoring to other coastline types and to involve local communities in the assessment of coastal changes.