CAREER: Building research and decision making capacity in the Arctic through deciphering storm-induced sediment dynamics and synergistic Alaska Native coastal science education

University Of Alaska Fairbanks Campus, Fairbanks AK

Investigators

Abstract

Storms with hurricane force winds can cause widespread devastation along western Alaska and lead to catastrophic flooding and erosion in coastal villages. These impacts are made worse with recent declines in the duration and extent of sea ice. This project will combine mapping of real-time storm-related coastal processes and analysis of sediment archives to provide insight into current and past storm surges in western Alaska, while at the same time increasing research capacity in the Arctic. The scientific research will be tightly integrated with a field- and lab-based education plan focused on building coastal science literacy in Alaska, including development of a college course combining online modules and field-based activities to measure coastal change and expansion of an internship program to train and mentor undergraduate and graduate students. The investigator will also hold community workshops that engage stakeholders and citizen-scientists through a combination of coastal science education, hands-on training, and discussion sessions to document local environmental knowledge regarding past storm impacts. This project will address the paucity of information regarding contemporary, historical, and paleo storm impacts in the Circumpolar North, while simultaneously building coastal education and training opportunities for Alaska Native communities. To understand past and current coastal storm dynamics in western Alaska, the investigator will instrument four sites to measure geomorphic, atmospheric, and hydrographic conditions during storm and non-storm periods. The field sites will span a distance of over 1000 km and include: Goodnews Bay in southwest Alaska; St. Paul Island along the shelf break in the southern Bering Sea; Safety Sound, next to the City of Nome; and Cape Espenberg, a barrier beach system along the eastern Chukchi coast. Real-time measurements and local citizen-scientist observations from these sites, combined with remotely sensed sea ice data, will enhance understanding of coastal storm impacts and determine the role of sea ice in dampening local and regional storm signals. The investigator will combine data from storm observation sites and sediment coring to develop a paleo-proxy record of storm surge and other environmental changes during the last 2000 years. He will map local sediment dynamics and geomorphic change and develop a series of late Holocene paleo-proxy storm records. This project is jointly funded by the Office of Polar Programs Arctic Natural Sciences Program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.