TY  - THES
A1  - Lantuit, Hugues
T1  - The modification of arctic permafrost coastlines
T1  - Die Veränderung der arktischen Permafrostküstenlinien
N2  - The arctic region is undergoing the most rapid environmental change experienced on Earth, and the rate of change is expected to increase over the coming decades. Arctic coasts are particularly vulnerable because they lie at the interface between terrestrial systems dominated by permafrost and marine systems dominated by sea ice. An increased rise in sea level and degradation of sea-ice as predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in its most recent report and as observed recently in the Arctic will likely result in greater rates of coastal retreat. An increase in coastal erosion would result in dramatic increases in the volume of sediment, organic carbon and contaminants to the Arctic Ocean. These in turn have the potential to create dramatic changes in the geochemistry and biodiversity of the nearshore zone and affect the Arctic Ocean carbon cycle. To calculate estimates of organic carbon input from coastal erosion to the Arctic Ocean, current methods rely on the length of the coastline in the form of non self-similar line datasets. This thesis however emphasizes that using shorelines drawn at different scales can induce changes in the amount of sediment released by 30% in some cases. It proposes a substitute method of computations of erosion based on areas instead of lengths (i.e. buffers instead of shoreline lengths) which can be easily implemented at the circum-Arctic scale. Using this method, variations in quantities of eroded sediment are, on average, 70% less affected by scale changes and are therefore a more reliable method of calculation. Current estimates of coastal erosion rates in the Arctic are scarce and long-term datasets are a handful, which complicates assessment and prognosis of coastal processes, in particular the occurrence of coastal hazards. This thesis aims at filling the gap by providing the first long-term dataset (1951-2006) of coastal erosion on the Bykovsky Peninsula, North-East Siberia. This study shows that the coastline, which is made of ice-rich permafrost, retreated at a mean annual rate of 0.59 m/yr between 1951and 2006. Rates were highly variable: 97.0 % of the rates observed were less than 2 m/yr and 81.6% were less than 1m/yr. However, no significant trend in erosion could be recorded despite the study of five temporal subperiods within 1951-2006. The juxtaposition of wind records could not help to explain erosion records either and this thesis emphasizes the local controls on erosion, in particular the cryostratigraphy, the proximity of the Peninsula to the Lena River Delta freshwater plume and the local topographical constraints on swell development. On ice-rich coastal stretches of the Artic, the interaction of coastal dynamics and permafrost leads to the occurrence of spectacular “C-shaped” depressions termed retrogressive thaw slumps which can reach lengths of up to 650 m. On Herschel Island and at King Point (Yukon Coastal Plain, northern Canada), topographical, sedimentological and biogeochemical surveys were conducted to investigate the present and past activity of these landforms. In particular, undisturbed tundra areas were compared with zones of former slump activity, now stabilized and re-vegetated. This thesis shows that stabilized areas are drier and less prone to plant growth than undisturbed areas and feature fundamentally different geotechnical properties. Radiocarbon dating and topographical surveys indicated until up to 300 BP a likely period of dramatic slump activity on Herschel Island, similar to the one currently observed, which led to the creation of these surfaces. This thesis hypothesizes the occurrence of a ~250 years cycle of slump activity on the Herschel Island shoreline based on the surveyed topography and cryostratigraphy and anticipates higher frequency of slump activity in the future. The variety of processes described in this thesis highlights the changing nature of the intensity and frequency of physical processes acting upon the arctic coast. It also challenges current perceptions of the threats to existing industry and community infrastructure in the Arctic. The increasing presence of humans on Artic coasts coupled with the expected development of shipping will drive an increase in economical and industrial activity on these coasts which remains to be addressed scientifically.
N2  - In der Arktis sind die derzeit stärksten Umweltänderungen weltweit zu beobachten, und es wird angenommen, dass sich deren Ausmaß sogar noch verstärken wird. Aufgrund ihrer Lage zwischen terrestrischen, von Permafrost geprägten Systemen und marinen, von Meereis geprägten Systemen, sind arktische Küstenregionen im Zuge dieses Wandels besonders sensibel. Ein verstärkter Meeresspiegelanstieg und der Rückgang des Meereises, wie vom letzten Bericht des Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) vorhergesagt und in letzter Zeit in der Arktis beobachtet, werden zu erhöhten Küstenrückzugsraten führen. Ein Anstieg der Küstenerosion würde zu einer drastischen Erhöhung von Sedimentfracht, organischem Kohlenstoff und von Schadstoffen im Arktischen Ozean führen. Durch diese wiederum drohen dramatische Änderungen in der Geochemie und Biodiversität der küstennahen Zone sowie Veränderungen im Kohlenstoffkreislauf des Arktischen Ozeans. Modelle zur Berechnung des Eintrags organischen Kohlenstoffs in den Arktischen Ozean infolge von Küstenerosion basieren auf der Länge der Küstenlinie in Form von „non self-similar“ Datensätzen. Die vorliegende Arbeit zeigt jedoch, dass die Nutzung von Küstenlinien unterschiedlicher Maßstäbe Abweichungen in der berechneten Sedimentfracht von bis zu 30 % zur Folge haben kann. Es wird daher eine alternative Methode zur Berechnung von Erosionsraten vorgeschlagen, die auf Flächen, nicht auf Längenangaben basiert (z.B. Pufferzonen anstelle von Küstenlinien) und die auf einfache Art und Weise für die Zirkum-Arktis angewandt werden kann. Durch diese Methode ist die Variation der berechneten Erosionsmengen um durchschnittlich 70 % weniger von Maßstabsänderungen betroffen. Damit kann eine deutlich höhere Zuverlässigkeit in den Prognosen erreicht werden. Aktuelle Abschätzungen von Küstenerosionsraten in der Arktis sind spärlich und es gibt nur sehr wenige Langzeitdatensätze, so dass Einschätzungen und Prognosen zu Prozessen im Küstenbereich, insbesondere von dessen Gefährdung, schwierig sind. Die vorliegende Arbeit soll dazu beigetragen, diese Lücke zu schließen, indem der erste Langzeitdatensatz (1951-2006) zu Küstenerosionsraten auf der Bykovsky Halbinsel in Nordost-Sibirien bereitgestellt wird. Die Arbeit zeigt, dass die Küstenlinie auf der Bykovsky Halbinsel, die durch eisreichen Permafrost geprägt ist, im Zeitraum 1951-2006 um durchschnittlich 0,59 m pro Jahr zurückging. Die Rückzugsraten waren dabei äußerst variabel: 97 % aller ermittelten Raten betrugen weniger als 2 m und 81,6 % weniger als 1 m pro Jahr. Ein signifikanter Trend in den Erosionsraten konnte dabei jedoch trotz Analyse von fünf verschiedenen zeitlichen Epochen nicht festgestellt werden. Auch die Gegenüberstellung von Winddatensätzen kann die Erosionsraten nicht erklären. Deshalb stellt diese Arbeit die Bedeutung lokaler Kontrollmechanismen wie Kryostratigraphie, die Nähe der Bykovsky Halbinsel zum Lena-Delta und seinen Süßwasservorkommen sowie die lokale Topographie und deren Einfluss auf Wellengang und Wellenbildung heraus. Innerhalb eisreicher arktischer Küstenabschnitte führt die Interaktion zwischen Küstendynamik und Permafrost zur Ausprägung eindrucksvoller, „C-förmiger“ Depressionen, sogenannten regressiven auftaubedingten Rutschungen, die Längen von bis zu 650 m erreichen können. Auf Herschel Island und am King Point (Yukon Küste, Nordkanada) wurden topographische, sedimentologische und biogeochemische Aufnahmen durchgeführt, um die rezente und vergangene Dynamik dieser Landschaftsformen nachvollziehen zu können. Insbesondere wurden ungestörte Tundrenareale mit ehemals aktiven Rutschungszonen, die heute stabil und wiederbewachsen sind, verglichen. Die vorliegende Arbeit zeigt, dass diese ehemaligen, heute stabilisierten Rutschungszonen trockenere und für Pflanzenwachstum weniger geeignete Standorte darstellen als ungestörte Bereiche und überdies fundamental andere geotechnische Eigenschaften aufweisen. Radiocarbon-Datierungen und topographische Aufnahmen weisen darauf hin, dass es auf Herschel Island und am King Point bis vor 300 Jahren eine Periode ausgeprägter, auftaubedingter Rutschungsaktivitäten ähnlich denen, die derzeit auf der Insel beobachtet werden können, gegeben haben muss, die zur Ausbildung dieser Oberflächenstrukturen geführt haben. Diese Arbeit stellt auf Grundlage der untersuchten Topographie und Kryostratigraphie die Hypothese auf, dass an der Küstenlinie von Herschel Island ein etwa 250-jähriger Zyklus von Rutschungsaktivitäten existiert und antizipiert eine höhere Frequenz im Auftreten dieser Rutschungsaktivitäten für die Zukunft. Die Vielfalt an Faktoren, die in dieser Arbeit beschrieben wurden, hebt die veränderte Intensität und Frequenz der auf arktische Küsten einwirkenden physikalischen Prozesse hervor. Dadurch werden auch aktuelle Auffassungen zur Bedrohung bestehender Industrie und Infrastruktur in der Arktis hinterfragt. Im Zusammenhang mit dem erwarteten Ausbau der Schifffahrt treibt der zunehmende anthropogene Einfluss die ökonomische und industrielle Entwicklung in arktischen Küstenregionen an, die Gegenstand einer wissenschaftlichen Betrachtung sein sollten.
KW  - Permafrost
KW  - Arktis
KW  - Küstenerosion
KW  - Thermokarst
KW  - permafrost
KW  - arctic
KW  - coastal erosion
KW  - thermokarst
Y1  - 2008
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-19732
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Ramage, Justine Lucille
A1  - Irrgang, Anna Maria
A1  - Herzschuh, Ulrike
A1  - Morgenstern, Anne
A1  - Couture, Nicole
A1  - Lantuit, Hugues
T1  - Terrain controls on the occurrence of coastal retrogressive thaw slumps along the Yukon Coast, Canada
JF  - Journal of geophysical research : Earth surface
N2  - Retrogressive thaw slumps (RTSs) are among the most active landforms in the Arctic; their number has increased significantly over the past decades. While processes initiating discrete RTSs are well identified, the major terrain controls on the development of coastal RTSs at a regional scale are not yet defined. Our research reveals the main geomorphic factors that determine the development of RTSs along a 238km segment of the Yukon Coast, Canada. We (1) show the current extent of RTSs, (2) ascertain the factors controlling their activity and initiation, and (3) explain the spatial differences in the density and areal coverage of RTSs. We mapped and classified 287 RTSs using high-resolution satellite images acquired in 2011. We highlighted the main terrain controls over their development using univariate regression trees model. Coastal geomorphology influenced both the activity and initiation of RTSs: active RTSs and RTSs initiated after 1972 occurred primarily on terrains with slope angles greater than 3.9 degrees and 5.9 degrees, respectively. The density and areal coverage of RTSs were constrained by the volume and thickness of massive ice bodies. Differences in rates of coastal change along the coast did not affect the model. We infer that rates of coastal change averaged over a 39year period are unable to reflect the complex relationship between RTSs and coastline dynamics. We emphasize the need for large-scale studies of RTSs to evaluate their impact on the ecosystem and to measure their contribution to the global carbon budget. Plain Language Summary Retrogressive thaw slumps, henceforth slumps are a type of landslides that occur when permafrost thaws. Slumps are active landforms: they develop quickly and extend over several hectares. Satellite imagery allows to map such slumps over large areas. Our research shows where slumps develop along a 238 km segment of the Yukon Coast in Canada and explains which environments are most suitable for slump occurrence. We found that active and newly developed slumps were triggered where coastal slopes were greater than 3.9 degrees and 5.9 degrees, respectively. We explain that coastal erosion influences the development of slumps by modifying coastal slopes. We found that the highest density of slumps as well as the largest slumps occurred on terrains with high amounts of ice bodies in the ground. This study provides tools to better identify areas in the Arctic that are prone to slump development.
KW  - permafrost degradation
KW  - retrogressive thaw slumps
KW  - coastal erosion
KW  - Arctic
KW  - coastal geomorphology
Y1  - 2017
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JF004231
SN  - 2169-9003
SN  - 2169-9011
VL  - 122
SP  - 1619
EP  - 1634
PB  - American Geophysical Union
CY  - Washington
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Klein, Konstantin P.
A1  - Lantuit, Hugues
A1  - Heim, Birgit
A1  - Fell, Frank
A1  - Doxaran, David
A1  - Irrgang, Anna Maria
T1  - Long-Term High-Resolution Sediment and Sea Surface Temperature Spatial Patterns in Arctic Nearshore Waters Retrieved Using 30-Year Landsat Archive Imagery
JF  - Remote sensing
N2  - The Arctic is directly impacted by climate change. The increase in air temperature drives the thawing of permafrost and an increase in coastal erosion and river discharge. This leads to a greater input of sediment and organic matter into coastal waters, which substantially impacts the ecosystems, the subsistence economy of the local population, and the climate because of the transformation of organic matter into greenhouse gases. Yet, the patterns of sediment dispersal in the nearshore zone are not well known, because ships do not often reach shallow waters and satellite remote sensing is traditionally focused on less dynamic environments. The goal of this study is to use the extensive Landsat archive to investigate sediment dispersal patterns specifically on an exemplary Arctic nearshore environment, where field measurements are often scarce. Multiple Landsat scenes were combined to calculate means of sediment dispersal and sea surface temperature under changing seasonal wind conditions in the nearshore zone of Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk in the western Canadian Arctic since 1982. We use observations in the Landsat red and thermal wavebands, as well as a recently published water turbidity algorithm to relate archive wind data to turbidity and sea surface temperature. We map the spatial patterns of turbidity and water temperature at high spatial resolution in order to resolve transport pathways of water and sediment at the water surface. Our results show that these pathways are clearly related to the prevailing wind conditions, being ESE and NW. During easterly wind conditions, both turbidity and water temperature are significantly higher in the nearshore area. The extent of the Mackenzie River plume and coastal erosion are the main explanatory variables for sediment dispersal and sea surface temperature distributions in the study area. During northwesterly wind conditions, the influence of the Mackenzie River plume is negligible. Our results highlight the potential of high spatial resolution Landsat imagery to detect small-scale hydrodynamic processes, but also show the need to specifically tune optical models for Arctic nearshore environments.
KW  - ocean color remote sensing
KW  - suspended particulate matter
KW  - turbidity
KW  - nearshore zone
KW  - Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk
KW  - river plume
KW  - coastal erosion
KW  - Landsat
Y1  - 2019
U6  - https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11232791
SN  - 2072-4292
VL  - 11
IS  - 23
PB  - MDPI
CY  - Basel
ER  - 
TY  - GEN
A1  - Radosavljevic, Boris
A1  - Lantuit, Hugues
A1  - Pollard, Wayne
A1  - Overduin, Pier Paul
A1  - Couture, Nicole
A1  - Sachs, Torsten
A1  - Helm, Veit
A1  - Fritz, Michael
T1  - Erosion and flooding-threats to coastal Infrastructure in the Arctic
BT  - a case study from Herschel Island, Yukon Territory, Canada
T2  - Postprints der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe
N2  - Arctic coastal infrastructure and cultural and archeological sites are increasingly vulnerable to erosion and flooding due to amplified warming of the Arctic, sea level rise, lengthening of open water periods, and a predicted increase in frequency of major storms. Mitigating these hazards necessitates decision-making tools at an appropriate scale. The objectives of this paper are to provide such a tool by assessing potential erosion and flood hazards at Herschel Island, a UNESCO World Heritage candidate site. This study focused on Simpson Point and the adjacent coastal sections because of their archeological, historical, and cultural significance. Shoreline movement was analyzed using the Digital Shoreline Analysis System (DSAS) after digitizing shorelines from 1952, 1970, 2000, and 2011. For purposes of this analysis, the coast was divided in seven coastal reaches (CRs) reflecting different morphologies and/or exposures. Using linear regression rates obtained from these data, projections of shoreline position were made for 20 and 50 years into the future. Flood hazard was assessed using a least cost path analysis based on a high-resolution light detection and ranging (LiDAR) dataset and current Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change sea level estimates. Widespread erosion characterizes the study area. The rate of shoreline movement in different periods of the study ranges from −5.5 to 2.7 m·a⁻¹ (mean −0.6 m·a⁻¹). Mean coastal retreat decreased from −0.6 m·a⁻¹ to −0.5 m·a⁻¹, for 1952–1970 and 1970–2000, respectively, and increased to −1.3 m·a⁻¹ in the period 2000–2011. Ice-rich coastal sections most exposed to wave attack exhibited the highest rates of coastal retreat. The geohazard map combines shoreline projections and flood hazard analyses to show that most of the spit area has extreme or very high flood hazard potential, and some buildings are vulnerable to coastal erosion. This study demonstrates that transgressive forcing may provide ample sediment for the expansion of depositional landforms, while growing more susceptible to overwash and flooding.
T3  - Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Reihe - 996 
KW  - Arctic
KW  - coastal erosion
KW  - UNESCO
KW  - vulnerability mapping;
KW  - permafrost coasts
Y1  - 2020
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-432279
SN  - 1866-8372
IS  - 996
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Tanski, George
A1  - Couture, Nicole
A1  - Lantuit, Hugues
A1  - Eulenburg, Antje
A1  - Fritz, Michael
T1  - Eroding permafrost coasts release low amounts of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from ground ice into the nearshore zone of the Arctic Ocean
JF  - Global biogeochemical cycles
N2  - Ice-rich permafrost coasts in the Arctic are highly sensitive to climate warming and erode at a pace that exceeds the global average. Permafrost coasts deliver vast amounts of organic carbon into the nearshore zone of the Arctic Ocean. Numbers on flux exist for particulate organic carbon (POC) and total or soil organic carbon (TOC, SOC). However, they do not exist for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which is known to be highly bioavailable. This study aims to estimate DOC stocks in coastal permafrost as well as the annual flux into the ocean. DOC concentrations in ground ice were analyzed along the ice-rich Yukon coast (YC) in the western Canadian Arctic. The annual DOC flux was estimated using available numbers for coast length, cliff height, annual erosion rate, and volumetric ice content in different stratigraphic horizons. Our results showed that DOC concentrations in ground ice range between 0.3 and 347.0mgL(-1) with an estimated stock of 13.63.0gm(-3) along the YC. An annual DOC flux of 54.90.9Mgyr(-1) was computed. These DOC fluxes are low compared to POC and SOC fluxes from coastal erosion or POC and DOC fluxes from Arctic rivers. We conclude that DOC fluxes from permafrost coasts play a secondary role in the Arctic carbon budget. However, this DOC is assumed to be highly bioavailable. We hypothesize that DOC from coastal erosion is important for ecosystems in the Arctic nearshore zones, particularly in summer when river discharge is low, and in areas where rivers are absent.
KW  - Arctic
KW  - permafrost
KW  - coastal erosion
KW  - biogeochemistry
KW  - carbon cycle
Y1  - 2016
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GB005337
SN  - 0886-6236
SN  - 1944-9224
VL  - 30
SP  - 1054
EP  - 1068
PB  - American Geophysical Union
CY  - Cambridge
ER  - 
TY  - THES
A1  - Obu, Jaroslav
T1  - Effect of mass wasting on soil organic carbon storage and coastal erosion in permafrost environments
T1  - Einfluss von Hangbewegungen auf Kohlenstoffspeicher und Küstenerosion in Permafrostgebieten
N2  - Accelerated permafrost thaw under the warming Arctic climate can have a significant impact on Arctic landscapes. Areas underlain by permafrost store high amounts of soil organic carbon (SOC). Permafrost disturbances may contribute to increased release of carbon dioxide and methane to the atmosphere. Coastal erosion, amplified through a decrease in Arctic sea-ice extent, may also mobilise SOC from permafrost. Large expanses of permafrost affected land are characterised by intense mass-wasting processes such as solifluction, active-layer detachments and retrogressive thaw slumping. Our aim is to assess the influence of mass wasting on SOC storage and coastal erosion. 
We studied SOC storage on Herschel Island by analysing active-layer and permafrost samples, and compared non-disturbed sites to those characterised by mass wasting. Mass-wasting sites showed decreased SOC storage and material compaction, whereas sites characterised by material accumulation showed increased storage. The SOC storage on Herschel Island is also significantly correlated to catenary position and other slope characteristics. We estimated SOC storage on Herschel Island to be 34.8 kg C m-2. This is comparable to similar environments in northwest Canada and Alaska.
Coastal erosion was analysed using high resolution digital elevation models (DEMs). Two LIDAR scanning of the Yukon Coast were done in 2012 and 2013. Two DEMs with 1 m horizontal resolution were generated and used to analyse elevation changes along the coast. The results indicate considerable spatial variability in short-term coastline erosion and progradation. The high variability was related to the presence of mass-wasting processes. Erosion and deposition extremes were recorded where the retrogressive thaw slump (RTS) activity was most pronounced. Released sediment can be transported by longshore drift and affects not only the coastal processes in situ but also along adjacent coasts. 
We also calculated volumetric coastal erosion for Herschel Island by comparing a stereo-photogrammetrically derived DEM from 2004 with LIDAR DEMs. We compared this volumetric erosion to planimetric erosion, which was based on coastlines digitised from satellite imagery. We found a complex relationship between planimetric and volumetric coastal erosion, which we attribute to frequent occurrence of mass-wasting processes along the coasts. Our results suggest that volumetric erosion corresponds better with environmental forcing and is more suitable for the estimation of organic carbon fluxes than planimetric erosion.
Mass wasting can decrease SOC storage by several mechanisms. Increased aeration following disturbance may increase microbial activity, which accelerates organic matter decomposition. New hydrological conditions that follow the mass wasting event can cause leaching of freshly exposed material. Organic rich material can also be directly removed into the sea or into a lake. On the other hand the accumulation of mobilised material can result in increased SOC storage. Mass-wasting related accumulations of mobilised material can significantly impact coastal erosion in situ or along the adjacent coast by longshore drift. Therefore, the coastline movement observations cannot completely resolve the actual sediment loss due to these temporary accumulations. The predicted increase of mass-wasting activity in the course of Arctic warming may increase SOC mobilisation and coastal erosion induced carbon fluxes.
N2  - Die Erwärmung des arktischen Klimas beschleunigt das Tauen des Permafrosts. Das kann einen erheblichen Einfluss auf arktische Landschaften haben. Permafrostböden speichern große Mengen Kohlenstoff, der aufgrund von Umlagerungsprozessen wie beispielsweise Massenversatz mobilisiert und als Kohlendioxid oder Methan freigesetzt werden kann. Der Kohlenstoff im Boden kann auch durch Küstenerosion mobilisiert werden, die durch den Rückgang des arktischen Meereises und höhere Meerwassertemperaturen künftig stark zunehmen wird. Große Teile der arktischen Permafrostgebiete werden durch intensive Massenversatzprozesse wie Solifluktion, Rutschungen in der saisonalen Auftauschicht (active layer detachments) und rückschreitende Taurutschungen (retrogressive thaw slumps) gekennzeichnet. Unser Ziel ist es, den Einfluss dieser Massenbewegungen auf Kohlenstoffspeicher und Küstenerosion zu bewerten.
Wir haben Auftauschicht- und Permafrostproben untersucht, um den Kohlenstoffspeicher für Herschel Island zu ermitteln. Wir verglichen ungestörtes Terrain mit durch Massenversatz gekennzeichnetem Terrain. Letzteres zeigte verringerte Bodenkohlenstoffspeicher und Materialverdichtung. Durch Akkumulation organischen Materials gekennzeichnete Lagen zeigten eine Zunahme des Kohlenstoffpeichers. Der Bodenkohlenstoffspeicher auf Herschel Insel korreliert außerdem deutlich mit der Lage in Senken und der Hangneigung. Der Kohlenstoffspeicher im Boden von Herschel Island ist etwa so hoch wie in vergleichbaren Landschaften im Nordwesten Kanadas und Alaskas. Wir schätzen ihn auf 34,8 kg C m-2.
Wir ermittelten Küstenerosionsraten mit hochauflösenden Digitalen Geländemodellen (DGM). Dazu benutzten wir zwei LIDAR Aufnahmen der Yukon Küste aus den Jahren 2012 und 2013. Zwei DGMs mit 1 m horizontaler Auflösung wurden erzeugt und verwendet, um die Höhenunterschiede entlang der Küste zu analysieren. Wir fanden eine erhebliche räumliche Variabilität in kurzfristigen Küstenerosionsraten. Wir erklärten die hohe Variabilität mit der räumlichen Heterogenität des Vorkommens von Massenversatzprozessen. Besonders die sogenannten retrogressive thaw slumps bewirkten extrem hohe Erosionsraten an einigen Küstenabschnitten. Durch Strandversetzung wird erodiertes Sediment die Küste entlang transportiert und beeinflusst so nicht nur lokale Küstenprozesse, sondern auch benachbarte Küstenabschnitte.
Um die längerfristige Entwicklung der Küste einschätzen zu können, haben wir volumetrische Erosionsraten aus dem Vergleich eines stereophotogrammetrisch abgeleiteten DGM aus dem Jahr 2004 mit unseren LIDAR DGMs errechnet. Planimetrische Erosionsraten wurden anhand von digitalisierten Küstenlinien aus Satellitenbildern berechnet. So konnte auch der Einfluss von volumetrischer und planimetrischer Erosion eingeschätzt werden. Wir fanden komplexe Zusammenhänge zwischen planimetrischer und volumetrischer Küstenerosion, die wir auf das gehäufte Auftreten von Massenversatzprozessen entlang einiger Küstenabschnitte zurückführen. Die Ergebnisse legen nahe, dass volumetrische Erosionsraten den beobachteten Umweltbedingungen besser entsprechen als planimetrische Erosionsraten und somit besser geeignet sind zur Einschätzung organischer Kohlenstoffflüsse in Permafrostgebieten entlang der arktischen Küsten.
Massenversatz kann den Kohlenstoffspeicher im Boden mit verschiedenen Mechanismen verringern. Erhöhte Belüftung kann die mikrobielle Aktivität erhöhen, die den Abbau organischer Materie beschleunigt. Durch veränderte hydrologische Bedingungen nach Massenversatz können Stoffe aus der Auftauschicht ausgewaschen werden. Organikreiche Stoffe können auch direkt ins einem Meer in einen See erodiert werden. Andererseits kann die Akkumulation von umgelagertem Material zu einer Erhöhung des Bodenkohlenstoffspeichers an anderer Stelle führen. Die Akkumulation von Material aus Massenversatz kann erhebliche Auswirkungen auf die lokale Küstenerosion, durch Strandversetzung aber auch auf angrenzende Küstenabschnitte haben. Allein durch Beobachtung der Veränderung von Küstenlinien kann aufgrund solcher temporärer Ansammlungen die Einschätzung des tatsächlichen Sedimentverlustes pro Küstenabschnitt nicht präzise wiedergegeben werden. Im Zuge der prognostizierten Erwärmung der Arktis und der damit verbundene Zunahme von Massenversatzprozessen und Küstenerosion wird sich die Mobilisierung von Bodenkohlenstoff aus Permafrost zukünftig beschleunigen.
KW  - mass wasting
KW  - soil organic carbon
KW  - coastal erosion
KW  - Massenversatzprozesse
KW  - Kohlenstoffspeicher
KW  - Küstenerosion
Y1  - 2015
U6  - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-90599
ER  - 
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Couture, Nicole J.
A1  - Irrgang, Anna Maria
A1  - Pollard, Wayne
A1  - Lantuit, Hugues
A1  - Fritz, Michael
T1  - Coastal erosion of permafrost soils along the yukon coastal plain and fluxes of organic carbon to the canadian beaufort sea
JF  - Journal of geophysical research : Biogeosciences
N2  - Reducing uncertainties about carbon cycling is important in the Arctic where rapid environmental changes contribute to enhanced mobilization of carbon. Here we quantify soil organic carbon (SOC) contents of permafrost soils along the Yukon Coastal Plain and determine the annual fluxes from coastal erosion. Different terrain units were assessed based on surficial geology, morphology, and ground ice conditions. To account for the volume of wedge ice and massive ice in a unit, SOC contents were reduced by 19% and sediment contents by 16%. The SOC content in a 1m(2) column of soil varied according to the height of the bluff, ranging from 30 to 662kg, with a mean value of 183kg. Forty-four per cent of the SOC was within the top 1m of soil and values varied based on surficial materials, ranging from 30 to 53kg C/m(3), with a mean of 41kg. Eighty per cent of the shoreline was erosive with a mean annual rate of change of -0.7m/yr. This resulted in a SOC flux per meter of shoreline of 132kg C/m/yr, and a total flux for the entire 282km of the Yukon coast of 35.5 x 10(6) kg C/yr (0.036 Tg C/yr). The mean flux of sediment per meter of shoreline was 5.3 x 10(3) kg/m/yr, with a total flux of 1,832 x 10(6)kg/yr (1.832 Tg/yr). Sedimentation rates indicate that approximately 13% of the eroded carbon was sequestered in nearshore sediments, where the overwhelming majority of organic carbon was of terrestrial origin. Plain Language Summary The oceans help slow the buildup of carbon dioxide (CO2) because they absorb much of this greenhouse gas. However, if carbon from other sources is added to the oceans, it can affect their ability to absorb atmospheric CO2. Our study examines the organic carbon added to the Canadian Beaufort Sea from eroding permafrost along the Yukon coast, a region quite vulnerable to erosion. Understanding carbon cycling in this area is important because environmental changes in the Arctic such as longer open water seasons, rising sea levels, and warmer air, water and soil temperatures are likely to increase coastal erosion and, thus, carbon fluxes to the sea. We measured the carbon in different types of permafrost soils and applied corrections to account for the volume taken up by various types of ground ice. By determining how quickly the shoreline is eroding, we assessed how much organic carbon is being transferred to the ocean each year. Our results show that 36 x 10(6) kg of carbon is added annually from this section of the coast. If we extrapolate these results to other coastal areas along the Canadian Beaufort Sea, the flux of organic carbon is nearly 3 times what was previously thought.
KW  - coastal erosion
KW  - organic carbon
KW  - ground ice
KW  - Yukon
KW  - Canadian Beaufort Sea
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JG004166
SN  - 2169-8953
SN  - 2169-8961
VL  - 123
IS  - 2
SP  - 406
EP  - 422
PB  - American Geophysical Union
CY  - Washington
ER  -