Rising Global Temperatures Accelerate Coastal Erosion Across the Arctic

Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 11 January 2022

Arctic coasts have different geological compositions depending on their location, but their sensitivity to changes in temperature render them particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. When air temperature rises, ground ice melts and large areas of permafrost thaw along Arctic coastal regions, causing the land to become destabilized and collapse. Increases in ocean temperature exacerbate the situation by forcing the protective sea ice cover to retreat for extended periods of time. This exposes Arctic coastlines to strong waves for much longer than normal, which further accelerates coastal erosion. Around 4.3 million people living in the Arctic face the consequences of coastal erosion; they could lose their homes, roads, traditional hunting grounds, and cultural sites. The progressive destabilization of these coastal areas underscores the importance of rapidly reducing carbon emissions to minimize such loss and damage; and developing adaptation strategies to enable safe and sustainable living across the Arctic.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-021-00232-1