Coastal Erosion in Atka

Observation by Alex Zaochney:

The beach is losing sand banks during storms."King tides" are common in the winter and erosion is seen in unusual areas In this bay with a shallow water line, 30 ft breakers can be seen during intense storms. All these photos are Bering Sea side of the island.

LEO Says:

Thank you Alex for sharing your observation and images. We hear a lot about coastal erosion in Western Alaska, and other areas where there is permafrost, thawing, erosion and subsidence along rivers and coastlines. But this is the first observation about coastal erosion that we have received in the Aleutians. Clearly the storm impacts in Nazan and Korovin Bay are significant. We have sent this observation onto our Climate Initiatives Team at ANTHC for their awareness and consideration. We are interested in other instances of erosion that are happening in the southwest and other parts of Alaska and invite observations from members to share on your experiences.

Comment from Gemini:

Previous posts on the LEO Network highlight the widespread impact of coastal erosion in Alaska. The 2018 post about Kincaid Beach in Anchorage (https://leonetwork.org/posts/show/7FD649D9-DCDE-44F7-BF33-AAFB6A6608E9) emphasizes the accelerating erosion exacerbated by declining winter ice, a factor likely relevant to Atka Island as well. Several posts from 2017 and 2018 document the severe erosion in Port Heiden (https://leonetwork.org/posts/show/474CEAD3-80C1-4FE9-AE8A-EC707F805332, https://leonetwork.org/posts/show/3546EE8D-0A31-48B8-854A-E57A1A63C50C) on the Alaska Peninsula, highlighting the impacts on infrastructure and the community's efforts to relocate. These observations, along with Alex Zaochney's current report from Atka, demonstrate the widespread and escalating threat of coastal erosion to communities throughout Alaska. The loss of sand banks as described in this observation could potentially lead to further destabilization of the shoreline, making Atka more vulnerable to future storm surges and rising sea levels. It's worth noting that the Aleutian Islands, including Atka, are experiencing changing ocean conditions, including altered wave patterns and increased storm intensity, as reported by the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (https://accap.uaf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/ACCAP_Aleutians_ClimateSnapshot_2022_Final.pdf). This provides further context for understanding the erosion observed by Mr. Zaochney and underlines the need for continued monitoring and community adaptation strategies in the region.