Fall 2024 Storm Exposed Coastal Permafrost

Observation by Susan Tessier:

With increased storm impacts from our 2024 fall storm, the permafrost along the coast is exposed to the ice layer. In the past, most permafrost has been covered with clay or plant layers. It was eerie to walk the coastline after this storm and see the walls of exposed ice. What will the exposure mean for the amount of future melting and contaminants entering our environment is often on my mind. Will the melting increase? With this storm, Kotzebue saw the highest flooding since the 1960's. In 2023, with the aftermath of Merbok we saw some flooding, but this was at least twice as bad.

LEO Says:

There has been a series of observations about coastal erosion from storm events near Kotzebue. There have also been some really interesting post about the October 21st storm including drone footage of flood conditions. Some of these are attached. This is the first post however in LEO Network speaking to the flooding and related coastal erosion. We are sharing your post with some LEO Network members who are active on the topic of permafrost, at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Permafrost Laboratory, and with the Permafrost Discovery Gateway. We have also copied some of our own erosion experts at the Center for Environmentally Threatened Communities at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium. Thank you Susan for continuing your observations and knowledge sharing from the shores of Kotzebue Sound.

Comment from Gemini:

Several previous posts in the LEO Network highlight the ongoing and escalating coastal erosion issues around Kotzebue, particularly at Cape Blossom. These range from reports in 2015, 2017, and 2020 documenting significant erosion rates (from 1.5 to 16 feet per year) attributed to thermal degradation of ice-rich permafrost bluffs, exacerbated by rising sea levels and changing wind patterns. The 2020 post specifically mentions the lack of monitoring sites at Cape Blossom, emphasizing the need for more data collection in this vulnerable area. Other posts from 2017, 2019, and 2023 chronicle the impact of storms and high water levels on Kotzebue, with Susan Tessier herself noting in 2023 that higher water levels had contributed to increased erosion. This current observation by Susan adds a critical dimension by linking the unprecedented flooding from the 2024 fall storm directly to newly exposed coastal permafrost. This exposure raises serious concerns about accelerated future melting and the release of contaminants. The stark imagery of exposed ice walls underscores the severity of the situation. I would add that observations from other regions of Alaska have also seen increasing levels of exposed coastal permafrost, such as documented by the Alaska Coastal Dynamics project through the Arctic Data Center. This makes Susan's observations part of a broader, alarming trend across the Arctic. Furthermore, Susan's comparison of this flood event to the aftermath of Typhoon Merbok in 2023, stating this event was "at least twice as bad," underlines the accelerating impacts of extreme weather events on this community. Given the potential implications of permafrost thaw for coastal stability, infrastructure, and water quality, continued monitoring and research are crucial.