| Title | Magnitude of shoreline changes (1979 to 2009) along Bylot and north Baffin islands, including the community of Pond Inlet, Nunavut |
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| Author | Taylor, R B; St. Hilaire-Gravel, D |
| Source | ArcticNet (ASM2013), programme; by ArcticNet; 2013 p. 188-189 |
| Links | Online - En ligne (full program - programme complet, PDF
3.1 MB)
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| Image |  |
| Year | 2013 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20130436 |
| Meeting | Arcticnet 2013; Halifax; CA; December 9-13, 2013 |
| Document | book |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper; on-line; digital |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | Nunavut |
| NTS | 38B; 38C |
| Area | Baffin Island; Guys Bight; Bylot Island |
| Lat/Long WENS | -80.0000 -76.0000 74.0000 72.0000 |
| Subjects | surficial geology/geomorphology; Nature and Environment; coastal studies; coastal erosion; coastal environment |
| Program | Climate Change Geoscience |
| Released | 2013 01 01 |
| Abstract | Awareness of coastal hazards intensifies when large storms strike coastal communities, such as Pond Inlet in August 1991. Storms can also impact coastal infrastructure, archaeological resources and
biological habitat along shores far from settlements. To better understand the impact of storms and monitor trends in physical shoreline change, permanent survey markers were established by the Geological Survey of Canada in the 1970s and 1980s at
87 sites across the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (Nunavut). Presented are beach changes observed between 1979 and 1985, in 2005 and 2007 at sites located along the high energy wave environment of western Baffin Bay and to 2009 at the community of
Pond Inlet.
Along the outer Baffin Bay coast most beaches had migrated landward or were eroded over the last three decades. Older backshore beach ridges, with abundant whale bone and potentially other archaeological resources were being buried
and only remained exposed in a few locations. Despite the occurrence of extensive wave washover features, crest retreat along barrier beaches was generally less than 5 m but locally greater. The largest shift in beach crest position was observed in
Bathurst Bay, Bylot Island where the north end of a barrier beach, retreated 14 m and the south end prograded 20 m. In Guys Bight, Baffin Island, shores had built 7 m seaward between 1981 and 2007 because of abundant sediment supply.
Along
the inner coast, e.g. near the community of Pond Inlet, sand barrier beaches were building seaward during the 1970s but had retreated as much as 8 m landward between 1981 and 2005. Low bluffs retreated an average of 4.1 m and a maximum of 6.8 m
between 1981 and 2005, resulting in the relocation of graves to higher ground. The beach fronting the community has maintained a similar width compared with the 1970s. Since 2005, larger fluctuations in beach morphology were observed along the
eastern portion of the community beach than the western portion. Similar magnitude storms struck the community in the early 1970s and in August 1991. Waves were more threatening in 1991 because of increased building of residences along the
backshore.
All shores investigated experienced greater change between 1985 to 2005 than between 1979 and 1985, yet there was little significant difference in the magnitude of biennial beach changes between 1979 - 1981 and 2005 - 2007. At least
one major storm struck these shores after 2005 when the beach and lagoon were partially frozen or snow covered which may reflect impacts of a longer open water season. Waves rework a much wider swath of modern beach (40 to 60 m) along western
Baffin Bay, than along shores of the central (20-35 m) and western (5-15 m) arctic archipelago. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
Results from repetitive cross-shore surveys collected between 1979 and 2009 are summarized for beach sites located along Bylot and North Baffin Islands,
including the community of Pond Inlet. The largest shift in beach position was -14m to +20m in Bathurst Bay yet there was little significant difference in the magnitude of changes between 1979-1981 and 2005 and 2007. Near the community of Pond Inlet
sand beaches building in the 1970s retreated as much as 8 m between 1981 and 2005. Similar magnitude storms struck the community of Pond Inlet in the early 1970s and 1991. Waves were more threatening in 1991 because of increased building of
residences along the present shoreline not because of climate change. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 293573 |
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