Projected increase of Arctic coastal erosion and its sensitivity to warming in the 21st Century

Abstract

Arctic coastal erosion damages infrastructure, threatens coastal communities, and releases organic carbon from permafrost. However, the magnitude, timing and sensitivity of coastal erosion increase to global warming remain unknown. Here, we project the Arctic-mean erosion rate to roughly double by 2100 and very likely exceed its historical range of variability by mid-21st century. The sensitivity of erosion to warming also doubles, reaching 0.4-0.5 m year-1 oC-1 and 2.3-2.8 TgC year-1 oC-1 by the end of the century under moderate and high-emission scenarios. Our first 21st-century pan-Arctic coastal erosion rate projections should inform policy makers on coastal conservation and socioeconomic planning. Our organic carbon flux projections also lay out the path for future work to investigate the impact of Arctic coastal erosion on the changing Arctic Ocean, on its role as a global carbon sink, and on the permafrost-carbon feedback.