Snow Patches and Their Influence on Coastal Erosion at Baydaratskaya Bay Coast, Kara Sea, Russian Arctic

Abstract

The Arctic coastal environment is a very dynamic system and sensitive to any changes. In our research we demonstrate that nivation (snow patch activity) impacts the Arctic landscape especially in the coastal dynamic at the western part of Russian Arctic. During fieldwork, snowbanks were described and studied and their qualitative role in the development of coastal systems was revealed for Baydaratskaya Bay coast, the Kara Sea. On one side, the large snow cover protects the coastal slope from thermodenudation and thermoabrasion; on the other side, a thick layer of snow affects the ground temperature regime. During snow melting, snow patches contribute to the removal of material from the coastal slope. The quantitative effect of snow on the ground temperature regime was assessed according to numerical simulations. The critical snow thickness was determined based on a calculation. Critical snow thicknesses based on simulation and field data correlated well. The numerical simulation showed the talik formation under the snow patch. Talik size essentially depends on the freezing temperature of sediment (influenced by salinity). The changes of ground temperature regime might further generate thawing settlement of sediment under snow and contribute to beach topography, which might be a trigger for thermoabrasion.

Long-Term Evolution and Monitoring at High Temporal Resolution of a Rapidly Retreating Cliff in a Cold Temperate Climate Affected by Cryogenic Processes, North Shore of the St. Lawrence Gulf, Quebec (Canada)

“…Subsequently, warm-spell effects can contribute to an additional 50 cm of sediment freezing and erosion by the end of the cold season [52]. The depth of the frost wave can also be strongly influenced by the snow distribution pattern in the cliff [47]. With high albedo and insulating capacity, the snow reduces surface heat exchange and reduces the penetration of the frost wave [82,87].…”

“…Where there are landslide scars in the cliff face that persist until the onset of winter, snow accumulation is greater in these scars. As some authors have pointed out, snow can, on the one hand, protect against erosion associated with daily thermal variations, but, on the other hand, its melting in spring can promote hydrogeological processes that can lead to geomorphological processes of greater magnitude in the cliff [47,102,103].…”

“…In the context of climate change, it is essential to assess the influence of environmental drivers on coastal erosion [13,44]. Research has often focussed on the quantification and influence of freeze-thaw cycles [45,46], the influence of snow patch thickness on the thermal regimes on cliffs [47], the increase in air-thawing-degree days and duration of ice-free periods [27,48], and the impact of waves and storms [44]. Even though erosionpredicting models are seldom used in cold coastal regions [49], empirical modeling has been used to assess cliff retreat due to storm surges [50], and numerical modeling to simulate thermoabrasion and subaerial erosion [12,51].…”