Arctic Coastal Erosion
When you think of sea level rise, you likely think of coastal erosion in New Orleans and parts of the East Coast. However, sea level rise affects the Arctic, where it frequently combines with permafrost thaw to create severe erosion. The rising Bering Sea is threatening the native village of Shismaref, Alaska, a hamlet of about 590 Inupiats perched on a sandy barrier island on the northwest shore of Seward Peninsula. Shore erosion of the narrow spit has been severe since the 1950s, and protective armor and wire gabions have been ineffective. The town faces a decision to move inland, away from this traditional site. In 2002, townspeople voted to move their village to higher, more protected ground away from the ocean.