The Arctic coasts present three unique shoreline types that are common in North America and Eurasia, but that are not found in lower latitudes or in the southern hemisphere: tundra cliffs, peat shorelines, and inundated low-land tundra. Tundra cliffs range in character from ice-rich exposures that are dominated by rapid thermo-erosional processes to high (10–15 meters) sediment-rich cliffs that may be eroded by slumping or basal sapping. One product of this rapid erosion of the tundra is to produce large volumes of peat and in many sections these form the dominant shore-zone material. In low-lying areas the flooding of the tundra has produced extremely complex shoreline configurations characterized by the elevated rims of patterned ground. These unique arctic shore types present different sets of challenges for shoreline cleanup and treatment and have been included in the U.S. marine oil spill response guide published in 2001 by API, NOAA, USCG, and USEPA and several specialized Arctic response manuals published recently by Environment Canada. A low-altitude aerial videotape survey in 2001 produced continuous images of the mainland and barrier island coasts of the Alaskan Beaufort and Chukchi Sea coasts from the Canadian border to Point Hope, used to map the shore types as part of a mapping project for the Minerals Management Service. The mapping revealed that the three arctic shoreline types are present on more than half (54 per cent) of the coast between the Canadian border and Point Hope.

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