Alaskan Coast Line Eroding Before Our Eyes

The Alaskan Coast Line is eroding  rapidly.  Climate change is believed to be at fault since Arctic Sea Ice recedes seasonally.  The water warms up and transfers the heat energy to the shoreline, melting the frigid soil, allowing it to break off and dissipate in the water.  The ice has always receded seasonally, however the amount of time the season lasts has been extended due to global warming, making the shoreline more vulnerable to storms battering the coast for longer periods of time.  This phenomena may become more prevalent as sea ice melts in that area.  In other words the more ice there is, the more protected the coastline.  No ice, no Alaska.

Here is a video showing the erosion of Alaska’s coastline in time lapse photography of a fixed shot, every 2 hours, for a period of one month.  It is very disturbing because according to research the coastline is eroding 100 ft per year, but seeing it first hand is something else.  Judge for yourself.  This video comes from a blog for the Environmental Defence Fund Climate 411 and can be found here at http://blogs.edf.org/climate411/category/science/   or view below: