Arctic Coastal Dynamics Newsletter No. 2

June 2001

1 Introduction

The main purpose of the ACD Newsletter is to inform you as an Arctic researcher interested in coastal dynamics about the progress and activities of the IASC project Arctic Coastal Dynamics (ACD). The first Newsletter was sent out in October 2000 and this second Newsletter summarizes the achievements of the last months and the future activities.

2 Achievements since October 2000

2.1 During the Potsdam Workshop in October 2000 a phased, five-year ACD Science and Implementation Plan was developed. The document was distributed to the international science community for review and submitted to IASC for approval. The printed version of the ACD Science and Implementation Plan is now available at the ACD secretariat in Potsdam.

2.2 During the last 6 months working groups formed during the Potsdam workshop in October 2000 concentrated on the assessment and synthesis of existing information on coastal properties and dynamics.

• Metadata working group: Based on metadata forms, which were sent out with the first ACD Newsletter, we are compiling an inventory of relevant information from unpublished sources. A digital index map is in preparation.
• Literature working group: Regional representatives are currently conducting a literature review of relevant published papers, reports and coastal maps for their area.
• Environmental data working group: Data archives on meteorological and hydrodynamic variables, which affect the coast, are currently investigated to extract and format the relevant subsets of the data for inclusion in an Arctic coastal database.
• Mapping and classification working group: For development of the classification databases and the GIS-based map products we currently focus on selected coastal segments (Laptev Sea, Beaufort Sea, Svalbard, Kara Sea), for which digital maps (1:500 000) are in process.

2.3 Two ACD relevant proposals to be submitted to INTAS are in preparation.

2.4 ACD conference presentations since October 2000 at:

• Scientific Steering Group for the Arctic Climate System Study (ACSYS)/Climate and Cryosphere (CLIC), First session, Kiel, Germany, 23-27 October 2000.
• International Workshop "Land-Ocean Interactions in The Russian Arctic: New Approaches and Methods", Moscow, Russia, 5-8 December 2000.
• 1st European Permafrost Conference, Rome, Italy, 26-28 March 2001 (including a meeting of the ACD Steering Committee).
• Geological Assocation of Canada annual meeting 2001. St. John's NF, Canada, 26-28 May 2001.
• International Conference "Arctic Climate Impact Assessment", St.-Petersburg, Russia, 29-30 May 2001.
• American Geophysical Union. Boston, MA, USA, May 30-June 1, 2001.
• International Conference "Conservation and Transformation of the Matter and Energy in the Earth Cryosphere". Pushchino, Russia, 1-5 June 2001 (including a meeting of the ACD Steering Committee).
• Coast GIS meeting. Halifax, NS, Canada 18-20 June 2001.

2.5 The ACD website is constantly updated to facilitate communication and data exchange.

3 Announcement: ACD workshop 26-30 November 2001 in Potsdam

The second ACD workshop will take place in Potsdam (Germany) from 26-30 November 2001. The workshop will comprise presentations and discussions according to phase 1 of the ACD Implementation Plan followed by a meeting of the ACD Steering Committee. Limited funds are available for participation of non Steering Committee members. Additional funds are available for young investigators. If you are interested in participating please email Volker Rachold, include an extended abstract (max. 1000 words) and indicate if you require funding to participate. Young scientists including graduate students should send a requeststating their interest in attending. Deadline for abstracts and application: 15 September 2001

4 Other relevant conferences

• International Permafrost conference 2003 in Zuerich, deadline for abstracts
• 1 November 2002 Arctic Margins Conference in Halifax (planned)

5 ACD relevant field work in 2001

• Laptev Sea: Within the frame of the Russian-German cooperation, fieldwork will be conducted at the western coast of the Lena Delta. During July/August 2001 a Russian-German team will study coastal dynamics of an embayed coast separated from the sea by a 4-7 km wide lagoon, which is bordered by a chain of narrow barrier sand islands less than 1 m high.
• Beaufort Sea: Several sites in the Alaskan and Canadian Beaufort Seas will continue to be monitored.
• Canadian Arctic: (1) GPS measurements for study of vertical motion along the coast from Resolute to Inuvik. (2) Coastal program at the mouth of the Mackenzie River to characterise coastal hazards as a basis for the establishment of a tourism site. (3) Tide gauges will be installed along the Beaufort coast from the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge to the Hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk and water temperature gauges will be installed along 2 transects in the Canadian Beaufort. (4) U.S. Mineral Management Services will be remapping most the Alaskan North Slope coastline for the purposes of oil spill sensitivity analysis.

responsible: V. Rachold