Increased Coastal Erosion In The Arctic

Increased coastal erosion in the Arctic, due to thawing permafrost could have major global impacts. Firstly, permafrost is ‘soil or rock that remains at or below 0°C for at least two consecutive years’ (van Everdingen, 1998). Consequently storing gases such as carbon dioxide and methane, frozen as organic matter (Fritz and Lantuit, 2017) in the permafrost underlying the Arctic coastline (ACIA). When the permafrost thaws in the summer months, this organic matter decomposes transferring the organic carbon into marine storage zones (Hayes et al, 2007) and releases carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere (ACIA). Therefore, if the rate of coastal erosion in the Arctic is increased, the global carbon budget could be affected as the releases