CAREER: Building research and decision making capacity in the Arctic through deciphering storm-induced sediment dynamics and synergistic Alaska Native coastal science education

具有飓风强度的风暴可能会在阿拉斯加西部造成大范围的破坏，并导致沿海村庄发生灾难性的洪水和侵蚀。随着最近海冰持续时间和范围的下降，这些影响变得更加严重。该项目将结合实时绘制与风暴有关的沿海过程的地图和分析沉积物档案，以深入了解阿拉斯加西部当前和过去的风暴潮，同时增加北极的研究能力。这项科学研究将与一个以现场和实验室为基础的教育计划紧密结合，该计划的重点是在阿拉斯加培养沿海科学素养，包括开发一门大学课程，将在线模块和基于现场的活动结合起来，以衡量海岸的变化，并扩大一个实习计划，以培训和指导本科生和研究生。调查员还将举办社区研讨会，通过沿海科学教育、实践培训和讨论相结合的方式吸引利益相关者和公民科学家，以记录有关过去风暴影响的当地环境知识。该项目将解决有关环极北部当代、历史和古风暴影响的信息匮乏的问题，同时为阿拉斯加原住民社区创造沿海教育和培训机会。为了了解阿拉斯加西部过去和现在的海岸风暴动态，调查员将测量四个地点在风暴和非风暴期间的地貌、大气和水文条件。现场地点将跨越1000多公里的距离，包括：阿拉斯加西南部的Good News Bay；白令海南部陆架断裂的圣保罗岛；诺姆市旁边的Safe Sound；以及楚科奇海岸东部的障碍海滩系统Espenberg角。来自这些地点的实时测量和当地公民科学家的观察，结合遥感的海冰数据，将加强对沿海风暴影响的了解，并确定海冰在抑制当地和区域风暴信号方面的作用。调查人员将结合风暴观测点和沉积物取心的数据，开发出过去2000年风暴潮和其他环境变化的古替代记录。他将绘制当地沉积物动力学和地貌变化的地图，并开发一系列晚全新世的古风暴记录。该项目由极地计划办公室、北极自然科学计划和既定的激励竞争性研究计划(EPSCoR)共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Storms with hurricane force winds can cause widespread devastation along western Alaska and lead to catastrophic flooding and erosion in coastal villages. These impacts are made worse with recent declines in the duration and extent of sea ice. This project will combine mapping of real-time storm-related coastal processes and analysis of sediment archives to provide insight into current and past storm surges in western Alaska, while at the same time increasing research capacity in the Arctic. The scientific research will be tightly integrated with a field- and lab-based education plan focused on building coastal science literacy in Alaska, including development of a college course combining online modules and field-based activities to measure coastal change and expansion of an internship program to train and mentor undergraduate and graduate students. The investigator will also hold community workshops that engage stakeholders and citizen-scientists through a combination of coastal science education, hands-on training, and discussion sessions to document local environmental knowledge regarding past storm impacts.This project will address the paucity of information regarding contemporary, historical, and paleo storm impacts in the Circumpolar North, while simultaneously building coastal education and training opportunities for Alaska Native communities. To understand past and current coastal storm dynamics in western Alaska, the investigator will instrument four sites to measure geomorphic, atmospheric, and hydrographic conditions during storm and non-storm periods. The field sites will span a distance of over 1000 km and include: Goodnews Bay in southwest Alaska; St. Paul Island along the shelf break in the southern Bering Sea; Safety Sound, next to the City of Nome; and Cape Espenberg, a barrier beach system along the eastern Chukchi coast. Real-time measurements and local citizen-scientist observations from these sites, combined with remotely sensed sea ice data, will enhance understanding of coastal storm impacts and determine the role of sea ice in dampening local and regional storm signals. The investigator will combine data from storm observation sites and sediment coring to develop a paleo-proxy record of storm surge and other environmental changes during the last 2000 years. He will map local sediment dynamics and geomorphic change and develop a series of late Holocene paleo-proxy storm records. This project is jointly funded by the Office of Polar Programs Arctic Natural Sciences Program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.