USGS scientists at the Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center spoke by phone with Scientific American writer Andrea Thompson on November 15. Thompson reported their findings in her article about coastal flooding and erosion caused by recent storms in Alaska. In years past, sea-ice formed by mid-November or earlier, limiting the severity of large storm waves impacting the coast. Thompson asked about USGS reports documenting increased rates of coastal change since the 1970s. USGS is researching the connection between changes in the timing of sea-ice formation and the rates and patterns of shoreline change. Limited data along the Alaska coast make it difficult to determine the extent to which climate change is responsible for the observed increase in erosion. The article was published November 30.