For a short study period, two video cameras overlooked the coast from atop the coastal bluff of Barter Island in northern Alaska. The purpose was to observe and quantify coastal processes such as wave run-up, development of rip channels, bluff erosion, and movement of sandbars and ice floes.
Read more about our current Arctic research projects:
Climate impacts to Arctic coasts
Read USGS Sound Waves newsletter articles about this research:
The Challenges of Arctic Fieldwork
Measuring Waves and Permafrost to Better Understand Erosion on Alaska’s Arctic Coast
Eyes on the Coast—Video Cameras Help Forecast Coastal Change
USGS Arctic researchers aimed a cellular-connected camera, used for tracking game, on another camera system as a means to keep an eye on the integrity of those video cameras “across the way.” What's funny is that the game cam went offline over the cold winter, and the scientists thought they'd lost it. Then suddenly, on April 15th, the game cam emailed an image! The one shown here is a bit more colorful and from a few days later, on April 19th. Now they know that #1 this game cam is still working (but just got a little frozen!) and #2 that their tower for mounting video cameras (used to observe and quantify coastal processes) is still standing and ready for summer installation.
Read more about our ongoing research about climate impacts to Arctic coasts.
Other research associated with this project
Climate impacts to Arctic coasts
Remote Sensing Coastal Change
Climate impacts to Arctic coasts, recent activities
- Overview
For a short study period, two video cameras overlooked the coast from atop the coastal bluff of Barter Island in northern Alaska. The purpose was to observe and quantify coastal processes such as wave run-up, development of rip channels, bluff erosion, and movement of sandbars and ice floes.
Read more about our current Arctic research projects:
Climate impacts to Arctic coasts
Read USGS Sound Waves newsletter articles about this research:
The Challenges of Arctic Fieldwork
Measuring Waves and Permafrost to Better Understand Erosion on Alaska’s Arctic Coast
Eyes on the Coast—Video Cameras Help Forecast Coastal ChangeUSGS Arctic researchers aimed a cellular-connected camera, used for tracking game, on another camera system as a means to keep an eye on the integrity of those video cameras “across the way.” What's funny is that the game cam went offline over the cold winter, and the scientists thought they'd lost it. Then suddenly, on April 15th, the game cam emailed an image! The one shown here is a bit more colorful and from a few days later, on April 19th. Now they know that #1 this game cam is still working (but just got a little frozen!) and #2 that their tower for mounting video cameras (used to observe and quantify coastal processes) is still standing and ready for summer installation.
Read more about our ongoing research about climate impacts to Arctic coasts.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.First good image of the Arctic bluff in spring, taken April 15th, 2019 and sent from a self-resurrected, cellular-connected game cam mounted on the coastal permafrost bluff near the village of Kaktovik on Barter Island, northeast Alaska. The tower in the background is for mounting additional cameras to document coastal and sea-ice change over a summer season.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Stunning image from the game cam, taken April 19th, 2019.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.USGS oceanographer Shawn Harrison stands near the USGS video camera installation atop the coastal bluff of Barter Island in northern Alaska.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.Camera set-up on the Barter Island coast in summer of 2018.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.Photograph of the highly erosive coastal permafrost bluff of Barter Island.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.USGS scientists Cordell Johnson, left, and Li Erikson stand atop the coastal bluff of Barter Island. - Science
Other research associated with this project
Climate impacts to Arctic coasts
The Arctic region is warming faster than anywhere else in the nation. Understanding the rates and causes of coastal change in Alaska is needed to identify and mitigate hazards that might affect people and animals that call Alaska home.Remote Sensing Coastal Change
We use remote-sensing technologies—such as aerial photography, satellite imagery, structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry, and lidar (laser-based surveying)—to measure coastal change along U.S. shorelines.Climate impacts to Arctic coasts, recent activities
USGS activities related to the project, "Climate Impacts to Arctic Coasts."