Monitoring - Climate Change

Sea Temperature and Storm Surge Monitoring

Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada

Rationale

Coastal erosion along the Beaufort Sea

Climate change may increase the frequency and strength of coastal storms. Natural Resources Canada has started a sea temperature and storm surge monitoring program to collect information about the effect of storms on water levels and water temperature. This information can be used to understand how storms affect the permafrost and ice that occur along the coast. The information can also be used to look at how sea temperatures affect fish migration. The project is part of a network of sea temperature and storm surge monitoring projects across the Arctic Ocean coastline.

Objectives

• To measure changes in water levels and temperature during storms along the southeastern Beaufort Sea coast.
• To develop an understanding of how storms affect the erosion of permafrost and ice that occur along the Beaufort Sea coast.
• To relate coastal sea temperatures with fish migration.

Methods and Information Collected

• Sea temperature and storm surge monitoring is conducted at various locations along the Beaufort Sea coast.
• Probes are located at Shingle Point, Stokes Point and Nunaluk Spit along the coast of Ivvavik National Park. There are also probes at 5 locations in Alaska and 1 at Tuktoyaktuk.
• Probes are used to measure sea temperature and storm surges. The probes are cylinder shaped and are approximately 10 cm long and 3 cm in diameter. The probes are attached to a weight and placed in 1-3 m of water.
• Parks Canada is responsible for setting out and retrieving probes along the coast of Ivvavik National Park. The probes are set out in July and retrieved in July of the following year when the new probes are set.

Years of Data

• 2000 - present.

Partners

• Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada (project lead)
• Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Results

• In the absence of permanent tide gauges, storm surge probes have proven to be suitable tools for monitoring summer and early fall water levels along the Beaufort Sea shoreline.
• The probes recorded a water surge associated with a storm on August 10-14, 2000. This storm showed the differences in timing and height of water surges at different locations. Surges were later, higher and longer in the west.
• The chart below shows wind speed (WS) and wind direction (WD) for the summer of 2001. Note the dramatic change in prevailing wind direction from NW to E on 17-18 August. This coincides with a decrease in water levels throughout the region.

Contacts

Steven Solomon
Geological Survey of Canada (Atlantic)
P.O. Box 1006
Dartmouth, NS B2Y 4A2
Phone: (902) 426-8911
Fax: (902) 426-4104
Ssolomon@nrcan.gc.ca