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60-SECOND SCIENCE, Alaska's Protective Sea Ice Wall Is Crumbling because of the

Alaska's Protective Sea Ice Wall Is Crumbling because of the

This is Scientific American's 60 Second Science. I'm Emily Schwing.

Emily Schwing: In September, a massive storm on Alaska's western coast brought a surge of water 17 miles inland from the Bering Sea to the Cup'ik village of Chevak.

[Sounds of kids playing]

Davis Stone: The storm was crazy.

Schwing: What was crazy about it?

Stone: It flooded down there just like the sea…

Sean Napoleon: It was like an ocean!

Stone: Some powers turned out and some people had to sleep at the school for three days.

Schwing: Just over 900 people live in this community. It sits on a high bank above the Ninglikfak River. Elder John Pingayak says the storm shook his resolve.

John Pingayak: For three days, I was in turmoil because I finally realized how dangerous our situation [is] here in western Alaska. It's vulnerable from very high winds and a water surge.

Schwing: The impact of the storm, called Merbok, is very real for thousands of rural residents in western Alaska. Dozens of villages saw some level of flooding. People lost power, causing chest freezers to defrost. The power outages destroyed months of subsistence foods that people spent their summers storing up.

Food security in this part of the state is precarious. And on top of defrosted freezers, nearly all of the 90 or so boats people use to go fishing and hunting for their main sources of food in Chevak were damaged or destroyed. Pingayak says the losses are devastating.

Pingayak: It's our survival. If I'm Cup'ik, subsistence is mine. That's me. That's—subsistence is me because I'm the one that's going out and fishing. I'm the one that's going out and hunting for my family. And we do it for a livelihood and survival.

Clinton Slats: When the flood came in, it filled up with water, and then it drifted over and sunk right on the river channel.

Schwing: Clinton Slats was in Chevak's community hall days after the storm to report his losses to two employees who the village's tribal council had hired to take reports on the damage. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to retrieve his boat from the bottom of the Ninglikfak River.

Slats: It's hard to put into words how much it impacts us. I have no way to go hunt and gather with the remainder of the season now by boat.

Schwing: The storm didn't just destroy boats and motors. Nearly a dozen fishing sheds that held all sorts of gear from rifles to nets, gas cans and rain gear were destroyed. Some had completely disappeared from the riverbank.

Elsewhere across Alaska, summer fish camps and hunting cabins were destroyed. And because the storm arrived in Alaska before the ground was frozen, coastal erosion was extreme.

Rick Thoman: And so, of course, it's much easier to erode material that doesn't even have any ice in there to help stabilize it even a little, as compared to the same storm, say, now, where things have started to freeze up.

Schwing: That's Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

Thoman: But the warming oceans contribute to that longer period of time before freeze up gets going. And that again is something that is sure to continue into the future.”

Schwing: He says conditions this year in the south Pacific were ripe for the development of a storm like Merbok.

Thoman: Historically, the waters in that part of the subtropical Pacific are just not warm enough to support typhoon development. But this year much of the subtropical Pacific east of Japan is far warmer than normal. Some areas are the warmest on record.

Schwing: This storm was rare. Alaska hasn't seen anything like it in 50 years. Dozens of rural communities saw infrastructure damage in addition to flooding. Many scientists, including Thoman, believe the storm, which originated as a typhoon in the northwestern Pacific, is a harbinger of what climate change could bring to the northernmost U.S. state in coming years.

Thoman: Certainly we know a big contributor to the increased impacts isn't that there are more storms, but storms are coming when there's no sea ice.

Schwing: As the coldest months of winter bear down on Alaska, there's still currently no significant shore-fast sea ice along Alaska's Bering Sea coast or farther north along the shoreline of the southern Chukchi Sea other than around the mouths of rivers. It's a phenomenon that has become the norm in recent years.

Thoman: In the 20th century, there would have been sea ice to offer protection or act as a buffer or a wave break. And with that gone, the impacts have increased.

Schwing: After Merbok developed as a powerful typhoon, it made its way north and east toward Alaska. As it did so, it grew into something meteorologists really don't even have a word for. Some people called it the “remnants” of a typhoon. Thoman referred to it as an “ex-typhoon.” but that kind of language doesn't do justice in describing its power or immensity. By the time it slammed into Alaska, it had tripled in size alone.

Thoman: Over the long term, there's not any good, hard evidence of the intensity of these storms increasing. But the background they're working in—a warmer environment, a less frozen environment—is really, I think, the driver of the impacts.

Schwing: Residents in dozens of western Alaskan communities continue to repair damaged homes and outbuildings and to apply for disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the state government and other organizations. What Merbok laid bare is their vulnerability and the extreme need for improved and strengthened infrastructure as such storms become the new normal in the region.

For 60-Second Science, I'm Emily Schwing.


Alaska's Protective Sea Ice Wall Is Crumbling because of the Alaskas schützende Meereiswand bröckelt aufgrund der Το προστατευτικό τείχος θαλάσσιου πάγου της Αλάσκας καταρρέει λόγω της La pared protectora de hielo marino de Alaska se está desmoronando a causa del Le mur de protection de la glace de mer de l'Alaska s'effondre à cause de l'eau. Il muro protettivo di ghiaccio marino dell'Alaska si sta sgretolando a causa della アラスカの海氷の壁が崩れつつある。 알래스카의 보호용 해빙 벽이 무너지고 있습니다. A muralha protetora de gelo marinho do Alasca está a desmoronar-se devido à Защитная стена морского льда на Аляске разрушается из-за Alaskas skyddande havsisvägg håller på att falla sönder på grund av Alaska'nın Koruyucu Deniz Buz Duvarı İklim Değişikliği Nedeniyle Parçalanıyor Захисна крижана стіна на Алясці руйнується через 阿拉斯加的海冰保护墙正在崩溃 阿拉斯加的海冰保護牆正在崩潰

This is __Scientific American__'s 60 Second Science. I'm Emily Schwing.

**Emily Schwing:** In September, a massive storm on Alaska's western coast brought a surge of water 17 miles inland from the Bering Sea to the Cup'ik village of Chevak.

[Sounds of kids playing]

**Davis Stone:** The storm was crazy.

**Schwing**: What was crazy about it?

**Stone:**  It flooded down there just like the sea… La pierre : Elle a été inondée comme la mer...

**Sean Napoleon:** It was like an ocean!

**Stone:** Some powers turned out and some people had to sleep at the school for three days. La pierre : Certains pouvoirs se sont manifestés et certaines personnes ont dû dormir à l'école pendant trois jours.

**Schwing:** Just over 900 people live in this community. It sits on a high bank above the Ninglikfak River. Elder John Pingayak says the storm shook his resolve. L'aîné John Pingayak dit que la tempête a ébranlé sa détermination.

**John Pingayak:** For three days, I was in turmoil because I finally realized how dangerous our situation [is] here in western Alaska. It's vulnerable from very high winds and a water surge.

**Schwing:** The impact of the storm, called Merbok, is very real for thousands of rural residents in western Alaska. Dozens of villages saw some level of flooding. People lost power, causing chest freezers to defrost. Des personnes ont été privées d'électricité, ce qui a entraîné le dégivrage des congélateurs. The power outages destroyed months of subsistence foods that people spent their summers storing up. Les pannes d'électricité ont détruit des mois d'aliments de subsistance que les gens passaient leur été à stocker.

Food security in this part of the state is precarious. And on top of defrosted freezers, nearly all of the 90 or so boats people use to go fishing and hunting for their main sources of food in Chevak were damaged or destroyed. En plus des congélateurs dégivrés, la quasi-totalité des quelque 90 bateaux utilisés par les habitants de Chevak pour pêcher et chasser, leur principale source de nourriture, ont été endommagés ou détruits. Pingayak says the losses are devastating.

**Pingayak:** It's our survival. Pingayak : C'est notre survie. If I'm Cup'ik, subsistence is mine. That's me. That's—subsistence is me because I'm the one that's going out and fishing. La subsistance, c'est moi, parce que c'est moi qui vais pêcher. I'm the one that's going out and hunting for my family. C'est moi qui vais chasser pour ma famille. And we do it for a livelihood and survival. Et nous le faisons pour gagner notre vie et survivre.

**Clinton Slats:** When the flood came in, it filled up with water, and then it drifted over and sunk right on the river channel. Clinton Slats : Lorsque la crue est arrivée, il s'est rempli d'eau, puis il a dérivé et s'est enfoncé directement dans le chenal de la rivière.

**Schwing:** Clinton Slats was in Chevak's community hall days after the storm to report his losses to two employees who the village's tribal council had hired to take reports on the damage. Schwing : Clinton Slats s'est rendu dans la salle communale de Chevak quelques jours après la tempête pour déclarer ses pertes à deux employés que le conseil tribal du village avait engagés pour établir des rapports sur les dégâts. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to retrieve his boat from the bottom of the Ninglikfak River. Il n'était pas sûr de pouvoir récupérer son bateau au fond de la rivière Ninglikfak.

**Slats:** It's hard to put into words how much it impacts us. Les lattes : Il est difficile d'exprimer avec des mots l'impact que cela a sur nous. I have no way to go hunt and gather with the remainder of the season now by boat. Je n'ai aucun moyen d'aller chasser et cueillir, le reste de la saison se faisant désormais par bateau.

**Schwing:** The storm didn't just destroy boats and motors. Nearly a dozen fishing sheds that held all sorts of gear from rifles to nets, gas cans and rain gear were destroyed. Près d'une douzaine d'abris de pêche qui contenaient toutes sortes de matériel, des fusils aux filets, en passant par les bidons d'essence et les vêtements de pluie, ont été détruits. Some had completely disappeared from the riverbank.

Elsewhere across Alaska, summer fish camps and hunting cabins were destroyed. Ailleurs en Alaska, des camps de pêche d'été et des cabanes de chasse ont été détruits. And because the storm arrived in Alaska before the ground was frozen, coastal erosion was extreme. Et comme la tempête est arrivée en Alaska avant que le sol ne soit gelé, l'érosion côtière a été extrême.

**Rick Thoman:** And so, of course, it's much easier to erode material that doesn't even have any ice in there to help stabilize it even a little, as compared to the same storm, say, now, where things have started to freeze up.

**Schwing:** That's Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.

**Thoman:** But the warming oceans contribute to that longer period of time before freeze up gets going. Thoman : Mais le réchauffement des océans contribue à allonger la période de gel. And that again is something that is sure to continue into the future.” Et cela ne manquera pas de se poursuivre à l'avenir".

**Schwing:** He says conditions this year in the south Pacific were ripe for the development of a storm like Merbok. Schwing : Selon lui, les conditions de cette année dans le Pacifique Sud étaient propices au développement d'une tempête comme Merbok.

**Thoman:** Historically, the waters in that part of the subtropical Pacific are just not warm enough to support typhoon development. But this year much of the subtropical Pacific east of Japan is far warmer than normal. Mais cette année, une grande partie du Pacifique subtropical à l'est du Japon est beaucoup plus chaude que la normale. Some areas are the warmest on record. Certaines régions sont les plus chaudes jamais enregistrées.

**Schwing:** This storm was rare. Alaska hasn't seen anything like it in 50 years. Dozens of rural communities saw infrastructure damage in addition to flooding. Many scientists, including Thoman, believe the storm, which originated as a typhoon in the northwestern Pacific, is a harbinger of what climate change could bring to the northernmost U.S. De nombreux scientifiques, dont M. Thoman, estiment que cette tempête, qui a pris naissance sous la forme d'un typhon dans le nord-ouest du Pacifique, est un signe avant-coureur de ce que le changement climatique pourrait apporter à la partie la plus septentrionale des États-Unis. state in coming years.

**Thoman:** Certainly we know a big contributor to the increased impacts isn't that there are more storms, but storms are coming when there's no sea ice. Thoman : Nous savons que l'augmentation des impacts n'est pas due au fait qu'il y a plus de tempêtes, mais que les tempêtes surviennent lorsqu'il n'y a pas de glace de mer.

**Schwing:** As the coldest months of winter bear down on Alaska, there's still currently no significant shore-fast sea ice along Alaska's Bering Sea coast or farther north along the shoreline of the southern Chukchi Sea other than around the mouths of rivers. Schwing : Alors que les mois les plus froids de l'hiver s'abattent sur l'Alaska, il n'y a toujours pas de glace de mer côtière significative le long de la côte de la mer de Béring de l'Alaska ou plus au nord le long du littoral du sud de la mer des Tchouktches, à l'exception de l'embouchure des fleuves. It's a phenomenon that has become the norm in recent years.

**Thoman:** In the 20th century, there would have been sea ice to offer protection or act as a buffer or a wave break. Thoman : Au 20e siècle, il y aurait eu de la glace de mer pour offrir une protection ou agir comme un tampon ou un brise-vagues. And with that gone, the impacts have increased.

**Schwing:** After Merbok developed as a powerful typhoon, it made its way north and east toward Alaska. Schwing : Après s'être transformé en un puissant typhon, Merbok s'est dirigé vers le nord et l'est, en direction de l'Alaska. As it did so, it grew into something meteorologists really don't even have a word for. Some people called it the “remnants” of a typhoon. Certains l'ont appelé les "restes" d'un typhon. Thoman referred to it as an “ex-typhoon.” but that kind of language doesn't do justice in describing its power or immensity. By the time it slammed into Alaska, it had tripled in size alone. Au moment où il est entré en collision avec l'Alaska, il avait déjà triplé de taille.

**Thoman:** Over the long term, there's not any good, hard evidence of the intensity of these storms increasing. But the background they're working in—a warmer environment, a less frozen environment—is really, I think, the driver of the impacts.

**Schwing:** Residents in dozens of western Alaskan communities continue to repair damaged homes and outbuildings and to apply for disaster assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the state government and other organizations. Schwing : Les habitants de dizaines de communautés de l'ouest de l'Alaska continuent de réparer les maisons et les dépendances endommagées et de demander une aide en cas de catastrophe auprès de l'Agence fédérale de gestion des urgences, du gouvernement de l'État et d'autres organisations. What Merbok laid bare is their vulnerability and the extreme need for improved and strengthened infrastructure as such storms become the new normal in the region. Ce que Merbok a mis en évidence, c'est leur vulnérabilité et l'extrême nécessité d'améliorer et de renforcer les infrastructures à mesure que de telles tempêtes deviennent la nouvelle norme dans la région.

For 60-Second Science, I'm Emily Schwing.