The coastal zone is the interface through which land-ocean exchanges in the Arctic are
mediated. The Arctic coastlines are highly variable and their dynamics are a function of
environmental forcing, coastal geology, geocryology (permafrost) and morphodynamic
behaviour. Especially, the ice-rich, permafrost-dominated coastlines of the Siberian Arctic
are rapidly eroded and it is assumed that the resulting coastal flux plays an important role in
the material budget of the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic coastal region is the transition zone
between onshore and offshore permafrost and the degradation of permafrost, which can be
connected with the release of permafrost-bond methane, is concentrated on the coastal
zone.
The objectives are to identify and to understand the key processes controlling Arctic coastal
dynamics, to decipher and quantitatively assess the recent role of the coasts and the
coastal lowlands in the entire Arctic system and to establish models to predict the future
behaviour of the Arctic coastal region in response to climatic and sea level changes
concerning estimations of coastal retreat, material flux, methane emission and the
development of onshore and offshore permafrost.

Spokesman:
Prof. Dr. Michael Schlüter

Publications