Thawing Arctic riverbeds may erode up to 10 times faster than unfrozen ground
Sometimes science throws up the unexpected. When a team of researchers set out to model river erosion in Canada's High Arctic, they did not expect the findings to defy common sense.
Researchers studying river erosion in Canada's High Arctic discovered thawing ground may erode up to 10 times faster than unfrozen ground. The surprising findings defied conventional wisdom, which held that ice in riverbeds slowed erosion. When water infiltrates frozen ground and begins to melt, it gives rivers a higher flow speed, leading to faster erosion as sediment is carried downstream.
The Arctic warms significantly faster than the rest of the globe, with landscapes waking up and forming new rivers. This research could inform human activity in the region and address broader environmental concerns, such as sediment transport and impacts on ocean biology and sensitive ecosystems.
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