Science Projects 2010

Fjords are archives of environmental change

From Mountain to Fjord 2010 - Science Project Summary

Shoreline erosion – an indication of sea level change?

Climate change and the predicted effects of global sea level rise are of major concern for the population along coastlines.

Suggested consequences are

• an increase of devastating floods
• the reduction of coastal living space
• the increased potential of the sea causing damage to technical constructions (IPCC 2007).

How far has this process come?

Can we already see consequences of this threat?

To answer these questions, sensitive fjord shorelines and fjord sediments will be investigated. Fjords represent sheltered coastal marine realms. Even small sea level variations should be visible here. Observations have been made that indicate shoreline erosion. A key for determining the causes of this erosion might be found in the sediment record.

The 2010 science project of “From Mountain to Fjord” will during fall 2010 focus on the scientific documentation of changes along coastal fjord shorelines in the Sogndal region. What are the causes of the observed shoreline erosion? Can future shoreline development and consequences be predicted?

The results will be presented in a (public) seminar in the middle of December 2010.