PALEO-STORM RECORDS FROM CAPE ESPENBERG, ALASKA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

Cape Espenberg is renowned as being one of the most significant archaeological sites in the state of Alaska. It was home to a group of Iñupiaq people for approximately 800 years, until they left for unknown reasons in the 19^th century. Also, being in such a dynamic coastal environment, it is an excellent location to study the effects of massive storms and an ever-changing climate. There are currently multiple interdisciplinary projects based out of Cape Espenberg. Reconstructing a prehistoric storm record for Cape Espenberg is crucial for not only understanding the way of life of the ancient Iñupiaq people who originally inhabited the area, but to paint a picture of how a warming climate effects the frequency of arctic storms.

By using saltmarsh sediment cores taken from the Cape Espenberg area, massive storms, as well as periods of stability, are able to be identified. Loss on ignition, diatom, δ¹³C/δ¹⁵N stable isotope and ¹⁴C radiocarbon sampling was used to help determine the frequency and approximate date of storms that left lasting impacts on this arctic coastal environment.

This was my Fall 2019 undergraduate capstone project at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. As a graduate student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington as of Spring 2020, I look forward to bringing my knowledge of Alaskan coastal environments to the East Coast.