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36 SAMC
o
T • Annual report 2012
Vestpynten is located on the south side in the outer part
of the Adventfjord, close to the Longyearbyen airport and
just 7 km away from UNIS. Based on preliminary studies
using aerial photos, an approximation of the erosion rate
was estimated to be 0.5 m per year at this particular part
of the coastline. It is now instrumented with six thermis
tor strings at a depth of 10 m. They are placed along a
profile perpendicular to the coastline. The temperature
regime in the area is well documented. There are also
shallow thermistors in the bluff to closer investigate the
thermal processes of the degrading permafrost. The
soil conditions have also been evaluated based on grain
size distribution tests from bag samples collected with
an auger during the spring of 2012.
Thermistors were placed in steel tubes, which were
sealed on top to prevent thermal influence from internal
convection and precipitation. Fig. 36 shows tempera
ture data from one point in Vestpynten. Studies of how
snowdrift in the coastal zone affects the temperature
regime in the coastal permafrost, and thus affects
erosion rates are ongoing in Emilie Guegan’s PhD study.
Grain size distribution curves indicate that the soil
consists of a well-graded material with particles
between gravel and silt. This grain size distribution
might deviate from the real situation due to some crush
ing of rocks during the sampling. The material is very
dry with a water content ranging between 9.6% and 25%.
Fredheim is situated in the outlet of the Sassendalen
valley in the southern part of the Temple fjord, approxi
mately 33 km northeast of Longyearbyen. The annual
erosion rates in Fredheim in the period 2010-2012 has
been estimated based on DGPS data and to some degree
Fig. 34. Maps indicating test sites at Pesyakov and in Baydaratskaya Bay (source: Google maps).
Fig. 35. Photos shot with a time lapse digital camera at Vestpynten. The photo to the left was taken on 23 May 2012, while
the photo to the right was taken 12 July 2012. The orange line represents the edge line position in July (from the work of
PhD candidate Emilie Guegan).