Between 2012 and 2014 we returned to the villages with a questionnaire asking residents to rank the impacts of climate change we found in 2010-2012 according to two different criteria - how obvious the climatic changes are and how disruptive they are. Results were published in Rosales and Chapman (2016) and summarized below.
Obvious Climatic Changes in Shaktoolik
A view of the Village of Shaktoolik from above
Photo credit: Lynda Bekoalok
Change in the intensity of storms
Change along the coast, such as erosion
Change in Weather Patterns
Changes to the sea ice was the least obvious category in Shaktoolik.
Obvious Climatic Changes in Savoonga
Village of Savoonga
Photo credit: ShoreZone
Changes to sea ice
Changes along the coast
Changes in weather patterns and the tundra were the least obvious categories of change in Savoonga.
Disruptive climatic changes
The most disruptive change in Shaktoolik is the change in storm intensity, and to a lesser extent changes along the coast and to weather patterns. Changes on the tundra tended to be the least disruptive in Shaktoolik. The most disruptive change in Savoonga is also the change in storm intensity and to a lesser extent changes to the sea ice, weather patterns, and tundra being disruptive as well.