In this photo you can see a collapsed block of ice-rich permafrost along Drew Point, Alaska. Coastal bluffs in this region can erode 20 meters/year (~65 feet). USGS scientists continually research the causes of major permafrost thaw and bluff retreat along the Arctic coast of Alaska. In addition, with the loss of sea ice to protect the beaches from ocean waves, salt water inundates the coastal habitats.
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://www.flickr.com/people/27784370@N05">Benjamin Jones, U.S. Geological Survey</a>
<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/usgeologicalsurvey/32682616471/">https://www.flickr.com/photos/usgeologicalsurvey/32682616471/</a>; see also <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2234/suitcase-size-instrument-to-measure-emissions-from-melting-permafrost/">https://climate.nasa.gov/news/2234/suitcase-size-instrument-to-measure-emissions-from-melting-permafrost/</a>