Coastal Hazards in Canada

Canada has the longest ocean coastline in the world, and experiences a great amount of erosion.  While most of this coastline erodes at a moderate rate of less than 3 feet per year, parts of the Atlantic coastline experience up to 30 feet per year.  Some islands off the coast of Nova Scotia have incurred so much erosion, that the islands have now disappeared into the ocean.  Our textbook estimates that approx. 1 billion dollars are spent each year to control the erosion on the coast line. 

The eastern Atlantic coast of Canada’s shorelines is on a relatively inactive section of coast, of its distance from the convergent plate boundaries.  This leads to barrier islands and sandy beaches.  The western coast however is located near several active plate boundaries, which creates a very rocky mountainous coastline.  This coastline is also influenced by thick layers of ice, and movement of glaciers. 

The coastal region of Canada has an extreme rise between low and high tides.  This will produce “flood tides” that can rush in very quickly.  With a tidal range of 50 feet, these tides can come in as quickly as 3 feet every 23 min.  This quick change in tide level can be very dangerous for those who are not prepared for it.  This can lead to rip currents, and can catch even the most experienced swimmers in a very strong current.  In the event of a rip current, remaining calm and swimming parallel to the shore is the best way to get out of the current.   Attempting to swim directly at the current is generally unsuccessful, so swimming laterally to find a break in the strong current to swim back to shore  is the best way to avoid being swept further.

Information taken from Chapter 11 of our textbook, as well as:

http://www.tourismpei.com/beach-safety

https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/earth-sciences/science/water/marine-coastal-processes/10896