Going below the surface on shoreline erosion behaviour

What can we learn about shoreline erosion patterns from the past that can help with future glacial melt events? 

Brayden Klassen is researching how shorelines from an ancient lake in Montana can help us understand the origin of some of Earth’s largest floods. The fourth-year geoscience student at VIU is looking at the shoreline development  of Glacial Lake Missoula, to try and figure out how many times the lake filled and drained, and how these events impacted the present-day landscape.

“We want to know if the shorelines could survive repeated flooding, or if they were completely wiped out,” Brayden explains.

Using a wave-generating device he and VIU Earth Sciences Professor Dr. Jerome Lesemann  simulate shoreline erosion in a water tank at VIU to try and replicate how the ancient lakes would have filled and drained, and how that would have affected the shorelines we see today. 

The wave generating system created by Brayden Klassen and Dr. Jerome Lesemann.

Throughout the trials, Brayden makes adjustments like how fast the lake fills and the angle of the shorelines to see how these factors change the features that form. So far, his trials are showing that the shoreline features today are mostly from the most recent time the lake refilled, because earlier shorelines were destroyed when the lake refilled – although he’s still working to figure out how many times the lake actually filled and drained.

“It’s happened a few times, but there are debates on whether ‘a few’ means 50 or 60, or four or five,” he says. 

As part of his research and to help him compare his results to the actual landscape, Brayden is also studying 3D maps of the land that were created using a technology called LIDAR, which uses lasers to measure the surface of the earth, giving researchers results that highlight even the smallest features in the landscape. 

“The shorelines are very subtle, only a few centimeters high, so they’re hard to measure on the ground. But with LIDAR, we can see them clearly,” says Braden.

Looking at what has happened in the past can also be helpful in predicting and preparing for potential future events. For example, the notable glacial melt in Greenland, and what might happen as a result, he adds.

Brayden’s interest in geoscience began in 2016 when he went to university to study natural resource science. He later applied for a job with a company as an environmental scientist, but was instead hired to join the company’s geotechnical operations and “kind of fell in love with it.”

After a few years with the company, he decided to return to school to study geology in his home province at Yukon University, before transferring to VIU to complete his degree. He plans to return to the Yukon for work after he’s finished his degree at the end of this month.

“I’m going to be going into surficial geology as a career after this, so I knew if I was going to do a research project, I would want to base it around surficial geology in general,” he says.

Braden says the project is a great way to use what he’s learned and solve a mystery about Earth’s history. 

“This research brings together everything I’ve learned so far and gives us a chance to learn more about the Earth’s past.”