Glacial Boulders on the Arctic Coast of Alaska

ARCTIC ◽  
1958 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald R. McCarthy

Reports incidental observations made in the Barrow-Cape Simpson area 1949-50. Pleistocene glaciers of Alaska did not extend north beyond the northern foothills of the Brooks Range, yet glacial boulders have been reported near and along the coast. Altogether 56 such erratic boulders from sheltered spots on the shore, as far as 8-9 mi inland on the tundra and a few from the present sea floor were examined. Their location and size, rock type with field description and petrographic analysis are tabulated. Of granite (16), diabase (17), quartzite (10), etc., they range in weight from 2-3 lbs. to 4-5 tons. They are thought to represent morainic material left by melting icebergs, and the bergs to have been produced from glaciers in widely separated areas.

1971 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 397-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Ross Mackay

Massive beds of ground ice are shown to exist along the arctic coastal plain east of the Alaska–Yukon boundary for a distance of at least 500 km. The massive ground ice can be seen in both undisturbed and glacially disturbed Pleistocene sediments. An examination of several thousand seismic shot hole logs, from drill holes of 15 to 35 m in depth, also corroborates the widespread occurrence of ground ice. The icy beds typically have an ice content, defined in terms of the weight of ice to dry soil, in excess of 200% for sections as much as 35 m thick. A theory is presented which suggests that: the ice is of segregation origin; the source of excess water was from the expulsion of ground water during the freezing of sands; and high pore water pressures, favorable to ice segregation, developed beneath an aggrading impermeable permafrost cover. Permafrost aggradation may have occurred either on an exposed sea floor during a period of sea level lowering which would have accompanied a glacier advance, or following a warm interval in which there had been deep thaw. Similarities in the origin of pingo ice and massive ice are discussed.


1995 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anatoly V. Lozhkin ◽  
Patricia M. Anderson

AbstractAlluvial, fluvial, and organic deposits of the last interglaciation are exposed along numerous river terraces in northeast Siberia. Although chronological control is often poor, the paleobotanical data suggest range extensions of up to 1000 km for the primary tree species. These data also indicate that boreal communities of the last interglaciation were similar to modern ones in composition, but their distributions were displaced significantly to the north-northwest. Inferences about climate of this period suggest that mean July temperatures were warmer by 4 to 8°C, and seasonal precipitation was slightly greater. Mean January temperatures may have been severely cooler than today (up to 12°C) along the Arctic coast, but similar or slightly warmer than present in other areas. The direction and magnitude of change in July temperatures agree with Atmospheric General Circulation Models, but the 126,000-year-B.P. model results also suggest trends opposite to the paleobotanical data, with simulated cooler winter temperatures and drier conditions than present during the climatic optimum.


1989 ◽  
Vol 67 (10) ◽  
pp. 2392-2397 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. G. E. de March

In the absence of distribution data for juvenile broad whitefish, Coregonus nasus, laboratory experiments were designed to elucidate the salinity ranges that the species will tolerate. Larval fish (12–18 mm) died within 120 h at salinities of 12.5‰ and higher at both 5 and 10 °C, though more slowly at 5 °C. Salinities of 12.5 and 15‰, but no higher, were tolerated for 120 h at 15 °C. Larvae fed readily at 15 °C but not at 5 or 10 °C. Slightly larger and more-developed larvae (15–19 mm) were tolerant of 12.5‰ but died within 120 h at 15‰ at the same three temperatures. These fish fed more readily than the younger ones. Larger fish (33–68 mm) were generally tolerant of 15–20‰ but not of higher salinities in 120-h tolerance tests. Larger field-collected fish (27–200 mm) reacted similarly but were more tolerant of salinities between 20 and 27‰ in 96-h tests. Analysis of both experiments with larger fish suggests that time to death was inversely related to size as well as to salinity. Coregonus nasus does not seem to be more tolerant of saline conditions than other freshwater or migratory fish species. Experimental results combined with limited information about the species' distribution suggest that man-made constructions on the arctic coast might seriously affect dispersal or annual migrations.


Author(s):  
Susan Green ◽  
Dr. Michael Krop

Photographic surveys have been used since the early 1940’s to document coastlines, fuel supplies and river courses. The US Navy, post world war II, flew over the Arctic coast to document possible locations for oil extraction. These very same photos are now being utilized to compare changes in tundra vegetation at the same locations today. John Muirs’ photos of Glacier Bay are a startling testament to the melted glaciers no longer visible from the same vantage point in present times. Taking photographs to monitor change may not tell the entire story behind a change in landscape. However, photos taken over a number of years from the same vantage points, can help monitor landscape changes due to habitat fragmentation, global warming, forest fire, cattle grazing and other land management issues. Photo monitoring is inexpensive, simple and can portray change to many different groups. Of course, photos taken to reveal change must start with documenting current or normal conditions. This is sometimes called baseline monitoring. The park ranger in Glacier National Park did not realize when he took his picture of the Grinnell glacier in 1911 that his photo would become an alarming baseline photo for evidence of global warming. The purpose of this project was to document the Snake River headwater basin and its riparian zones as a document in time for future reference. The original documentation included 48 images of two main headwater areas; the Shoshone and Lewis Lake areas and the Fox Park-Two Ocean Bear Management Areas near the Yellowstone Park border. Since the Shoshone-Lewis lakes are easily assessable and photo space here is limited, I have chosen to only use photos from the more remote areas.


1970 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 15-20
Author(s):  
Naresh Kazi Tamrakar ◽  
Lalu Prasad Paudel

Quality of aggregate is of extreme concern when it is to be used for infrastructures. Besides, many physical and mechanicalproperties of the aggregate, presence or absence of deleterious constituents and alkali-silica reactivity are especially importantwhen aggregates are to be used in concrete structures. High potential of alkali-silica reactivity or alkali-carbonate reactivity andpresence of deleterious constituents may impair the infrastructures.A ledge rock sample from the heap to be taken for crushing was petrographically analysed for alkali-silica reactivity. Inoverall, two rock clans (dolosparstone and dolomicrosparstone) with three sub clans (rock type X, Y and Z) from the sample 2 areidentified. Rock type X (dolosparstone) constitutes 82.94% of the whole sample, and shows notable amount of quartz and calciteveins, and carbonaceous material and hematite on the mosaic of dolospars. Rock types Y (dolosparstone) and Z (dolomicrosparstone)contain trace amount of microquartz, mega quartz (>15 mm) and carbonaceous opaques. The rock type Z is dominantly composedof dolomicrospars. Major portions of all the rock types are characterised by mosaics of dolomite in association with variableamounts of muscovite, quartz, and calcite. Calcite often replaces the mosaics of dolomite and bands of quartz, forming a veinnetworks in rock types X and Y. Silica is represented by a low-temperature mega quartz either in ground or in veins, a trace amountof microquartz in rock types Y and Z. There is no other reactive silica components, thus showing a low potential to alkali-silicareactivity. However, the sample shows potential of alkali-carbonate reactivity as significant proportion of rock type havingdolomicrospars are found.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/bdg.v14i0.5433Bulletin of the Department of Geology Vol.14 2011, pp.15-20


1866 ◽  
Vol 156 ◽  
pp. 639-655
Keyword(s):  

I am indebted, for the opportunity of laying the following observations and their discussion before the Royal Society, to the kindness and courtesy of Chamberlain General Adjutant Irminger, of the Royal Danish Navy, who undertook (in 1862) to have Tidal observations made by the Missionaries and Government officers at certain stations on the coast of Greenland, for the purpose of completing the observations, on the Tides of the Arctic Seas, made by several officers of Her Majesty’s Navy during the search for Sir John Franklin ; some of which I have already laid before the Society, in Parts I. and II. of these papers; of others I hope to be able to complete the discussion, and to forward them in due course to the Royal Society. The observations recorded and discussed in the present paper were made in 1863-64, at Frederiksdal, near Cape Farewell, by Missionary Asboe, to whom and to Admiral Irminger I beg leave to return my warmest thanks for their uniform courtesy and attention to a request proceeding from a total stranger.


1966 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. S. B. Paterson ◽  
L. K. Law

Seven determinations of geothermal heat flow were made in the general area of southern Prince Patrick Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Measurements were made from sea ice in water depths of between 200 and 600 m. The mean heat flow for the two stations on the continental shelf in the Arctic Ocean was 0.46 ± 0.08 μcal cm−2 s−1. The mean heat flow for the five stations in the channels to the east of Mould Bay was 1.46 ± 0.16 μcal cm−2 s−1. The instrument and field methods are described. Errors due to the instrument and to the environment are discussed.


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