Barrow

Location - Esatkuat Lagoon (2008-2011)

Esatkuat Lagoon was the northernmost freshwater site among the ALISON study sites. The lagoon is located immediately north east of the town of Barrow and to the east of the Arctic Ocean. It is only a short walk behind the middle school and is the freshwater supply for the towns of Barrow and Browerville.

Esatkuat Lagoon is located to the east (long dark water body) and north ((greenish water body) of the Barrow airport.

Location - Imikpuk Lake (2002-2006)

Situated immediately to the northeast of the former Naval Arctic Research Laboratory (NARL), Imikpuk Lake is 5 km northeast of downtown Barrow and only a short walk from the Arctic Ocean. The lake has maximum dimensions of 690 m by 1000 m and a maximum depth of 3.1 m. The Ukpeagvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC) draws water from the lake and distills it for sale. The distillation plant operator, Clayton Lambrecht, helped Tim Buckley and Martin Jeffries to establish the ice and snow observatory on the very windy evening of 6 November 2002. We are grateful to UIC and the North Slope Borough for permission to use Imikpuk Lake as an ALISON observatory.

People - Esatkuat Lagoon (2008-2011)

During the school year of 2008-2009, all eighth grade students in Deborah Greene’s Science and Math classes collected an assortment of data on the environment. A component to understanding the local climate, all students learned how to collect snow and ice data for their ALISON site on Esatkuat Lagoon located directly behind the middle school. After all students were exposed to the measurement process, students with a high interest level in this particular study collected the data weekly throughout the freeze-up and thaw cycles during the school year. Prior to freeze-up, students learned the protocol for setting up the site in a "dry land" training session:

Students walking out behind the school to the lakeside to practice setting up and measuring the transect prior to freeze-up.

James measuring out the "transect" on dry land next to the lake in September.

Students measuring and marking distance between stakes during the “dry-land training” session.

Dorcas records measurements along our land transect.

Students examine and practice reading probes.

Donald shows off the digital thermometer as he learns to use it.

People - Imikpuk Lake (2002-2006)

The observatory at Imikpuk Lake was run by Tim Buckley of Barrow High School, from 2002-2006. He was assisted by his freshman general science class in this effort.

Tim is originally from Montana and has lived in Barrow for ten years. Prior to that he served in the Peace Corps in Botswana. Tim’s professional development experiences include two cruises in the Arctic Ocean in 1996 and 1998 to study sea ice with Dr. Deb Meese of the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH. His participation in the 1998 cruise was under the auspices of Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic. Tim also participates in the Alaska GLOBE Program.

Tim Buckley and his students from Barrow High School taking part in ALISON, Winter 2002-03.

Students making measurements at Imikpuk Lake, December 2002.

Data

Download data for these graphs and other ALISON data.