GC9YHHP Point Barrow (Earthcache) in Alaska, United States created by mijkie

GC9YHHP ▼

A cache by mijkie Message this owner

Hidden : 8/14/2022

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:

Please Note before Attempting:

It is not safe to walk around outside of Utqiagvik, due to multiple factors, including polar bears. This means you will need to arrange to get here with a vehicle. I suggest speaking with your hotel staff for recommendations, booking a tour, or asking around town.

Description

Geography:

Point Barrow, located northeast of the city of Utqiagvik, Alaska, is the northernmost point of land within the United States. Located between the Chukchi Sea to the west, the Beaufort Sea to the east, and the foothills of Brooks Range to the sounh, Point Barrow is part of the Arctic Coastal Tundra ecoregion on the Alaskan North Slope.

Geology:

Visibly, the ground at Point Barrow and the surrounding area is gravelly, with the naturally occurring sediments comprising the Gubik Formation, which is of the Quaternary Period, on top of marine shale, mudstone, and sandstone from the Cretaceous Period. ¹

www.poa.usace.army.mil/Portals/34/docs/civilworks/publicreview/Barrow/AppendixFFinalGeotechAppendix.pdf?ver=2020-02-14-185802-227

www.usgs.gov/media/images/point-barrow-alaska

Below the surface is up to 1,300 feet (396m) of permafrost, which is ground that maintains a temperature at or below 32°F (0°C) for at least two consecutive years. ² Of this, between 1.5 feet and 3 feet (45.72cm to 91.44cm) is active, meaning it is subject to seasonal freeze-thaw cycles. ³

barrowalaska.weebly.com/abiotic-factors.html

Erosion:

The coastline at Point Barrow is quickly eroding with some areas seeing more than -6.56 feet (-2m) change per year, which threatens public health and safety, as well as the economy, of 31 Alaskan villages. ^{3, 4}

marine.usgs.gov/coastalchangehazardsportal/

Causes for this erosion are linked to coastal storms, permafrost thaw, reduced sea ice cover, and warmer coastal waters, all of which make Point Barrow a focal point of study for climate scientists. ^{3, 5}

Various measures have been used to provide some degree of localized protection from coastal erosion and flooding, generally considered to be temporary and/or expedient. ³

www.poa.usace.army.mil/Portals/34/docs/civilworks/publicreview/Barrow/AppendixFFinalGeotechAppendix.pdf?ver=2020-02-14-185802-227

To protect residents — as well as more than $1 billion worth of critical infrastructure, access to subsistence areas and historical resources — the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is designing a 5-mile-long rock revetment along the coast and raising a road that follows the coast to the northeast of Utquiagvik. ³ Additionally, research funded by a four-year National Science Foundation grant and led by Ming Xiao, associate professor of civil engineering at Penn State, aims to bring scientists and researchers from many disciplines together to figure out exactly what the challenges are and identify possible solutions through a series of international workshops, convergent research collaborations, and direct interaction with local media. ⁶

Logging Requirements

1. In a message to me (not in your log):

Describe, in your own words, the gravel and texture of the ground at Point Barrow.
Which of the erosion prevention measures in the illustration found in the discription did you notice in Utqiagvik and along the road/path to Point Barrow.
Name at least two probable causes for coastal erosion at Point Barrow noted in the description.

2. In your log, please attach a photo of you (or your GPS unit, phone, or Geocaching memorabilia) in front of the utility pole with the US Geological Society observation cameras near GZ. Alternatively, if there is low visibility and you are unable to capture the pole and cameras, I will accept a picture in front of the Whale Bone Arch in Utqiagvik (since you will have to travel in and out of town).

I will allow 30 days from the time of logging this cache to fulfill the requirements. If you are unable to do so, I will unfortunately need to remove your log.

References: