Alaska Film Archives

Radar Observations of Sea Ice at Barrow, Alaska
Radar Observations of Sea Ice at Barrow, Alaska
In this film, title screens and diagrams explain how observations of sea ice were performed and how data were interpreted. The University of Alaska Sea Ice Radar System was a 3-CM, X-Band ship’s radar used to sense natural reflecting surfaces on the ice. It was mounted on a tower about 12 meters above sea level and typically operated at a scanning range of three nautical miles, or 5.5 kilometers. Data acquired by the radar system were recorded by a camera which photographed the radar display at 3-minute intervals, and the resulting film could then be shown as a time-lapse motion picture showing sea ice movement. The area under observation was the Chukchi Sea coast just north of Barrow. The time lapse radar images include dates during which observations were made. Conclusions and unusual events are noted in title screens. See also AAF-11495 and AAF-11497, which contain images related to this study.