1953 Map of Blying Sound D-8

About this map

The Harding Icefield dominates this 1953 landscape, feeding a massive network of tidewater and hanging glaciers within the Kenai Mountains. This survey documents the coastal morphology of the Kenai National Moose Range during a period of significant glacial activity, showing the Aialik Glacier and Holgate Glacier as they met the sea. The map reveals the intricate coastline of the Aialik Peninsula and Harris Peninsula, where steep fjords like Holgate Arm and Three Hole Bay cut deep into the land. Grounded in 1950 aerial photography, the sheet captures specific nautical hazards such as Frozen Rock and the shifting ice of Bear Glacier. For the researcher, the map provides a precise record of historical glacier terminuses and coastal features like Quicksand Cove and Mc Mullen Cove before later decades of environmental change.