1950 Map of Kotzebue C-5

About this map

The Arctic Ocean shoreline and the waters of the Chukchi Sea dominate this mid-century topographic study of the Alaskan coastline. The landscape is characterized by a complex network of coastal wetlands and thermokarst lakes, where the Kitluk River and Espenberg River wind toward the sea. Mapping efforts by the Army Map Service relied on aerial photography from 1949 and 1950 to document this ever-shifting littoral zone. Navigation and surveying landmarks are the primary human markers on this map, including the Northwest Corner Light and various triangulation stations like Vabm Kittluk 81. The intricate shoreline detail reflects the approximate line of mean high water, providing a record of the coastal geometry before decades of Arctic shoreline erosion and permafrost changes reshaped these drainage patterns.