1951 Map of Meade River

About this map

Naval Petroleum Reserve No 4 dominates this mid-century reconnaissance of the Arctic coast, showing a landscape defined by an intricate network of thaw lakes and meandering waterways. The settlement at Atkasuk sits along the banks of the Meade River, near a local Coal Mine and a small Cabin. This coastal region was surveyed at a time of renewed strategic interest in petroleum exploration following the 1940s, with several Cabins scattered across the tundra serving as isolated markers of human presence. Along the northern edge, the Chukchi Sea meets the shore at Point Franklin and the Seahorse Islands., while the Peard Bay coastline provides a harbor for maritime navigation. Further inland, the drainage basins of the Inaru River, Usuktuk River, and Nigisaktukvik River reveal the complex hydrology of the North Slope.