1950 Map of Shishmaref B-2

About this map

The coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean and the Chukchi Sea dominate this 1950 survey, which focuses on the intricate interface between the open sea and the protected Shishmaref Inlet. The landscape is defined by a low-lying barrier system and a marshy, lake-dotted interior characteristic of the Seward Peninsula's northern reaches. Grounded by surveying markers such as Shishmaref West Base and geodetic points like Narrow, the map reveals a wilderness shaped by shifting sands and seasonal freeze. Without roads or permanent settlements recorded on this sheet, the map serves as a primary record of the natural coastline before modern environmental changes, highlighting the topographical nuances of the shoreline and the numerous unnamed lagoons that permeate the tundra behind the inlet.