SOILS OF THE HOWARD PASS AREA, NORTHERN ALASKA,

The study is an attempt to arrange a mappable presentation of the distribution of soils and soil conditions in a region of the Arctic in which little previous pedologic information was available. This was accomplished by field investigations during the 1961, 1962, and 1963 summer seasons, and by partial characterization of soil individuals through use of chemical, physical, and mineralogical techniques in the laboratory. The findings of this report are presented in chapter form. Chapter One includes a brief description of the area of primary study, the Howard Pass Quadrangle. As they are known, the bedrock geology, surficial geology, physiography, climate, an vegetation are presented. Chapter Two is composed of literature reviews and discussions of soil mapping attempts in the Alaskan Arctic, frost phenomena, the soil-vegetation relationships, aerial photographic interpretation for soil mapping purposes, and the recognized genetic soil groupings. Definitions and descriptions of the individual mapping units and the primary legend are also included in Chapter Two. Chapter Three includes maps of soil distribution and discussions of the maps. Chapter Four is morphological, chemical, and physical data accumulated in the study and its interpretation. Chapter Five presents supplementary studies from areas other than the Howard Pass Quadrangle. Author