A Survey of Some Arctic Beach Zones in Southwest Cornwallis Island, N.W.T.,

This was a preliminary investigation into the physical processes in the beach zone along an artic coast with emphasis on the possible damage to scientific equipment by ice action on gravel beaches. Detailed profiles are given of the spring ice on a number of beaches in the area and of the bathymetry and ice morphology at three stations where test cable arrays were laid. The results indicate that a comparatively shallow trench into the frost table below the beach will provide good protection for cables laid across gravel beaches, and that most of the breaks to be expected are probably due to the freezing of the cable onto the bottom surface of the sea ice during tidal changes in level. Additional investigations were made into methods of accelerating the melting of sea ice, on a simple method of obtaining stereophotographs and on the properties of a belt of fresh-water anchor ice which was found along the beaches. Author