Barrow is located on the arctic coast of Alaska , (see map), and serves as a hub
for human activities throughout the northern regions of the state, and beyond.
Formal scientific research has been conducted in Barrow for over a hundred years,
and is preceded by thousands of years of accumulated indigenous knowledge held by
the Inupiat residents. The surrounding area includes marine, sea ice, coastal, inland tundra,
and fresh water ecosystems. Research logistics are relatively easy due to scheduled passenger
and freight jet service, and the presence of a substantial town with most services, including lodging.
All of this, plus a local community which is very supportive of research, make Barrow a major center
for arctic research in the circumpolar community.
Photo above by Tom Albert Photo used in page header courtesy of: Alaska DCED, Community Database Online |
| Location | ||||
| Country: | USA | |||
| State/Province/Region: | North Slope Borough, Alaska | |||
| Altitude in feet : | Sea level | |||
| Altitude in meters : | Sea level | |||
| Latitude (Decimal, Degreesºmm'ss") : | 71.3° N | |||
| Longitude (Decimal, Degreesºmm'ss") : | 156.78° W | |||
| Environment Types Accessible at this Location | ||||
| Coastal, Marine, Sea ice, Tundra, Wetland, Lake | ||||
| Primary Logistics Provider | ||||
| Organization: | Barrow Arctic Science Consortium (BASC) | "Each individual project...... can arrange for permitting support, room, board, equipment, etc. " (from the BASC web site.) | ||
| Name and title of contact person: | Glenn W. Sheehan, Executive Director | |||
| Address: | Barrow Arctic Science Consortium P.O. Box 577 Barrow, AK 99723 USA | |||
| Telephone: | 907-852-4881 | |||
| Fax: | 907-852-4882 | |||
| E-mail: | basc@nuvuk.net | |||
| Contact person or agency web page: | http://www.sfos.uaf.edu/basc/ | BASC has an informative and thorough web site, which should be studied before contacting them. | ||
| Availability and Cost | ||||
| Advance arrangements: | Researchers must always contact BASC before beginning projects using BASC resources. | |||
| Permits and Legal Issues | ||||
| Name of the permitting agency: | The Barrow Arctic Science Consortium will assist researchers to obtain any necessary permits. | |||
| Prohibited items: | One needs a special permit to bring alcohol to Barrow. Guns are allowed in Barrow and may be recommended for certain projects. | |||
| Physical Access | ||||
| Air service | ||||
| Accessibility: |  There is no road to Barrow, but once there, research sites can be accessed via car, truck, all-terrain vehicles (especially 4-wheelers, which are commonplace), snowmachine, dogsled, or boat. Most research in the Barrow area takes place near the former Naval research facility, now known as "UIC-NARL", about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the center of Barrow and the airport (click the map at right to enlarge it in a new window). BASC provides transportation from the airport to UIC-NARL with advance notice. There are numerous taxis in town, and public bus service also reaches UIC-NARL. Barrow does not have a seaport, but ships do anchor off the coast, and barges are offloaded on the beach. | |||
| Airstrip description: | Barrow is served by the Wiley Post-Will Rogers Memorial Airport, owned and operated by the State of Alaska. Airport facilities include a 6,500 foot (1,981 meters) paved runway suitable for large jetliners, a small terminal building, tiedowns, and fuel service. |  | ||
| Air service description: | Alaska Airlines: http://www.alaskaair.com Tatonduk Flying Service: http://www.tatondukflying.com/barrow.htm | |||
| Airstrip : | ||||
| Seaport : | Barrow does not have a seaport, but ships do anchor off the coast. | |||
| Shipping freight : | Air freight is available. There is also a barge that comes up to Barrow once a year, but one has to plan very far in advance to utilize this option. For most people, the difficulties in arranging use of the barge will not be worth it. | |||
| Other Local Resources | ||||
| Resource: | North Slope Borough, Department of Wildlife management http://www.north-slope.org/nsb/default.htm | |||
| Contact information: | North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management P.O. Box 69 Barrow, Alaska 99723 Telephone: (907) 852-0350 Fax: (907) 852-0351 Director: Charles D.N. Brower Email: charlie.brower@north-slope.org |  | ||
| Resource: | Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation http://www.state.ak.us/adfg/ | |||
| Contact information: | Geoff Carroll (geoff_carroll@fishgame.state.ak.us) ADF&G/Wildlife Conservation P.O. Box 1284 Barrow, AK 99723-1284 (907) 852-3464 phone (907) 852-3465 fax |  | ||
| Resource: | The Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program (ARM) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). http://www.arm.gov/docs/index.html | |||
| Contact information: | Barrow site local office: NSA/AAO CART Site Office Barrow, Alaska Phone: (907) 852-5818 Fax: (907) 852-5819 North Slope Alaska program manager: Bernard Zak, Ph.D. NSA/AAO Site Program Manager Sandia National Laboratories Albuquerque, NM 87185-0755 Phone: (505) 845-8631 FAX: (505) 844-0116 email: Bernie.Zak@arm.gov |  | ||
| Infrastructure | ||||
| Post office, Roads, Running water, Electricity | ||||
| Communications and Data Systems | ||||
| Network: | BASC provides extensive information technology support. Below is only a partial listing - for full details see the BASC Information Technology page on the BASC website. Certified tech support on-call 24 hours High speed wireless internet access Hewlett-Packard and Apple Workstations, extra monitors, cables, keyboards, other hardware Video Editing Workstation GIS Workstation Networked printers Digital cameras Extensive software and software support Database support | |||
| Internet bandwidth (connection speed): | BASC offers researchers T-1 (1.5 MB per second) communications in all laboratories, living spaces, and communal areas on the NARL campus. | |||
| Buildings | ||||
| Lodging, Food service, Storage, Heated storage, Off season storage, Sanitation, Freezer, Indoor staging space | ||||
| Year-round lodging: | Advance reservations are required. | |||
| Food service: | Year-round. However, residents of BASC housing can prepare their own food. | |||
| Sanitation: | BASC has plumbing, flush toilets, showers, and sinks. | |||
| Freezer: | BASC has a walk in freezer that is -20° F. | |||
| Special use buildings: | BASC has buildings for storage, work or staging, labs, and a shop. | |||
| Storage: | ||||
| Laboratory Space | ||||
| Wet lab, Dry lab, Winter lab, Electricity in lab space, Microscope, Balance, Telephone in lab space, Fume hood, Drying oven, General use computers / printers in lab space, Desk/office space, Workshop, Place to mount antennas | ||||
| Comments: | There is no hazardous materials disposal at BASC. | |||
| Electrical specifications: | single phase, 60 cycles, 120 volts (some 220 volts) | |||
| Large animal holding area : | BASC does not have animal holding areas, but there are animal holding areas (for both land and aquatic animals) near by. | |||
| Science Support Equipment | ||||
| Science support equipment: | ||||
| Field gear available for checkout: | BASC lends tents and cold weather clothing, but always check availability in advance. | |||
| Vehicles available: | Cars, trucks, 4wd vehicles, ATVs, snowmachines, and a boat (with operator) are available for research. Also there are trucks, cars, 4wd vehicles, ATVs, boats, snowmachines, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft available in Barrow for rental. | |||
| Other science support equipment: | Barrow has a limited number of helicopters for lease. | |||
| Science Support Personnel Available | ||||
| Computer technicians : | Year-round. | |||
| Guides : | Year-round. | |||
| Drivers : | Year-round. | |||
| Science support mechanics : | Year-round. | |||
| Science support coordinator : | Year-round. | |||
| Science support shop crew : | Year-round. | |||
| Science support laborers : | Year-round. | |||
| Long term equipment and data monitors : | Year-round. | |||
| Science support logistics coordinator : | Matt Irinaga Barrow Arctic Science Consortium P.O. Box 577 Barrow, AK 99723 office phone: 907-852-3803 cellular phone: 907-852-1416 fax: 907-852-4882 email: mirinaga@nuvuk.net | Year-round. | ||
| Personnel and Services | ||||
| Site manager: | Year-round and on site. | |||
| Expeditor: | Year-round. | |||
| Other personnel or services: | Barrow has marine engine, boat, auto, and aircraft mechanics. | |||
| Supplies Available at or Near the Facility | ||||
| Groceries, Hardware, Marine supplies, Auto parts, Lumber, Plumbing, Electrical, Electronics | ||||
| Fuel: | Gasoline, kerosene, propane, diesel, aviation fuel, stove oil, outboard motor gas/oil, and white gas. | |||
| Snow machine parts: | Polaris brand | |||
| Personal Safety | ||||
| Personal gear list: | Gear lists are available. Each is project specific. | |||
| Safety training: | BASC does safety training on site, but it is informal. | |||
| Weapons training: | Sometimes it is advised to bring weapons. Contact BASC in advance for advice. | |||
| Medical Facilities/Services Available | ||||
| Medical evacuation information: | The North Slope Borough Search and Rescue has two helicopters, one King air, and one Leer jet. | |||
| Weather Information and Statistics | ||||
| Annual average temperature (*C): | -12.6 | |||
| Annual precipitation in millimeters: | 124.1 | |||
| Staging Place | ||||
| Staging place: | The UIC-NARL vicinity, which includes BASC and Ilisagvik College, and is where most local research is conducted, is about 5 miles ( 8 kilometers) outside the town of Barrow. They are joined by a year-round maintained road, with ample public transportation (taxis and bus service) and numerous private vehicles. For most purposes of obtaining and transporting supplies and equipment, they may thus be considered as one place. Fairbanks is also important as a staging place for projects in Barrow. There is daily jet service for passengers and freight between the two, and Fairbanks serves as a commercial and transportation hub for all of northern Alaska. In addition, the University of Alaska at Fairbanks has numerous ties with Barrow research. | |||
| Maps | ||||
| Map sources: | Topograhic maps USGS topographic and geologic maps of Alaska are available for purchase at The Geophysical Institute Map Office, also known as the State Earth Science Information Center (ESIC), located in the International Arctic Research Center, at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. This information is from the ESIC web site: Maps are available in the following scales: * 1:250,000-scale * 1:63,360-scale * 1:25,000-scale (limited to certain areas) A free index to Alaska topographic maps is available by mail upon request. Phone orders are accepted with Visa, MasterCard, or Discover credit cards. Orders are shipped anywhere in the U.S. and to foreign countries. Hours of operation: 8 AM - 5 PM (Alaska Standard Time), Monday through Friday For more information call: (907) 474-6960 E-mail: maps@gi.alaska.edu FAX: (907) 474-2645. USGS topographic maps are also available at many retail stores throughout the United States, although most such outlets stock only maps of local interest. To find sales locations for Alaska, or any other state, use the locator on the USGS web site at: http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/acis-bin/choosebylocation.pl?statechoice=none. Visit the United States Geological Survey web site at: http://www.usgs.gov/ for a vast amount of information on map products. Marine and Aeronautical Navigational Charts Coastal navigational charts are available through the Coast Survey, a division of NOAA. They can be ordered online at their website : http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/ Aeronautical charts are a product of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and are not available for ordering online. The National Aeronautical Charting Office (NACO) provides information about aeronautical charts, and a list of sales agents for both types of charts, at their website: http://www.naco.faa.gov/Agents.asp | |||
| Current Projects and Research History | ||||
| Research sources: | Click here for information on research in the vicinity of Barrow from the database of Veco Polar Resources.
| |||
| Reference sources: | Contact Glenn Sheehan, Executive Director, at 907-852-4881 or 1-888-NARL-SCI, basc@nuvuk.net, or by fax 907-852-4882. | |||