ABSTRACT
Data on ice conditions, ablation sequences, beach profiles, beach sediments, wave conditions, and freeze-up sequences have been collected during four field seasons, 1968-71, in the Radstock Bay area of S.W. Devon Island (74°N, 91°W) in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. From these observations it is possible to build up a reasonable picture of the beach conditions and annual regime in this particular area of the Arctic and, perhaps more important, to gain an insight into the year to year variation in the intensity of operation of beach processes. In this latter regard the field data have been supplemented by wind data from the Resolute meteorological station and ice reconnaissance data for the Barrow Strait-Lancaster Sound sea area, for a ten year period 1959-1968.
The paper considers the special characteristics of Arctic beaches and discusses the annual beach regime in the study area. Considerable importance is attached to freeze up conditions in the fall as one determinant of beach conditions and the operation of beach processes during the following summer. The magnitude and frequency of periods of significant wave action are considered in relation to the probability of simultaneous occurrence of ice free ocean, suitable winds and ice free beaches, and the effects of three major storms during the study period are evaluated. The study has applications in the selection of landing beaches and in the construction of coastal installations.
