Multi-Resolution Changes in the Spatial Extent of Perennial Arctic Alpine Snow and Ice Fields with Potential Archaeological Significance in the Central Brooks Range, Alaska

Abstract

Perennial snow and ice fields could be important archaeological and paleoecological resources for Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in the central Brooks Range of Alaska. These features may have cultural significance, as prehistoric artifacts may be frozen within the snow and ice. They also act as important hydrological indicators of climate change within the Park. Globally significant discoveries have been made recently as ancient artifacts and animal dung have been found in melting alpine snow and ice patches in the Southern Yukon (Hare et al. 2004) and Northwest Territories (Meulendyk et al. 2012) in Canada, as well as in the Wrangell mountains in Alaska. The loss of perennial snow and ice coverage in the Brooks Range may yield similar discoveries over time.