Coastal Flood in Northern Arctic Coast, Alaska

In the early morning of Jan 24, an Ivu, or push of ice came on shore to Barrow. An ivu is the Iñupiaq Eskimo word for the collision of a massive ice floe against the shore-fast ice. They are caused by ocean currents and winds blowing multi-year ice onto the shore, creating piles up to 40 feet high. On January 22, the NWS Weather Service Office in Barrow, AK, confirmed that first-year sea ice had pushed onshore with an average berm height of 6 to 8 feet. By January 24, the massive ice flow had continued to push onshore increasing to 25 feet and blocking roads within the North Slope community. Front-end loaders were used to clear roads and in particular the road from the city of Barrow to the Naval Arctic Research Laboratory. The ice in the flow was first- or second-year ice around 3 feet thick. The ivu was the first since 1978.