high wet islands and low dry islands. 



J Panama Canal Zone . This division is affected 

 along the Gulf of Panama coast by the Equa- 

 torial Counter Current and on the Caribbean 

 coast mostly by the South Equatorial Cur- 

 rent. 



Jl Canal Zone, Caribbean. Faces Caribbean Sea, 

 receives high-energy wave action; coastal 

 plain with high relief, cliffed, with sand 

 beaches. 



J2 Canal Zone, Gulf of Panama. Abuts the Gulf 

 of Panama,- receives lower energy wave action 

 than J 1 ; coastal plain with high relief, mostly 

 composed of recent fluvial and deltaic rocks, 

 and sand beaches. 



J3 Canal Zone, Gatun Lake. Highly disturbed 

 area due to the Canal itself. Receives fresh- 

 water influence from Gatun and Madden 

 Lakes and marine influence from the Carib- 

 bean Sea and the Gulf of Panama. 



K Pacific Alaska . This division is affected by 

 the Alaska Current. 



K.5 Kodiak Island and Protected Coast. Unit 

 contains three types of coastline: that which 

 is wave-beaten by the Pacific, that which 

 faces the Shelikof Strait and has fjords, and 

 that which faces the Shelikof Strait and is 

 protected from direct Pacific wave action 

 but not greatly affected glacially. 



K6 Wave-Beaten Southwest Alaska Coast. Rug- 

 ged, mountainous coastline of the Alaska 

 Peninsula, little glacial activity, direct wave 

 action from Pacific. Large numbers of small 

 islands and rocks with numerous small areas 

 of protected coast. 



L Aleutian Islands . This division is affected by 

 the Aleutian Current. 



LI Aleutian Islands. Island chain receiving di- 

 rect wave action from both Pacific and Bering 

 Oceans; wave action much greater from Pa- 

 cific. 



M Bering Alaska. This division is affected by a 

 branch of the Aleutian Current which enters 

 the Bering Sea via passes between the Aleu- 

 tian Islands. 





Kl Alexander Archipelago. Extremely complex 

 shoreline due to glacier-formed fjords. In 

 numerous cases glacial formation of coast- 

 line presently occurring. Shoreline may re- 

 ceive direct wave action from Pacific Ocean 

 or may be protected and facing one of nu- 

 merous straits and passages. 



K2 Wave-Beaten South Central Alaska Coast. 

 Receives wave action from Pacific Ocean, as 

 well as a large amount of glacial action on 

 shoreline. Much of the shoreline lias exposed 

 sand beaches which receive strong onshore 

 currents and a lot of drift. 



K3 Prince William Sound. Fjord-type shoreline 

 protected from Pacific Ocean by Montague 

 and Hinchinbrook Islands. Extensive glacial 

 action presently occurring cm coastline. 



K4 Cook Inlet. Tide-mixed estuary, extensive 

 marshy lowlands, water very salty, little 

 glacial .H tion on shoreline. Tide very domi- 

 nant with tidal bore exceeding 9 m (30 ft) in 

 some places, currents up to 12 knots. 



Ml South Bristol Bay. Coast may or may not be 

 ice-locked during winter, receives wave action 

 from Bering Sea; beaches of black volcanic 

 sand, interspersed with dune-type headlands, 

 backing onto low-lying wet tundra, flanked 

 by mountainous volcanic terrain. 



M2 North Bristol Bay. Coast ice-locked in winter 

 and subject to ice-scouring; area adjacent to 

 coast either mountainous or low-lying wet 

 tundra, with black volcanic mud beaches; re- 

 ceives direct wave action from tin- Bering 

 Sea, but more protected than South Bristol 

 Bay. 



M."> Yukon-kuskokwim Delta. Very extensive 

 marsh systems extending hundreds of miles 

 inland, receiving varying amounts of fresh- 

 water and saltwater influence; coastline ice- 

 locked during winter, water turbid. 



M4 Norton Sound Coast. Coastline mainly moun- 

 tainous, but a few low -lying areas present; 

 inbound in winter, receives wave action 

 from Bering Sea but somewhat protected. 



10 



