The number of degree days below 29°F in each 

 month, October through May, for the approximate 

 1952-53 and 1953-54 ice seasons is summarized in 

 table 3. 



TABLE 3. Summary of monthly degree days below 

 29°F at Wales, Alaska, for 1952-1953 and 1953- 

 1954 ice seasons. 







Degree Days 





Degree Days 



Month 



Year 



Below 29° F 



Year 



Below 29° F 



October 



1952 



— 77* 



1953 



4 



November 



1952 



198 



1953 



276 



December 



1952 



649 



1953 



964 



January 



1953 



996 



1954 



918 



February 



1953 



1079 



1954 



1134 



March 



1953 



1104 



1954 



710 



April 



1953 



488 



1954 



322 



May 



1953 



52 



1954 



-148* 



Total 





4489 





4180 



* Minus value indicates degree days obove 29°F. 



Total degree days for the 1953-54 period are 

 approximately 7 per cent less than for the previous 

 year. Tiie relatively rapid atmospheric warming and 

 the mild air temperatures in the spring of 1954 are 

 reflected in the lower degree day totals for March 

 and April and in the number of degree days above 

 29°F for May. The significance of these data and the 

 predictable effect, if any, in relation to break-up 

 require further study. 



TIDAL MEASUREMENTS 



A secondary type tide station was erected in 

 the surf area off Wales, Alaska, during the summer 

 of 1954 and a series of tide observations taken for 

 a period of 9 weeks from 19 July to 18 September. 

 Observations were conducted primarily to assist in 

 the evaluation of a hydraulic system for measuring 

 fluid transfer from off-shore points and to provide 

 simultaneous tide data in conjunction with electro- 

 magnetic transport measurements. 



Tidal cycles were measured with a Type 5-FW-1, 

 Instrument Corporation, "portable automatic water 

 level recorder." The instrument utilizes a conven- 

 tional type 4-inch-diameter float and counterpoise 

 weight attached to a steel tape riding over a 12-inch 

 circumference pen drive wheel. The 5-inch-by-14.5 

 inch curvilinear chart is cylindrically mounted with 

 rate of advance controlled by an 8-day spring-wound 

 clock. 



The recording insturment was mounted atop a 

 5-inch-diameter-by-1 2-foot iron float well with the 

 counterpoise weight riding in an adjacent 2-inch- 

 diameter tube. The wells were supported inside a 

 10-foot tripod, constructed from %-by-3-by-3-inch 

 angle iron, with a 50-inch base leg spread. The 

 tripod was located approximately 300 feet off shore 

 and secured in position with four 1 0O-foot-5/32-inch 



-ICE SEASON, 1952-1953 

 -ICE SEASON, 1953-1954 



















.- 



? 

















^ 



^ 















/ 



0/ 



y 









,^ 



y 



/ 





o/ 



r 



































o' 























J> 





























































I 



1 



5 2 



2 



5 3 



3 



5 4 



4 



5 SO 



Figure 16. Comparison of ice thickness and accumulated degr 

 days below 29°F for V/ales, Aloska. 



ICE THICKNESS (INCHES) 



17 



