Research in Atqasuk
Location: 70°29’N, 157°25’W
Atqasuk is approximately sixty miles south of Utqiaġvik and has a population of roughly 230 people. The town was once host to a prosperous mine and shipped goods to other villages along the Meade river. Atqasuk is in an Arctic climate, but the temperatures are significantly warmer than those found in Utqiaġvik, and in the summer it can get up to 70°F. Atqasuk is often visited by researchers interested in the tundra ecosystem and primarily reached using small planes.
[1540816433].jpg)
Top 5 Best and Worst Aspects of Atqasuk
Best
- Great landscape
- Wildlife
- Warmer weather
- Meade River
- Less people
Worst
- No lab space
- Mosquitoes (a lot of them)
- Dusty
- Limited dining and grocery facilities
- Unreliable internet access
In the Field
Atqasuk has a much more varied landscape than Utqiaġvik (which is very flat). We spend long days out in the field and eat lunch in the tent to escape the mosquitoes and wind.
Video traveling and working in Atqasuk at the beginning of the summer. Video credit: Ale Martinez, PolarTrec educator.
Around Town
For more information about locations AEP members frequent around Atqasuk, click here:
Housing & Lab facilities
In Atqasuk the research team is housed in a residential house. Linens and house-hold cleaning supplies are provided; there is a functional washer and drier.
The AEP has agreements with the Atqasuk Corporation to do research on their land. Housing, storage, and work space as well as field tents and equipment are provided by UIC Science through its NSF contract. While lab space is limited to nonexistent in Atqasuk, a single room building and a storage unit associated the house provide additional work space when needed.
Grocery options are limited, we purchase food in Utqiaġvik and ship it with us. We tend to eat a lot of non-perishable food items.
[1572972439].jpg)
Shipping Recommendations for Atqasuk
Address Summer 2023
UIC Science, LLC
Attn: Hollister 1836839 / Raelene Wentz c/o Your Name
House #201
P.O. Box 91059
Atqasuk, Alaska 99791
We are not sure if items will really make it to the house or if you will need to have access to the PO Box?
Items shipped are often left on the front steps (but these are items being shipped on the plane, often that came on the next flight because the plane was too heavy for all the cargo and the airline representative knew that the group was expecting the items).
If you do signature confirmation from the US Post Office, then you will have to go to the post office to get it (the Post Office is not always open during the posted hours).
Use the US Postal Service
If given a choice always go with the US Postal Service (it is faster, more reliable, and cheaper). People take the post office seriously and it is faster than Fedex or UPS.
Save money with flat rate boxes, you are recommended to do 2 day priority, make sure you get a tracking number.
If you are ordering something and the post office is not an option and the address line will not allow a PO Box, then you can provide the address without "PO Box 91059"
Never send an item ground, it will go to Utqiaġvik via barrage from Seattle in the next year or two and then maybe come from Utqiaġvik via snowmachine?
It is much more reliable to have something shipped to Utqiaġvik and bring it with you.
Shipping to Atqasuk is very unreliable, not only are there all the delays to get to Utqiaġvik, but there is also the uncertainty of going from Utqiaġvik to Atqasuk when the flight has enough weight remaining to carry mail or other cargo.