Icy Cape facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Icy Cape |
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 Location in Alaska
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| Location | North Slope Borough, Alaska, United States |
| Coordinates | 70°19′47″N 161°52′27″W / 70.32972°N 161.87417°W |
| Offshore water bodies | Chukchi Sea |
| Area | Arctic |
| Geology | Cape |
Icy Cape is a piece of land that sticks out into the Chukchi Sea in Alaska, United States. It is located in the North Slope Borough, which is a large area in northern Alaska.
A famous explorer named James Cook discovered and named Icy Cape on August 17, 1778. He called it "Icy Cape" because there was a lot of ice along the coast when he saw it.
Location and Surroundings
Icy Cape is in an area with many landspits. A landspit is a narrow piece of land, often made of sand or gravel, that stretches out into the water.
To the east of Icy Cape is Kasegaluk Lagoon. A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from the ocean by a barrier, like a landspit. Further inland, you can find Sikolik Lake.
Wildlife at Icy Cape
The waters near Icy Cape are full of life! You can find many Pink salmon and Arctic char here. These are types of fish that live in cold northern waters.
It's also a great place to spot whales. These huge ocean animals can often be seen swimming offshore in the Icy Cape area.
A Look at History
Icy Cape was once home to a special military base. This base was called the Icy Cape DEW Line Station. DEW stands for "Distant Early Warning." It was a radar station used by the United States Air Force. Its job was to detect if any aircraft were approaching from far away, especially during the Cold War.
Icy Cape also appeared in old records. In 1880, the U.S. Census listed it as an Inuit village named Otok-kok. By 1890, it was listed as Icy Cape.
Icy Cape in Pop Culture
Icy Cape has even been featured on television! It was the setting for an episode of the popular American TV show The X-Files. The episode was called "Ice" and was part of the show's first season. The X-Files is known for its stories about strange and mysterious events.
