SPACEPHOTOS

Stikine River, Alexander Archipelago, Alaska August, 1997 Some of the islands of the Alexander Archipelago of southeastern Alaska can be seen in this southwest-looking low-oblique view. The islands of the Alexander Archipelago are the exposed tops of the submerged coastal mountains that rise steeply from the Pacific Ocean. Deep, fjord-like channels separate the islands and cut them off from the mainland. All of the islands are rugged, densely forested, and have an abundance of wildlife. Some of the islands seen in this view are Prince of Wales Island (near left center of the image), Kuiu Island (upper center), and Kupreanof Island (near the center of the image). The Stikine River enters the scene at the bottom right of the image. The river rises in the Stikine Mountains (not visible on the image) in northwest British Columbia, Canada, and flows in an arc west and southwest 335 miles (539 km), crosses southeast Alaska, and enters the Pacific Ocean (see sediment from river mouth just below the center of the image). The Stikine River was one of many routes used by prospectors during the Klondike Gold Rush in 1897 and 1898. The river is a noted salmon stream. The glaciers of Mount Ratz (10290 feet—3138 meters) in the Coast Mountains are visible in the lower right portion of the image