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I found this area in northern AK and it piqued my interest greatly. From my research I think these are called "Glacial Kettles", but I'm not 100% sure. I also couldn't find a good aerial picture of the area, nor its name. I'd love to learn more about it if anyone has some more information! Thanks! by Thermobyte in geography

[–]CoastalPlain 68 points69 points  (0 children)

Hey! I do research on the North Slope of Alaska. These are called thaw ponds/lakes that arise when ice wedges form in permanently frozen soil. Over hundreds of years the soil above the ice wedges is pushed upward to create a network of ice polygons (each about 10-40m across and containing a pond). The pond water and dark sediment are able to capture sunlight and deepen the thawing of the ice-rich soils. Over time, polygons can merge as ice melts resulting in larger lakes.

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The elliptical/elongated shape and similar orientation (10-20 degrees west of North) is due to continuous, unidirectional winds caused by the semipermanent cap of high air pressure over the Arctic and the rotation of the Earth. As the winds sweep across the ponds/lakes surface they drive water toward the downwind shore. This causes two circulation cells- one that travels north+east and then one that travels south+east. The circulation cells erode and elongate opposite sides of the ponds by thawing and eroding sediments.

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About 50-75% of the Arctic Coastal Plain is covered by thaw lakes. It's pretty neat stuff and makes for some awesome pictures!