Download Alaska

Advantage Alaska
Brought to you by:
Chris Hester
Molly McGettigan
& Brent Zaal
Outline
• Alaska at a Glance
• Terrestrial Biomes
– Wildlife
– Vegetation
– Permafrost
• Climate
– Climatic Zones
– Best Times
• Alaskan Regions
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Interior
Far North
South West
South Central
Interior Passage
• Glaciers
• Activities
Alaska Compared to the US
H20 & Mt Ranges
• Alaska contains 375 million
acres of land and many
thousands of lakes
• There are 12 major rivers plus
3 major tributaries of the
Yukon, all of which drain 2/3 of
the state
• Two longest mountain ranges
are the Brooks range and the
Alaska-Aleutian Range…the
highest peak in the North
American Continent, Mt.
McKinley, is located in southcentral Alaska.
The Great Land
Terrestrial Biomes
Terrestrial Biomes
Wildlife in the Ecosystems
Wildlife
Permafrost
• Permafrost is a major
factor in the
geography of Alaska
Climatic Zones
• A maritime Zone
• A maritime continental
zone
• A transition zone
• A continental zone An
arctic zone
Best time to travel to Alaska…
• Peak travel time: May to September
• Three primary factors that contribute to
Alaska's climate:
1)Latitude
2)Continentiality
3)Elevation
Current Temperatures in Alaska
Alaskan Regions
Interior
Northern Lights
Denali National Park
-Mt. McKinley
Northern Lights
Fairbanks
•
Mean monthly maximum and minimum temperature and total precipitation
for the period 1971 - 2000.Fairbanks, AK
Far North
• Eskimos
• Arctic National Park
Preserve
Southwest
• Katmai National Park
• Novarupta
King Salmon, AK
Mean monthly maximum and minimum temperature and
total precipitation for the period 1971 - 2000.
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South-central
• Most populated
region
• Traveling Amenities
• World Class Fishing
Inside Passage
Cruise Destinations
Glaciers
Prince Wales Island
Juneau
•
Mean monthly maximum and minimum temperature and total
precipitation for the period 1971 - 2000.
Glaciers Wahoo!
• There are more active glaciers in Alaska than in the rest of the
inhabited world.
– Biggest: Malaspina roughly 805 sq. miles
What is a Glacier?
• A dynamic body of ice, moving relentlessly
downslope at rates that vary within its
mass, excavating the landscape through
which it flows.
Glacial Formation
• The accumulation of snow in layered deposits is
similar to that of sedimentary rock formations.
• In order for a glacier to form, snow and ice are
transformed under pressure, recrystallizing into a
type of metamorphic rock.
• The formation of glacial ice is analogous to the
metamorphic processes: Sediments are pressured
and recrystallized into a dense metamorphic rock,
aka: Glacial Ice.
• Can take up to 1000 years.
Things to do in Alaska...
Fishing »
Wildlife Viewing »
Adventure &
Ecotourism »
Backcountry Experiences »
Historical, Cultural &
Educational
Activities »
Winter Activities »
Flight seeing »
Sightseeing &
Tours »
Day Cruises »
Multi-Day
Cruises »
Shopping »
Skiing in Alaska
• Alyeska Ski Resort
– Snowfall: 782 in/yr (#1 in America!!)
– 1,000 skiiable acres, 68 total ski runs
– 9 total ski lifts
– Ski Season: November – April/May
– Near Glacier Bay National Park
– Elevation at Base: 250 ft above sea level
• Good for those prone to altitude sickness
• On a glacier…not on top of a mountain!
Hiking in Alaska
• Glacier Bay National Park
– Best place in the world for viewing ebb and flow
glaciers
– Mountain ranges with peaks up to and over 15,000
feet
• Lake Clark National Park
– Chigmit Mountains: 2 Active Volcanoes
• Mt. Redoubt and Mt. Iliamma
– One of the largest sockeye salmon fishing
grounds in the world
Alaska Sport fishing
•
In the beautiful wild country there is an element
of risk that causes injury or death each year in
Alaska with the commonly found steep slopes
and water hazards. Plan your trip carefully and
you increase your chances of having an
experience of a lifetime, which you can do
again and again