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– 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 south-central 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.

                     More about this site.

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-DayCruises »

        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