Effects of Glaciers in Alaska, North America
PART A (RESEARCH PAPER)
Introduction
This ideology is a geographical research-based task that seeks to establish the results of Glaciers in Alaska, one of the states in America. Glaciers occupy a significant part of the land in the United States, where Alaska contributes highly to these levels. Glaciers refer to vast masses of ice that slowly move some mountains and valleys downwards, thereby forming primary freshwater sources across the world. North America and specifically Alaska, is the most adversely affected by the effects of this geographical feature, as discussed in this research.
Weather and Climate of Alaska
Alaska is an actual state that is located in North America. The region is characterized by high levels of glaciers, with Bering forming the longest glacier that covers over 100 kilometres of length. This part of America usually experiences changing climatic conditions, with summer exhibiting fair conditions that become worse during winter periods. According to Gatesman (2017), average temperatures range from 22°C (72°F) in extreme summer to around -28°C (-19°F) in winter. However, global warming has been on the rise due to the effects of rapid industrialization and thus contributed heavily to climate change and, in turn, affecting glaciers that were initially present in the area. The diagram below, as extracted from the 19january2017snapshot.epa.gov website, clearly depicts the effects of global warming from the mid-twentieth century up to the beginning of the twenty-first century. Glaciers in their original form are usually massive and bluish. Still, the effects of climate change have caused the gradual melting and repositioning of the glacial deposits into small sizes to provide more fresh water to many water bodies.
A Map of Alaska, showing the effects of Global warming on glaciers over the years ranging from the years 1951-2000
The above is a climatic map that shows a variety of rich soil structures that cover the major parts of the region. According to the geographical records and the US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service, Tanana is the most prevalent kind of soil, a name derived from the Tanana River of the North American region. These are generally poorly drained, coarse and loamy soils that range from shallow to deep ranges over the area that is characterized by terraces and flood plains. The ground is highly dominant in lowland parts of Alaska, as well as parts of the Fairbanks. This is the mother soil to several plant species such as the paper birch, aspen, black spruce and white spruce. Other plant species that can survive on the ground include vegetables, grains and animal feeds such as hay, among others.
Alaska has a rich history of dinosaurs, with the majority of the well-known remains having been known to originate from the low-latitude lands to the midlatitude parts where plant remains are sparse. Thus these plants evaporates are instead the most common features that can now get successfully traced. However, the scarcity, some remains of the paleoecology of Jurassic dinosaurs can far be located from the mid and high latitudes, which have more top floral species. This feature describes the biological relationship of interdependence that existed, where the dinosaurs used to feed on the plant species by then. This ancient distribution of dinosaurs has had a positive revelation to the tourism industry, whereas these areas of Alaska facilitate tourist attraction.
The Early Human Environment in Alaska
Basing on archeological evidence that can be dated back to a period past 10000 BP, agriculture was adopted in Alaska after being selected from the Asian communities that preceded them. The earliest animal species in the region is believed to be the dog. It can be traced to many glacial periods that existed in the region, and the animal is considered to have been adopted from the Chinese Asians who previously lived in the areas. The dogs were also considered to have been domesticated from wolves. Thus performing a critical role of hunting to find food for the early humans that existed.
The Early Community in Alaska
Being part of the larger United States of America, Alaska was initially inhabited by a group American- Indians or the Native Americans during the pre-colonial era. This refers to the group of people of the Asian origin who lived in the region a long time ago before the official gaining of independence. Agriculture was the main economic activity of the community, an event that notably enhanced their lives. The people, however, embraced transformations through education that assured them of further roles such as in manufacturing and medical fields.
However, the gaining of independence by the US as well as the World War, particularly the Second World War, marked another phase of Indians’ lives in the area. The success of the US in significant wars encouraged the nation to pursue other countries and colonize them to acquire their economic resources and even attempt to influence the whole world. The massive death of Japanese national fighters in a bomb managed by the US in the year 1945 also marked the end of Economic growth for the native community in Alaska. Being a superpower, the US surrendered wars and instead opted for peace missions, among other valuable Economic roles.
Early Agriculture in Alaska
The pre-Columbian Americans were among the first to discover and use technology by inventing the use of essential life items such as the fire drill that was used in fire lighting, the harpoon, bow, arrow, nets and pottery items among other cultural materials. Domestication of some animals such as dogs was another common feature of the community, which assisted them in their hunting and gathering affairs as well. By then, agriculture was slowly being incorporated into their lives.
American Indians thereby began practicing agriculture by opening with traditional food crops such as corn, potatoes and tubers. Animal rearing was also adopted, as the community gradually grew to commercial settings. Among these animals included turkeys. The size of the society expanded and hence the need to increase these agricultural resources to support their livelihoods. Hart & Waller (1999), in their Journal of Glaciology, postulated that people began living in indigenous groups that grew to advanced settings of small cities such as the Teotihuacán.
PART B (ESSAY)
THE EFFECTS OF GLACIERS IN ALASKA
A Map of Alaska showing the extent of LGM ice in blue and key place names mentioned in the text
The figure above is a physical map that depicts the distance covered by glaciers in Alaska. The adopted scale for the map 1:500, which means that for every length of 1 centimetre covered on the plan, a similar distance of 500 kilometres is included on the real ground in Alaska as well. The scale offers an averagely estimated range that can get well and thoroughly pictured for proper viewing and analysis of the same on a relatively functional diagram.
The map shows the critical regions of Alaska that are covered by the deposits of glaciers. This is the most appropriate representation of the part since it clearly displays all the significant areas that are of great focus. The blue glacial deposits of South East Alaska are the most dominant, with the majority of them originating from the Chugach Mountains as others can be traced from the Ahklun Mountains and Brooks ranges of the area.
Melted glaciers can be seen around the North-Western parts of the map, thus producing major water bodies that include the Good news and Swift Rivers that cover many kilometres. Nenana and Delta rivers originate from the heart of these Alaskan glaciers. They are, therefore, the largest water sources due to the distances covered, as they supply water into other bodies. Along the Alexander Archipelago, another major glacier is located at this point, thus making Alaska an essential source of glaciers and, therefore, a reliable freshwater base.
A Map showing the rise in sea level as a result of glaciation
The above is a physical map of Alaska that shows the effect of an increase in sea levels, as caused by glaciation (the process where glaciers melt into water). The adopted scale is 1:760, which implies that a centimetre on the map represents a measure of 760 kilometres distance on the real ground. The size is valid for this map since the miles covered by seas, glaciers in Alaska and other water sources are quite long and need proper representation on the picture.
According to Kalvoda & Rosenfeld (2012), the main glaciers at the central Gulf of Alaska are seen to have contributed highly to the high volumes of water in the nearby Pacific Ocean. The glaciers melt into high water volumes as a result of global warming, thus flowing through water bodies in the Northeast and northwest parts of Alaska into the ocean. The unexpected rise in water levels is responsible for the loss of several marine lives, declining fishing activities and ocean waves that pose a significant danger to fishers and marine transportation systems. The pronounced increase in water levels can cause the encroachment of water into the mainland along the coastal regions, thus affecting the natural ecosystems on the land. The risen waters also bar the sea plantations from accessing adequate light and minerals that are essential for supporting their growth in these humid conditions.
A Map showing retreating glaciers in Alaska
The above is a physical map since it is a representation of the different appearances of glaciers after global warming and climate change have taken place. It is a representation of changes in sizes of glacial deposits after a long period to new dimensions, which can be highly compromised. The adopted scale for the diagram is 1:50000, a reasonably approximated distance that can fit perfectly as a pictorial representation of this part of Alaska. The bluish colour represents the general appearance of the remaining glaciers that are present in the Gulf region of Alaska and the neighbouring areas.
The Gulf of Alaska is a significant glacial deposit in the North American part of the world, which is still displaying a large size of the same feature that extends to the southeast portions of the area. Alaska is the primary source of all the water bodies that can be seen in the region, such as Lake Tustumena in the North-Western part, Lake Skilak in the northern part and Lake Kenai in the North Eastern. However, global warming has caused climatic changes in the region, hence the devastating effects on the icebergs. The overall effect, however, is the retreating of the glaciers back into smaller shapes such as the Pedersen glacier, due to prolonged melting which leads to a decline in the supply of water into water bodies of Alaska and all the neighbouring places like Lake Kenai (Radić, Hock & Oerlemans, 2008).
Map showing the extent by which the land could be affected by Weakening Earth’s crust
The political map above represents part of the earth’s crust that is covered by glaciers. The plan is essential in explaining the level of land that can be exposed to the effects of weakening and possibly experiencing earthquakes since glaciers cover a large percentage of the crust to provide fresh water for flora and fauna. The scale adopted for the map is 1: 6000, which implies a representation of the 6000 kilometres on the ground, whenever 1 centimetre is covered on the plan. The scale is most suitable for the vast distances that have been covered in between continents. The dark blue coloured parts represent the glacial deposits in the earth’s crust.
Shanley et al. (2015) stated that after research by scientists, North America contains the largest deposits in the world. From the map, it is evident that the continued melting of glaciers is likely to pose severe dangers to the earth’s crust and thereby affecting the entire world, which might, in turn, cause earthquakes among other calamities.
A Map showing extent by which the living things could be affected by melting glaciers
The physical map above shows some of the main areas that provide favourable conditions for living things that are highly supported by the glaciers in parts of America near Queen Charlotte’s Island along the Eastern shores of the Pacific Ocean. The scale employed is 1: 1500, thus allowing coverage of 1 centimetre on the map to represent a similar distance of 1500 kilometres on the ground.
The region covering Vancouver and the Queen Charlotte Islands up to the St.Elias Mountains provide a conducive environment for survival of rare plant and animal species. However, according to Souchez & Lorrain (2012), the continued melting of glaciers will continually expose these living things to extreme conditions hence facilitating their extinction.
References
Gatesman, T. A. (2017). Glacier contribution to lowland streamflow: a multi-year, geochemical hydrograph separation study in sub-Arctic Alaska (Doctoral dissertation).
Hart, J. K., & Waller, R. I. (1999). An investigation of the debris-rich basal ice from Worthington Glacier, Alaska, USA. Journal of Glaciology, 45(149), 54-62.
Kalvoda, J., & Rosenfeld, C. L. (Eds.). (2012). Geomorphological hazards in high mountain areas (Vol. 46). Springer Science & Business Media.
Radić, V., Hock, R., & Oerlemans, J. (2008). Analysis of scaling methods in deriving future volume evolutions of valley glaciers. Journal of glaciology, 54(187), 601-612.
Shanley, J. B., Sebestyen, S. D., McDonnell, J. J., McGlynn, B. L., & Dunne, T. (2015). Water’s Way at Sleepers River watershed–revisiting flow generation in a post‐glacial landscape, Vermont USA. Hydrological Processes, 29(16), 3447-3459.
Souchez, R. A., & Lorrain, R. D. (2012). Ice composition and glacier dynamics (Vol. 8). Springer Science & Business Media.