Alaska - Development Challenges Flashcards

1
Q

Temperature-related challenges:

A
  • Low carrying capacity of land
  • Short thermal growing season, almost impossible to carry out crop production
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2
Q

Accessibility challenges:

A
  • Low population density means there is a lack of surfaced roads
  • Snow and ice can make some roads unsafe for use for a lot of the year
  • The melting of active layer causes solifluction
  • Seasonal thawing and re-freezing causes thermokarst expanses, making travel impossible in some areas
  • Frost heave can occur, where pebbles and stones rise upwards to the ground, making tracks dangerous
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3
Q

Issues with Buildings and Infrastructure:

A
  • Heat escapes from underside of buildings, causing frozen ground to melt, leading to the land subsiding
  • Millions of km of permafrost damaged due to insufficient attention to soil sensitivity
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4
Q

Solutions for Buildings:

A
  • Steep roofs for snow to slide off
  • Triple-glazed windows to retain heat
  • Buildings raised on piles to prevent thawing
  • Telescopic piles can be used, which can expand and contract based on ground movement
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5
Q

Solutions for Infrastructure:

A
  • Roads built on gravel pads 1-2 metres deep - this prevents heat transfer
  • Utilities e.g. water, sewage systems, gas cannot be buried underground; instead, they are carried by corridors (utilidors)
  • Airport runways painted white to reflect sunlight and prevent excessive temperature rise on sunny days
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