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
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
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
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
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