Glaciated Landscapes: Human Activity In A Periglacial Environment Case Study - Alaska, USA Flashcards
How much oil has been extracted from Alaska’s oil reserves?
About 50% of 25 billion barrels
Where does the Alyeska pipeline run?
From Prudhoe Bay on the North Coast to Valdez on the South Coast
How much oil does the Alyeska pipeline transport a day?
500,000 barrels
How much oil did the USA consume a day in 2019?
19,399.964 barrels
How much of the USA’s oil supply is imported?
40%
What concerns the US government about oil?
Balance of trade and energy security
What area of Alaska is estimated to have 12 billion barrels of oil?
Coastal area Area 1002, part of the ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge)
How much of Area 1002’s oil could be currently extracted?
6 billion, which would make use of the Alyeska pipeline and increase employment in Area 1002
How can periglacial processes be affected by oil drilling?
Hydrological processes were affected by the extraction of gravel causing a fall in groundwater levels by over a metre in an area over 2km from the extraction site
How can periglacial materials be affected by oil drilling?
The loss of gravel for gravel pads (an insulating base for roads) affects transportation, deposition and erosion in the river systems
How are energy flows affected by oil drilling?
Gases burnt during flaring or released can contribute to the greenhouse effect, or heat produced by infrastructure or drilling processes can warm the surroundings
What is an urban heat island?
An urban area that is warmer than the surrounding area
What is solifluction and how is it caused in the Alaskan tundra?
Downward movement of the active layer due to subsidence and surface water due to permafrost melting
What is thermokarst?
A landscape type dominated by depressions due to ground ice thawing. These depressions can fill with water forming thaw lakes
How large are thaw lakes typically?
Less than 5m deep and 1-2km wide
