Table of Contents
How will climate change affect Alaska?
Average annual temperatures have increased by 3 degrees Fahrenheit and average winter temperatures by 6 degrees Fahrenheit. Alaskans are already seeing earlier spring snowmelt, widespread glacier retreat, drier landscapes, and more insect outbreaks and wildfires because of climate change.
How are communities affected by climate change?
Climate change is projected to increase the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, such as heat waves, droughts, and floods. These changes are likely to increase losses to property and crops, and cause costly disruptions to society.
What climate factors affect Alaska?
Alaska’s climate is influenced by four main factors: latitude, altitude, continentality (proximity to the ocean versus the continental interior), and the seasonal distribution of sea ice (ACRC 2012).
How does atmospheric and oceanic circulation affect the climate in Alaska?
Large-scale atmospheric and oceanic circulation patterns influence seasonal and annual weather patterns in the state, like the repositioning of the polar jet stream and the Aleutian low-pressure system or the frequency of La Niña and El Niño patterns.
How does climate change affect poor communities?
Climate change and poverty are deeply intertwined because climate change disproportionally affects poor people in low-income communities and developing countries around the world. Those in poverty have a higher chance of experiencing the ill-effects of climate change due to the increased exposure and vulnerability.
What states will be affected by climate change?
California, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Oregon, Texas and Washington are expected to experience all five major climate change categories over the next few decades. Not surprisingly, all of those states also have Climate Change Risk Index scores higher than the overall U.S. average.
What are the geographical features of Alaska?
Alaska Geographic Facts
- Mountains. Alaska has 19 mountain peaks higher than 14,000 feet.
- Coastline. Alaska has 6,640 miles of coastline.
- Volcanoes. Alaska has more than 70 volcanoes, with several erupting recently.
- Glaciers. Alaska has about 100,000 glaciers.
- Lakes.
- Highway Passes.
How will climate change affect Seattle?
Seattle is already seeing the impacts of climate change, including record-breaking heat and smoke from West Coast wildfires; in the coming decades, parts of the city will be periodically inundated with floodwaters. Seattle’s Space Needle obscured by smoke from wildfires in September 2020.
How is the climate in Alaska?
It is an Arctic climate (Köppen E) with long, very cold winters and short, cool summers. The sun does not rise at all during some weeks in the winter, and is out for 24 hours during some weeks in the summer.