Alaska Peninsula at a Glance
The Alaska Peninsula, the state's southernmost region, extends roughly 500 mi (805 km) and offers a distinctive, isolated environment rife with natural wonders and some of the most scenic destinations in the United States. Home to a number of Alaska's large lakes, Katmai National Park can be found at the top of the peninsula and is known for its fishing and wildlife viewing opportunities. The park is also world famous as a place to witness brown bears feasting on salmon from local rivers. Adak is a town located near the end of the Alaska Peninsula in the Aleutian Islands. This town sits halfway between Seattle, Washington, and Japan, and is approximately 1400 mi (2253 km) from Magadan in Russia. Adak is a great destination for travelers seeking to immerse themselves in Alaskan isolation. Experience the secluded beauty that can only be found on the Alaska Peninsula.
Central Alaska at a Glance
Central Alaska is home to Denali National Park, a wilderness characterized by towering mountains, large glaciers and a host of wildlife. One of the most exciting ways to see the park is aboard a guided bus tour that ventures to an authentic wilderness lodge. Anchorage, Alaska's largest city and the center of commerce for the state, has a climate that is surprisingly moderate compared to the rest of Alaska. The world-famous Iditarod dog-sled race begins at Anchorage each spring. Amongst the region's most impressive attractions are the Anchorage Museum of History and Art, the Alaska Zoo and Chugach State Park. The main supply center for the oil industry and Arctic Alaska is Fairbanks, which is also located at the center of the state. Ester Gold Camp, a historic mining town established in the early 20th century, offers dinner buffets and saloon-style entertainment shows. A popular Central Alaska activity is boating on the Chena and Tanana rivers.
Juneau & Area at a GlanceThe Juneau region's most well-known feature is the world-famous Inside Passage and Glacier Bay National Park—visited every summer by the world's luxury cruise ships. Fishing, camping, hiking and rafting are among the activities that attract visitors to the park. When in Juneau visit the interesting exhibits at Alaska State Museum and learn about the area's natural history, native peoples and Russian and American influences. The nearby historic town of Sitka is home to the Sheldon Jackson Museum, Alaska's oldest museum, and located close to Sitka National Historic Park, which features a number of intricate totem poles. The area is rife with tour companies that allow visitors to take in the scenery by plane, boat, bicycle and on foot. In addition to hotels, Juneau offers several bed and breakfast accommodations for visitors craving warm hospitality and home-cooked breakfast.
http://alaskapeninsula.worldweb.com/
The Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964
On March 27, 1964, at 5:36 p.m. ADT (03:36 3/28 UTC) a great earthquake of magnitude 9.2 (moment magnitude) occurred in Prince William Sound region of Alaska. The epicenter was about 10 km east of the mouth of College Fiord, approximately 90 km west of Valdez and 120 km east of Anchorage. The epicenter was located at Lat. 61.04N, Lon. 147.73W, at a depth of approximately 25 km. This earthquake is the second largest earthquake ever recorded in the world. after a M9.5 earthquake in Chile in 1960. The duration of rupture lasted approximately 4 minutes (240 seconds).
Cause
The northwestward motion of the Pacific plate at about 5 to 7 cm per year causes the crust of southern Alaska to be compressed and warped, with some areas along the coast being depressed and other areas inland being uplifted. After periods of tens to hundreds of years, this compression is relieved by the sudden southeastward motion of portions of coastal Alaska as they move back over the subducting Pacific plate.
As a result of the 1964 quake, the Latouche Island area moved about 18 meters to the southeast. Also, the patterns of uplift and subsidence which had been slowly developing prior to the earthquake were suddenly reversed, with areas around Montague Island being uplifted 4-9 meters and areas around Portage down-dropped as much as 3 meters. The hinge line (line of no vertical change separating the uplift and subsidence zones) extended from near the epicenter in Prince William Sound to the SE coast of Kodiak Island. This vertical deformation affected and area of approximately 250,000 km2 (100,000 miles2). The end results was the movement of the Pacific plate under the North American plate by about 9 meters on average.
Aftershocks
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The six-story Four Seasons apartment building in Anchorage was completely destroyed. It was unoccupied at the time of the earthquake. |
The aftershock zone of this earthquake was about 250 km wide and extended about 800 km from Prince William Sound to the southwestern end of Kodiak Island. The mainshock and its aftershocks occurred on a fault which is part of the boundary between the Pacific and North American plates. Thousands of aftershocks were recorded in the months following the mainshock. In the first day there were 11 aftershocks with magnitudes greater than 6.0; in the next three weeks there were 9 more. Smaller aftershocks continued for more than a year.
Damage
The area where there was significant damage covered about 130,000 square kilometers. The area in which it was felt was about 1,300,000 square kilometers (all of Alaska, parts of Canada, and south to Washington). The four minute duration of shaking triggered many landslides and avalanches. Major structural damage occurred in many of the major cities in Alaska. The damage totalled 300-400 million dollars (1964 dollars).
Alaska is still one of the most pristine areas in all the world, yet environmental problems frequently make the headlines. Air, water, soil and sound pollution affect areas throughout the state, even hundreds of miles away from civilization. Contaminated areas in Anchorage can affect areas in the Interior. For instance, traditional spawning areas for salmon can become highly contaminated with waste from nearby factories, sewage treatment plants, or pesticides from farms. The salmon come in to spawn as usual, but the salmon are killed due to the new contaminants. The eggs laid by the female salmon may get fertilized, but the salmon never reach a healthy enough state to make their return journey to the ocean. Native fishermen who rely on these salmon as a source of food must look else where. Thus, a whole village could be in jeopardy.
In the rest of this page you will learn of the different types of pollution and how it affects the land and people.
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| Air Pollution | An airborne substance that adversely affects the well-being of organisms or the life-support systems on which they depend. | On or near environments that have a condensed way of living or where fossil fuels are used at an increasing rate. | Acid rain, smog, change in temperature, damage growth of all plant life, lower air quality, water pollution. |
| Water Pollution | A substance that changes the environment around water inhabitants. | Places that have multiple ships that are operated on fossil fuels. Also, from garbage by irresponsible humans. | Death of animals, lower quality of drinking water for animals and humans, plant life near shores to declines. |
http://library.thinkquest.org/26020/pages/evir._problems/envi.problems.html
