Alaska - Development Challenges

Question 1

Temperature-related challenges:

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Accessibility challenges:

Answer 2

• 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

Question 3

Issues with Buildings and Infrastructure:

Answer 3

• 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

Question 4

Solutions for Buildings:

Answer 4

• 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

Question 5

Solutions for Infrastructure:

Answer 5

• 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