2 EQ2 - Alaska (Short Facts and Stats)

How much of the Earth is periglacial? (%)

25%

How much of Alaska is covered in permafrost? (%)

Around 80%

How many barrels of oil does the the Alyeska pipeline transport per day?

500,000 barrels

Around how much oil did the USA consume per day in 2019?

Around 20 million barrels

What percent of oil used by the USA comes from imports?

40%

How much oil does and area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) contain?

12 billion barrels

Give one way material flows are affected by the oil extraction in Alaska?

Extraction of gravel from river beds to make insulating pads. This changes the equilibrium between erosional and depositional processes.

What two ways are energy flows affected by oil extraction in Alaska?

* The release and burning of gas
* The production of heat from extraction and transport infrastructure

Urban heat island stat

In Barrow there is an urban heat island which is 2.2\*C higher than the surrounding area. This is caused by poorly insulated infrastructure.

How many fewer days of temperature fluctuations around 0\*C have there been since drilling began?

9% fewer

What landforms are formed when the active layer has been thawed?

* Solifluction lobes
* Thermokarst and alas lakes
* Ognips (collapsed pingos)

How many pingos are there in Alaska?

Over 1,500

What is the subsidence rate on the North Slope of Alaska?

Average is 3-4cm per year

What is the average temperature of Alaska?

Below -15\*C

How many months a year is the average temperature below freezing?

Around 8 months a year

What is the level of precipitation in most areas of Alaska?

Less than 100mm of precipitation in most areas

How much carbon does permafrost store globally?

1,600 GT of carbon

What is NPP on average in Alaska?

Less than 200g/m2/year

Most of the carbon from decomposed plant remains has been locked away for the past ______ years

500,000

How much have CO2 emissions from the North Slope permafrost increased by since 1975?

73%

In 1990s, how much of the USA’s domestic oil production comes from the North Slope?

Nearly a quarter

How deep can the insulating pads for infrastructure be?

In Proudhoe Bay there is a road on a 2m deep gravel pad