Assessing the Risk to National Park Service Lands in Alaska Imposed by Rapidly Warming Temperatures
The observed rate of warming in many National Park Service (NPS) lands in Alaska has accelerated soil subsidence and increased landslide frequency, thereby threatening public access, subsistence activities and infrastructure in NPS regions. Areas most affected by this change are along the Denali Park Road, the proposed Ambler Road through Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, and the McCarthy Road in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve. In light of this, resource managers need highly accurate, localized climate information to assess and plan for future landslide hazards. This project addresses concerns and management implications in these focus areas with emerging issues that have been outlined in park planning documents, with an overarching goal to minimize and mitigate resulting impacts to natural resources and the protection of park values.
Mean annual air temperatures in Alaska parks have abruptly increased in recent years, with many locations approaching or exceeding the freezing threshold. This magnitude of warming is occurring several decades earlier than expected. Using high-resolution climate data available from the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center and NPS Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) weather station data, park-level assessments in three focus areas (i.e., the Denali Park Road, the proposed Ambler Road, and the McCarthy Road) of ground instability and landslide vulnerability for near-term (2021-2060) and long-term (2061-2100) warming will aid in the decision-making process for resource managers. These projected periods will use the representative concentrations pathway 8.5 emissions scenario as it best tracks with recent global carbon emissions. Data files that contain the primary climate indices (e.g., mean annual air temperatures) will be available for use in publications and presentations. Project information will also be disseminated to the three parks for use in resource management planning, infrastructure stability assessments, and other park planning documents such as Resource Stewardship Strategies or State of the Park Reports available from the NPS and the Alaska CASC. Additionally, future climate-based decisions have the potential to go beyond resource management and inform infrastructure planning, including the new NPS Strategic Facility Investment Planning (SFIP) initiative.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 600f20f4d34e162231fecd96)
The observed rate of warming in many National Park Service (NPS) lands in Alaska has accelerated soil subsidence and increased landslide frequency, thereby threatening public access, subsistence activities and infrastructure in NPS regions. Areas most affected by this change are along the Denali Park Road, the proposed Ambler Road through Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, and the McCarthy Road in Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve. In light of this, resource managers need highly accurate, localized climate information to assess and plan for future landslide hazards. This project addresses concerns and management implications in these focus areas with emerging issues that have been outlined in park planning documents, with an overarching goal to minimize and mitigate resulting impacts to natural resources and the protection of park values.
Mean annual air temperatures in Alaska parks have abruptly increased in recent years, with many locations approaching or exceeding the freezing threshold. This magnitude of warming is occurring several decades earlier than expected. Using high-resolution climate data available from the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center and NPS Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) weather station data, park-level assessments in three focus areas (i.e., the Denali Park Road, the proposed Ambler Road, and the McCarthy Road) of ground instability and landslide vulnerability for near-term (2021-2060) and long-term (2061-2100) warming will aid in the decision-making process for resource managers. These projected periods will use the representative concentrations pathway 8.5 emissions scenario as it best tracks with recent global carbon emissions. Data files that contain the primary climate indices (e.g., mean annual air temperatures) will be available for use in publications and presentations. Project information will also be disseminated to the three parks for use in resource management planning, infrastructure stability assessments, and other park planning documents such as Resource Stewardship Strategies or State of the Park Reports available from the NPS and the Alaska CASC. Additionally, future climate-based decisions have the potential to go beyond resource management and inform infrastructure planning, including the new NPS Strategic Facility Investment Planning (SFIP) initiative.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 600f20f4d34e162231fecd96)