Geography and History

Location of the Arctic Tundra

 

Source: http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2013/3054/

What the Arctic Tundra Looks Like Today

Point Hope

Source: http://www.bestbeginnermotorcycles.com/forum/forum-topic/3372/winter-alaska-non-ride-report

History

15,000 years ago, glaciers covered nearly half of Alaska. The first people came to Alaska by going across the Bering Land Bridge. When recent ice age ended, sea levels rose to cover the Bering Land Bridge, isolating the American populations.

1896: Oil was discovered in the Cook Inlet.

1857: Coal mining began at Coal Harbor.

1980: The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act passed. Over 100 million acres are set aside for preservation and protection

A typical summer in Barrow would be sea ice lingering into late June or early July and October’s cooling temperatures and autumn storms return sea ice. Over the past 9 decades, some Octobers were warm and some cold, depending on whether sea ice was far from shore or near the coast. However, since 2002, Octobers regularly near the warmest on record