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Folders: ROOT > ScienceBase Catalog > National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers > Alaska CASC > FY 2018 Projects ( Show all descendants )

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Suicide Basin is a glacier-fed lake that branches off Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska. Since 2011, Suicide Basin has been collecting melt- and rainwater each summer, creating a temporary glacier-dammed lake. Water that accumulates typically gets released through channels that run beneath the glacier. These channels are normally blocked by ice, but if the water pressure gets too high the channel breaks open, rapidly draining the basin in what is known as an “outburst flood”. In past years, these events have led to flooding along Mendenhall Lake and Mendenhall River in the most heavily populated neighborhood of Juneau. Because of the threats posed to infrastructure in the Mendenhall Valley, it is critical that...
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Understanding freshwater flow is frequently highlighted as a priority in land management planning and assessments. Changes in climate can impact streamflow through reduced snowpack and snowfall, earlier spring runoff, increased winter flow and flooding, and decreased summer flow. In Southeast Alaska, streamflow is expected to shift dramatically in response to changes in factors such as precipitation and air temperature. Understanding how streamflow might change is instrumental not only for predicting changes in plant distribution and soil moisture, but also for infrastructure planning. Culvert replacement, bridge design, hydropower development, water reservoir placement, and floodplain restoration planning all require...
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Agriculture in Alaska is climate-limited. Factors such as low heat energy, short growing seasons, and cold winters prevent the survival of many crops. While considerable research has gone into assessing how to overcome some of these limitations, results suggest that climate change is already altering the equation, and will likely continue to do so. Some research suggests crop production for some varieties might advance northward in the state, leading to increases in yields and new varieties becoming viable. However, it’s also projected that water stress may become an increasing challenge facing farmers. Further, some crops, such as the burgeoning peony market, are dependent on Alaska’s cool climate and late summer...
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Changing climate conditions could have significant impacts on wildlife health. Shifts in temperature and precipitation may directly affect the occurrence of disease in fish and wildlife by altering their interactions with pathogens (such as the bacterium that causes Lyme disease), helping vectors like mosquitoes and ticks expand their range, or speeding up the time it takes for a parasite to develop from an egg to an adult. Climate change can also indirectly affect the health of fish and wildlife as their habitats change. For example, reduced food availability could lead to overcrowding and increased disease transmission, or warmer temperatures might increase stress levels, weakening immune systems and making animals...
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The City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska has the highest urban avalanche danger in the U.S., with regular impacts to people, property, critical infrastructure, and natural resources. Avalanche hazard zones occur over a large area extending from downtown Juneau to the Snettisham power plant 50 km to the south, the Kensington Mine 60 km to the north, and the Eaglecrest Ski area 6 km to the west. Developing a better understanding of avalanches and the processes leading to avalanche formation in the Juneau area is critical. This information would greatly aid local and regional efforts to forecast avalanches and update avalanche hazard maps, including the risk to transportation, utility, and mining corridors. An important...
    map background search result map search result map Improving Forecasts of Glacier Outburst Flood Events Projecting Future Streamflow in Southeast Alaska From Public Hazard to Key Drivers of Landscape Change: Understanding the Role of Avalanches in Southeast Alaska Synthesizing Climate Change Impacts on Wildlife Health and Identifying Adaptation Strategies Supporting Local Agricultural Planning and Adaptation in Alaska Improving Forecasts of Glacier Outburst Flood Events From Public Hazard to Key Drivers of Landscape Change: Understanding the Role of Avalanches in Southeast Alaska Projecting Future Streamflow in Southeast Alaska Supporting Local Agricultural Planning and Adaptation in Alaska Synthesizing Climate Change Impacts on Wildlife Health and Identifying Adaptation Strategies