Earth Science 7-Anchorage, Alaska

Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Earth Science 7- Cities

Elevation 35 meters

Longitude 61° 10' N

Latitude 150° 1' W

Bodies of Water Anchorage is about miles from the Gulf of Alaska. Anchorage is also near the Knik arm, the Turnagain arm, Eagle Bay, and Westchester Lagoon.

(Coutesy of Google Earth and Google Maps)

Fun Fact: The biggest earthquake in the United States of America, measuring 8.5 on the Richter Scale, was in Anchorage.

Climate

Climate Zone

Dsc (continental subarctic) on the Koppen Climate chart.

Average Temperature in Centigrade

Anchorage Temperature	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Annual
Avg. Temperature	-10.3	-8.2	-4.2	1.8	8.0	12.2	14.6	13.5	9.1	0.7	-6.8	-9.5	1.7
Avg. Max Temperature	-6.6	-4.2	0.0	5.7	12.1	15.8	17.9	17.0	12.6	3.7	-3.5	-6.0	5.3
Avg. Min Temperature	-14.1	-12.3	-8.5	-2.0	4.0	8.7	11.2	9.9	5.6	-2.3	-10.2	-13.1	-1.9

Average Precipitation

Anchorage Precipitation	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Annual
Precipitation (inches)	1.1	0.9	0.8	0.5	0.7	1.1	2.0	2.6	2.6	1.7	1.02	1.2	16.4

Factors that Regulate the Climate

Anchorage is about 60 degrees N latitude, in a low pressure area. Therefore Anchorage, Alaska is at a doldrum latitude and is fairly windy because Anchorage is right in between the Polar North easterlies and the South westerlies. Anchorage is right on the coast of the Knik Arm in Alaska giving Alaska a slightly more stable temperature because of the water near it. Its topography is hilly if not mountainous. Anchorage is at a high elevation because of the mountains so therefore the air pressure is even lower. Due to its cold, dry weather, Anchorage does not have a lot of rainfall even though it is right next to a bay.

Geology

Tectonic Plate Boundary Near Anchorage

Anchorage is on the North American plate.It is about 200 miles from the North American/Pacific Plate Boundary which is a subduction boundary.

(Coutesy of Google Earthin addition to this website )

Rocks that Underlie Anchorage

Anchorage is above metamorphic Cretaceous and Jurassic- age rocks. These rocks, reffered to as the Tertiary rocks of the Kenai group, can be up to 20,000 feet deep. There are metamorphic rocks below Anchorage because Anchorage is near a divergent boundary and the heat and pressure that is created when one lithoshperic plate slides under another causes metamorphic rocks to form.