The Climate of Alaska


Book Description

Examines the climate of Alaska and its diversity through narrative and maps, tables, and charts. Focuses on climatological features such as temperature, humidity, precipitation, and atmospheric pressure.--(Source of description unspecified.)




Salmon in the Trees


Book Description

* Protect or exploit? The Tongass is in the center of pending legislation and strong emotions. * Illustrations by celebrated artist Ray Troll * Includes Tongass soundscape on CD * A carbon-neutral publication One of the rarest ecosystems on Earth, the Tongass rain forest fringes the coastal panhandle of Alaska and covers thousands of islands in the Alexander Archipelago. It's a place where everything is interconnected: Humpback whales, orcas, and sea lions cruise the forested shorelines. Wild salmon swim upstream into the forest, feeding some of the world's highest densities of grizzlies, black bears, and bald eagles. Native cultures endure with Raven, Eagle, and Salmon. Local communities benefit from the gifts of both the forest and sea. But the global demands of our modern world may threaten this great forest's biological treasures. Salmon in the Trees: Life in Alaska's Tongass Rain Forest fully explores the entire ecosystem of the Tongass National Forest-its habitat, wildlife, and people. Here, millions of wild salmon are the crucial link between the forest and the sea, and shape both animal and human lives. With camera and rain gear in hand, photographer Amy Gulick spent more than two years trekking and paddling among the bears, misty islands, and salmon streams to document the intricate connections within the Tongass. Along the way, she met Alaskans -- bush pilots, fishermen, guides, artists -- who call the Tongass home. Together with engaging and accessible essays from renowned conservationists, scientists, and journalists, as well as salmon-spawned illustrations from artist Ray Troll, Gulick portrays a hopeful story of a magnificent -- and intact -- ecosystem where trees still grow salmon, and salmon still grow trees.




Remote Sensing of the Cryosphere


Book Description

The cryosphere, that region of the world where water is temporarily or permanently frozen, plays a crucial role on our planet. Recent developments in remote sensing techniques, and the acquisition of new data sets, have resulted in significant advances in our understanding of all components of the cryosphere and its processes. This book, based on contributions from 40 leading experts, offers a comprehensive and authoritative overview of the methods, techniques and recent advances in applications of remote sensing of the cryosphere. Examples of the topics covered include: • snow extent, depth, grain-size and impurities • surface and subsurface melting • glaciers • accumulation over the Greenland and Antarctica ice sheets • ice thickness and velocities • gravimetric measurements from space • sea, lake and river ice • frozen ground and permafrost • fieldwork activities • recent and future cryosphere-oriented missions and experiments All figures are in color and provide an excellent visual accompaniment to the technical and scientific aspect of the book. Readership: Senior undergraduates, Masters and PhD Students, PostDocs and Researchers in cryosphere science and remote sensing. Remote Sensing of the Cryosphere is the significant first volume in the new Cryosphere Science Series. This new series comprises volumes that are at the cutting edge of new research, or provide focussed interdisciplinary reviews of key aspects of the science.




Multivariate Analysis of Ecological Data


Book Description

La diversidad biológica es fruto de la interacción entre numerosas especies, ya sean marinas, vegetales o animales, a la par que de los muchos factores limitantes que caracterizan el medio que habitan. El análisis multivariante utiliza las relaciones entre diferentes variables para ordenar los objetos de estudio según sus propiedades colectivas y luego clasificarlos; es decir, agrupar especies o ecosistemas en distintas clases compuestas cada una por entidades con propiedades parecidas. El fin último es relacionar la variabilidad biológica observada con las correspondientes características medioambientales. Multivariate Analysis of Ecological Data explica de manera completa y estructurada cómo analizar e interpretar los datos ecológicos observados sobre múltiples variables, tanto biológicos como medioambientales. Tras una introducción general a los datos ecológicos multivariantes y la metodología estadística, se abordan en capítulos específicos, métodos como aglomeración (clustering), regresión, biplots, escalado multidimensional, análisis de correspondencias (simple y canónico) y análisis log-ratio, con atención también a sus problemas de modelado y aspectos inferenciales. El libro plantea una serie de aplicaciones a datos reales derivados de investigaciones ecológicas, además de dos casos detallados que llevan al lector a apreciar los retos de análisis, interpretación y comunicación inherentes a los estudios a gran escala y los diseños complejos.




The Sun Is a Compass


Book Description

For fans of Cheryl Strayed, the gripping story of a biologist's human-powered journey from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic to rediscover her love of birds, nature, and adventure. During graduate school, as she conducted experiments on the peculiarly misshapen beaks of chickadees, ornithologist Caroline Van Hemert began to feel stifled in the isolated, sterile environment of the lab. Worried that she was losing her passion for the scientific research she once loved, she was compelled to experience wildness again, to be guided by the sounds of birds and to follow the trails of animals. In March of 2012, she and her husband set off on a 4,000-mile wilderness journey from the Pacific rainforest to the Alaskan Arctic, traveling by rowboat, ski, foot, raft, and canoe. Together, they survived harrowing dangers while also experiencing incredible moments of joy and grace -- migrating birds silhouetted against the moon, the steamy breath of caribou, and the bond that comes from sharing such experiences. A unique blend of science, adventure, and personal narrative, The Sun is a Compass explores the bounds of the physical body and the tenuousness of life in the company of the creatures who make their homes in the wildest places left in North America. Inspiring and beautifully written, this love letter to nature is a lyrical testament to the resilience of the human spirit. Winner of the 2019 Banff Mountain Book Competition: Adventure Travel




Moon Alaska


Book Description

Travel writer and nature photographer Don Pitcher covers the best of Alaska, from fine dining in Anchorage to backpacking in Denali National Park. Pitcher also includes various travel strategies such as The Best of Alaska and Along the AlCan. Complete with details on where to view wildlife at the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge and the best spots to kayak in Prince William Sound, Moon Alaska gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.




Alaska


Book Description

A new paper edition of the state's history, which focuses on Russian America and American Alaska.




Thin Ice


Book Description

The stunning wilds of Alaska are not for the faint of heart—but when Beth Rivers finds herself with a need to disappear, she’s already faced far worse. So how hard could it be? Beth Rivers, known to the world as Elizabeth Fairchild, has spent years as a bestselling novelist. Her twisty, page-turning thrillers have garnered a legion of fans, but unfortunately, her story-telling landed her in an unbelievable tale of her own—a situation even more terrifying than she could have dreamed. Crazed Elizabeth Fairchild super-fan Levi Brooks stalked and kidnapped Elizabeth, holding her captive inside a van for three days. She escaped by throwing herself from the speeding van, suffering a severe head injury and memory loss. Scarred and still healing from her injuries, she secretly escapes to the beautiful—and very remote—Benedict, Alaska. It’s the only place she can be sure no one will find her. But just before Beth’s arrival, the already small population of Benedict was reduced by one. Linda Rafferty’s death was ruled a suicide, but no one in the close-knit community quite believes that conclusion, even the sheriff. While she waits for her attacker to be apprehended in the lower 48, Beth takes on a project to revamp the Benedict town newspaper. She knows enough to go where the story is, and there’s clearly one behind Linda’s death. As rumors of murder spread, suspicion falls upon the felons staying at a local halfway house—and Beth herself. Intrigued by both the mystery and the wary folks who call Benedict home, Beth starts asking questions—only to find her investigation stirring up memories she’d much rather had stayed forgotten...




Precipitation


Book Description

Precipitation: Earth Surface Responses and Processes provides readers with a general and indispensable overview of processing rainfall processes through radar techniques, numerical models, geostatistical tools, photogrammetric methods, plots, indexes of connectivity or rainfall simulations. The handbook follows a clear and consistent format, and is structured as follows: Introduction (State-of-the-Art); Part 1. Rainfall and climate/atmosphere; Part 2. Models and applications; Part 3. Rainfall as a key actor playing the main role affecting different ecosystems. Part 3: Rainfall affecting the earth surface from different scales and landforms; Part 4: Rainfall and stormwater quality management in urban and rural areas. Precipitation is a key factor needed for understanding landscape evolution and ecosystem services. Knowing the main precipitation composition, mechanisms and processes allows for efficient land management plans and ecosystem restoration activities. However, precipitation shows different responses under specific environments depending on the climate (from the arid to the polar areas), parent material, scale (from the raindrops to catchment scale), intensity, landscape morphologies (soil sealing, rills, gullies or rivers) or human activities (agriculture or urban areas). Precipitation: Earth Surface Responses and Processes bring this information together and provides indispensable material in a holistic manner for students, scientists and lecturers from different environmental disciplines such as climatology, meteorology, geomorphology, hydrology, soil science, geography, engineering, or ecology. - Includes observations on a range of earth surface processes, from climate to coastal marine ecosystems - Presents key case studies in each chapter, enhancing the applicability of each chapter - Introduces precipitation as a key factor to understand earth mechanisms and processes




Alaska


Book Description

Results of field reconnaissance study of potential water resource development of Territory of Alaska. Also includes economic evaluation of Alaska's natural resources as well as recommendations for initiation of program for detailed investigation of Alaska's water resources.