The Alaska Science and Technology Foundation sponsored a workshop titled “The Warming World: Effects on the Alaska Infrastructure” that was held at the University of Alaska Anchorage on 5 and 6 January 2000. Over 100 scientists and engineers attended the workshop representing universities, government and industry.  The UAA School of Engineering, the US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL), and the University of Alaska Fairbanks organized the meeting.  Other sponsors included the US Department of Energy, Cominco Alaska, Williams Alaska Petroleum, and the Port of Tacoma.

Presentations and discussions at the workshop focused on scientific evidence of global warming in Alaska, consequences of warming to present and future infrastructure, and prospective steps in response. Scientific accounts of global warming research were followed by panel discussions on roads, airports, marine facilities, rural infrastructure, oil, gas, and mining infrastructure, environmental monitoring, and technical education.  The workshop ended with a plenary session to form conclusions and recommendations.

Workshop presenters demonstrated that analyses of historical temperatures and other measurements point to continued warming, as do computer simulations of world climate.  Growing evidence of ecological shifts, such as northward migration of the tree line and changes in dominance of tundra plant species, appears to confirm these studies. Permafrost is soil frozen since the ice age that lies beneath about 80 percent of Alaska. Permafrost with temperatures just below freezing, known as “warm permafrost,” is naturally in greatest risk of thawing. Warm permafrost is found in a broad east-west band across the middle of Alaska, including the Yukon, Tanana, and Kuskokwim River drainages. Thawed permafrost in many places will not support buildings, roads, airports, or pipelines without high-cost construction and frequent maintenance.

Attendees at the workshop agreed that roads, airports, and critical infrastructure in Alaska rural communities would be adversely affected by permafrost thawing.  Experienced engineers pointed out that tested solutions are available, given warning of changes, reliable local information, and funding. Arctic engineers are accustomed to dealing with warming, since the structures they build tend to have that affect on permafrost. Proven methods of supporting roads, airports, and buildings can prevent settlement and excessive maintenance of facilities built on permafrost. New works can be located over gravelly “thaw-stable” permafrost to avoid the worst consequences, but more costly up-front investigations are required to be sure of the best site selection.

Most Arctic engineering mistakes stem from inadequate knowledge of the site and ambient climate conditions, according to veteran practitioners at the UAA meeting.  These unfortunate circumstances could become more common as climate changes accelerate. Widely used Alaskan engineering references are outdated. Project site measurements reveal only current conditions. Climate change trends presented in scientific studies are not directly applicable to design nor readily available to busy commercial engineers. Alaskan engineers today commonly rely on aging atlases of critical design parameters, some based on measurements from the 1950’s.

Effects of climate change discussed at the workshop will also occur in sub-Arctic areas of Alaska, including the southcentral and southeast regions. Sea levels will rise and storms will be stronger and more frequent. Coastal communities now struggling with erosion will see shoreline retreat accelerate. River communities prone to flooding and erosion will likewise see increased snowmelt and rainfall, causing higher floods and faster stream bank changes. Water supply systems will be affected all over Alaska by increased precipitation and runoff. Again, proven methods can meet these challenges, given good information and the means to accomplish appropriate works.

Technical education at all levels was the topic of workshop session. Most Arctic specialists from the DEW line and Trans-Alaska Pipeline design era are nearing the ends of their careers. The new generation of engineers and scientists has not experienced the intensity of these mega-projects to hone their knowledge and skills. The burden on educational institutions is therefore heavier to prepare technical specialists for coming global warming challenges. Alaska needs to be certain of the competence applied to its infrastructure needs. While other states license only degreed engineers who show evidence of continuing education, Alaska still issues Professional Engineer licenses to people without engineering degrees and requires no continuing education.

What needs to be done in next 10 years? Proposals favored at the workshop included update of engineering references, improved science-to-engineering technology transfer, and monitoring of changing conditions critical to infrastructure design. Some specific actions were proposed and some concerns worth more discussion were identified.

The old atlases must be updated. These references, such as the “Environmental Atlas of Alaska” compiled by the University of Alaska and CRREL in 1978, synthesize and consolidate key field measurements in formats that match building codes and design procedures. They are readily applicable to the practical work of engineers in Alaska. Recent decades have provided better measurements in new locations that should be combined with the old using modern analysis. New media are available to portray this information, such as Geographical Information System software and the Internet.

Technology transfer can be improved in several ways. Both the scientists and engineers at the workshop enjoyed the opportunity to rub shoulders at UAA. The group favored more workshops of the same general format. A revival of an out-of-print University of Alaska magazine, “The Northern Engineer,” was proposed. More focus on Arctic technology at vocational schools and at the State’s universities is warranted.  Support from industry for these efforts will help the State and federal governments provide more effective science-to-engineering flow of new knowledge to train the next generation of Arctic specialists.

A partnership between the University of Alaska and CRREL, longtime collaborators, may be formalized by summer 2000. CRREL is a federal laboratory of about 100 scientists and engineers based in Hanover, New Hampshire, with satellite offices in Anchorage and Fairbanks. Both CRREL and the University of Alaska are recognized around the world as leaders in cold regions science and engineering. Sharing of knowledge and resources between these two institutions will continue to foster a cadre of cold regions specialists equal to future challenges in Alaska, America’s Arctic.

Environmental monitoring and related continuation of global warming research were supported by a consensus of workshop attendees. Public works agencies that fund projects only for the duration of design and construction, such as the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and the Corps of Engineers, should leave in place means for monitoring infrastructure status.  Industry can also collect and share valuable data during the operational phase of commercial developments. Reliable and affordable instrument packages can be configured for these purposes. Application of this environmental information will be critical to wise political and commercial decisions.

“The Warming World: Effects on the Alaska Infrastructure” workshop succeeded in formulating worthy responses to global warming. Specific actions proposed for the near term include engineering reference updates and more focused educational and technology transfer initiatives.  Over the first decade of the new millennium, a dedicated program of monitoring and analysis was recommended to judge the status of existing infrastructure and for cost-effective design of new public and commercial works. Though further discussions are worthwhile, these recommended measures would minimize difficulties in Alaska from global warming. Details of workshop discussions and recommendations will be presented in the complete proceedings, to be published in April 2000.