Climate Indicators of Landslide Risks on Alaska National Park Road Corridors

Alaska's national park road corridors face increasing landslide risks due to rising temperatures and heavy precipitation, threatening public safety and infrastructure. Research indicates that mean annual air temperatures (MAATs) above freezing and summer precipitation significantly elevate landslide risk in these permafrost-rich regions. Analyzing historical climate data (1981–2020) from ERA5 reanalysis, the study found significant warming trends (0.3–0.6 °C per decade) across Gates of the Arctic, Denali, and Wrangell-St. Elias national parks. Projections for mid-century (2021–2060) and late-century (2061–2100) suggest heightened risk on key roads like Denali Park Road and McCarthy Road due to increased MAATs and summer precipitation, with all three parks' road corridors at elevated risk by the end of the century. These findings underscore the urgent need for climate-adaptive infrastructure planning in Alaska's national parks.

Lader, R., Sousanes, P., Bhatt, U. S., Walsh, J. E., & Bieniek, P. A. (2022). Climate Indicators of Landslide Risks on Alaska National Park Road Corridors. Atmosphere, 14(1), 34. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos14010034