Valdez, AK 100 Million Years in Past and Future

Humans have existed for an insignificant amount of time on the planet, and during our time here the continents have remained observably stationary; however, throughout geologic time our continents and the distribution of land masses has actually varied quite greatly. In response to these shifts in land mass, our planet undergoes a number of consequences, probably the most severe of which is climate change. As we have learned throughout class this semester, the position and arrangement of land masses greatly affects the patterns that air masses, ocean currents, and our overall climate undergo. This specific blog will focus on how these shifts change the climate of Valdez, Alaska both 100 million years in the past and future.

Valdez in the Present:

Present climograph of Valdez

Valdez's present location

Valdez in the Past:

Valdez's location 100 million years in the past







Climograph of the Past




The climate of Valdez 100 million years ago must have varied greatly from where it sits today. First, the physical location of Valdez is currently 61 degrees north and 146 degrees west, but long ago Valdez was a few degrees north and east at the location 63 degrees north and 142 degrees west. The effect that the variation of physical location on the climate of Valdez is probably minimal, but there are a variety of other factors that could change the climate. Currently the Aleutian Low sits off in the Bering Sea and interacts with the polar highs coming off of the cold, large part of the continent to form enormous storms that dump record snowfall on Valdez. Well, a 100 million years ago the entire northern part of Canada and the Yukon were separated by water, lessening the continentality of the area, lowering the high pressure, and most likely preventing the Chugach mountain range from forming yet. The climatic effects on the Valdez area would be vast. The area would still see a low pressure system that sits off the coast, but the storms pushed in by the westerlies would not be as often or severe because the high pressure coming off the continent would be minimized--lessening the pressure gradient--and the Chugach mountain range would be non-existent, eliminating the orographic effects that cause record snowfall. Furthermore, Valdez would still be considered a maritime climate and would be much less effected by the continental polar and arctic air masses than by the maritime polar air masses, slightly warming temperatures in the area during the winter months. Overall, Valdez would still see dramatic storms as a result of the Aleutian Low and the polar high created by the land masses further east, but the severity of the storms, the amount of snowfall, and the wind velocities would diminish, but the temperatures would rise slightly 100 million years ago.

Valdez in the Future:

100 million years in the future




Climograph of the Future

The climate of Valdez 100 million years in the future would be much different than it was 100 million years in the past. The Aleutian Low would still be the main contributor to Valdez weather, creating storms when it interacts with high pressure to the east, but the storms would be more often and severe than 100 million years in the past because the land mass to the east would be much larger, bringing larger forces of continentality and high pressure. The physical location of Valdez would be much further southwest, probably sitting somewhere around 58 degrees north and 150 degrees west, causing minimal climate variation except for a slight warming in seasonal temperatures as shown by the climograph. The Chugach mountain range would still be a factor, having possibly even grown in size due to the collision of tectonic plates, forcing air masses upward orographically resulting in massive snowfall. One of the largest differences in the future compared to the present is the massive gulf created between Quebec and the Yukon. This gulf would attract low pressure, probably forming something like the Aleutian Low but to the East of Valdez. This semi-permanent system would put Valdez in the middle of two low pressures, which would most likely mean more frequent, violent, and precipitous storms for Valdez as a result. Valdez would still be considered a maritime climate because maritime polar air masses would be affecting the location most of the time, but continental polar and arctic air masses would influence the area more so than 100 million years in the past. Overall, Valdez would see more frequent snowfall and precipitation as a result of its unique position between two low pressure systems and the possible growth of the Chugach mountain range, but the location would remain maritime and temperatures would warm only slightly because of its shift to the south and the resulting increase of incoming solar radiation.