1. Climate Change Impacts in the United States Third National Climate Assessment [Name] [Date] Alaska

2. Alaska http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/regions/alaska http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/report/regions/alaska Convening Lead Authors – F. Stuart Chapin III, University of Alaska Fairbanks – Sarah F. Trainor, University of Alaska Fairbanks Lead Authors – Patricia Cochran, Alaska Native Science Commission – Henry Huntington, Huntington Consulting – Carl Markon, U.S. Geological Survey – Molly McCammon, Alaska Ocean Observing System – A. David McGuire, U.S. Geological Survey and University of Alaska Fairbanks – Mark Serreze, University of Colorado

3. Alaska Will Continue to Warm Rapidly Figure source: adapted from Stewart et al. 2013 1

4. Disappearing Sea Ice Arctic summer sea ice is receding faster than previously projected and is expected to virtually disappear before mid-century. This is altering marine ecosystems and leading to greater ship access, offshore development opportunity, and increased community vulnerability to coastal erosion.

5. Declining Sea Ice Extent Figure source: NSIDC 2012; Data from Fetterer et al. 2013 1

6. Sea Ice Loss Brings Big Changes to Arctic Life Photo credits: (top left) G. Carleton Ray; (bottom left) Daniel Glick; (right) Patrick Kelley

7. Newtok, Alaska F. Stuart Chapin III, University of Alaska System

8. Shrinking Glaciers Most glaciers in Alaska and British Columbia are shrinking substantially. This trend is expected to continue and has implications for hydropower production, ocean circulation patterns, fisheries, and global sea level rise.

9. Thawing Permafrost Permafrost temperatures in Alaska are rising, a thawing trend that is expected to continue, causing multiple vulnerabilities through drier landscapes, more wildfire, altered wildlife habitat, increased cost of maintaining infrastructure, and the release of heat- trapping gases that increase climate warming.

10. The Big Thaw Figure source: Permafrost Lab, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks

11. Mounting Expenses from Permafrost Thawing Figure source: adapted from Larsen and Goldsmith 2007 1

12. Drying Lakes and Changing Habitat Photo credit: May-Le Ng

13. Changing Ocean Temperatures and Chemistry Current and projected increases in Alaska’s ocean temperatures and changes in ocean chemistry are expected to alter the distribution and productivity of Alaska’s marine fisheries, which lead the U.S. in commercial value.

14. Native Communities The cumulative effects of climate change in Alaska strongly affect Native communities, which are highly vulnerable to these rapid changes but have a deep cultural history of adapting to change.

15. Alaska Coastal Communities Damaged Photo credits: (left) Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation; (right) Ned Rozell

16. Climate Change Impacts in the United States http://nca2014.globalchange.gov http://nca2014.globalchange.gov Third National Climate Assessment @usgcrp facebook.com/usgcrp #NCA2014 [Name & Contact Info]