Climate Change
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Change is ever-present in natural settings, and the landscape of Denali is no exception. Over the course of a day, flowers open and close as light plays on mountain flanks. Across the seasons, lakes and rivers freeze and thaw. And over thousands of years, glacial advances literally carve the landscape we see before us. Although many changes are natural and can be expected, Denali's landscape may also be imperiled by changes - those brought on by human activities. Human impacts can be seen most clearly in direct alterations of the landscape caused by infrastructure development, but there are also less obvious impacts resulting from our modification of the earth's climate system. 
Get a birds-eye view on Denali's changing landscape. Our partner's website contains a wealth of information about Denali's landscapes and allows you to view hundreds of matched historic/current photographic images that help us document and understand ecological changes occurring in the park. Consider also taking a more focused virtual tour of landscape changes in Denali. 
January Mean Minimum Temperature PRISM Climate Maps for Alaska The PRISM (Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model) climate mapping system was used to generate these products. This mapping system integrates existing climate station data with scientific understanding of general climate processes and local climate features. These climate maps feature a 30-arc second (approximately 800 meter) grid size resolution for the state of Alaska. To obtain complete data sets, visit the NPS Data Store. (NPS Unit: Alaska Region NRO (AKRO); Category: Weather/Climate) These products are available without charge. Both the Oregon State University PRISM Group and National Park Service however, have applicable terms of use (disclaimers): Oregon State University disclaimer Gridded and polygon data, tabular and graphical data retrieved from the map server, and all other data may be freely reproduced and distributed for non-commercial purposes. When referring to the data, the source should be clearly stated, and include at a minimum, name, URL, and date of data creation, for example: PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University and Alaska Region Inventory and Monitoring Program, National Park Service; science.nature.nps.gov/nrdata/, created 1 Dec. 2009. |
Did You Know?
The vast landscapes of interior Alaska are changing. Large glaciers are receding, permafrost is melting and woody plants are spreading. Comparison of "then-and-now" photographs and data from major vegetation monitoring should allow detection, understanding and potential management of these changes.