Cryosols in Alaska

Permafrost, or perennially frozen ground, covers 9×105km2 or 55% of the landmass of Alaska. The continuous zone of permafrost encompasses the physiographic subdivisions of the Arctic Coastal Plain, the Arctic Foothills, the northern Norton Sound Highlands, and the Brooks Range. The zone of discontinuous permafrost encompasses the physiographic subdivisions of the Interior Alaska Lowlands, the Interior Alaska Highlands, the Alaska Range, the Copper River Plateau, the Kuskokwin Highlands, the southern Norton Sound Highlands, and the Western Alaska Coastal Plains and Deltas (Wahrhaftg, 1965; Péwé, 1975) (see Figure 2.2.1).