Past-Present-Future

100 million years ago…

Ok, it’s 105 Million Years Ago (mya).  I theorize that Fairbanks, Alaska was located on an oceanfront view—the North Pacific Ocean.   Fairbanks is sitting, with no change in hemisphere, staying within the polar latitudes.  One big difference between Fairbanks of today and Fairbanks 105 mya is that today, it only has the Continental Polar (cP) air mass impacting the area.  105 mya Fairbanks was presented with both cP and the Maritime Polar (mP) air mass.  The reasoning for the two air masses in the past, is that the location of Fairbanks was closer to the West Coast than it’s current inland location.  Those air masses are the Aleutian low and the Siberian High.

The Aleutian low pressure system carries with it strong cyclones.  The cyclones form because they have the cold frigid air coming down over the trough of warm ocean water.  These cyclones, being stronger in winter and weaker in summer, form over the water and will intensify until they hit land.  At that time, they will start to loose their intensity.  A great example of a strong vortex cyclone hit Nome a month ago titled ‘super storm’ contained winds up to 90 mph, and 6-9 foot storm surges. 105 mya, when Fairbanks was closer to the coast, it would feel the full impact of these cyclones.  Today, with Fairbanks being further inland, and surrounded by three mountain ranges, the storms are much weaker due to orographic uplift.  The Siberian High starts as a cP but then rows over the Pacific Ocean and becomes a mP.  When the mP air mass hits the continent and the mountain ranges, it causes orographic uplift and can produce heavy precipitation (snow or rain), amounting to moisture to the area for all seasons.

One similarity of the past and present Fairbanks is that it sits under low sun angles.  The lack of radiation from the sun in association with the reflection from the ice and snow packs leads to low average temperatures.  Since, the way the sun-rays smile on Fairbanks the seasons will be cool, and dry.   

According to the Köppen-Geiger climate classification Fairbanks today resides in the climate zone Dfc compared to being in the Dfc and on the cusp of ET millions of years ago.  Both of these climate zones will have the same characteristics of the subarctic climate.  Fairbanks of the past, however, sat on the coast like present day Nome and because of this, would have had warmer temperatures.  One can see, illustrated on the climographs, the difference of temperature is warmer for Fairbanks being on the coast than inland on the continent.

Fairbanks-100 mya

Fairbanks- present day

The temperature in the sub polar arctic have cool, short summers, and won’t have more than four months with temperatures above the 50’s; and long cold winters.  100 mya the averages for temperature and precipitation were:

	Jan	Feb	March	April	May	June
Average high in °F	13	14	18	27	43	54
Average low in °F	-2	-2	1	12	31	41
Av. precipitation - inch	0.91	0.75	0.59	0.67	0.75	1.14

	July	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average high in °F	59	56	49	34	23	16
Average low in °F	47	45	37	23	11	1
Av. precipitation - inch	2.17	3.23	2.52	1.57	1.3	1.02

Now, when the plates moved one would see, present day Fairbanks has become an inland continental city.  Well, it stays like that even into the future 100 million years (myf). 

In the future Fairbanks will move down in latitude and still be affected by the cP air mass.  This move of the plates changes the climate zone of Fairbanks.  Fairbanks being relocated further south in latitude will warm up the city and allow more precipitation.  The city will be considered in the CSb zone.  This zone will bring Fairbanks a climate very much welcomed.  It will have warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. The climographs compare the warm up with the shift in location between the present and the past.

Fairbanks-present day

Fairbanks- Future 100 myf

I am also taking into consideration climates all around the Earth will have increased temperature because there are less glaciers at the pole, less reflection of solar radiation. 

The average temperature and precipitation in the future will be:

	Jan	Feb	March	April	May	June
Average high in °F	33	39	49	58	66	74
Average low in °F	22	26	30	35	43	49
Av. precipitation - inch	1.81	1.5	1.54	1.3	1.61	1.18

	July	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Average high in °F	83	83	73	58	41	33
Average low in °F	55	55	46	36	29	22
Av. precipitation - inch	0.75	0.67	0.75	1.06	2.24	2.24

Cities used:
Images:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOzh5YuLVb4
http://www.richhoffmanclass.com/chapter8.htm
http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/almanac/arc2006/alm06jan.htm
http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate.php?location=USAK0170
http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate.php?location=USAK0083
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGcDed4xVD4&feature=related&fb_source=message
http://www.usclimatedata.com/climate.php?location=USWA0422

Information:

http://nsidc.org/arcticmet/patterns/semipermament_highs_lows.html

http://nsidc.org/arcticmet/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/11/09/1034619/-Hurricane-Force-Storm-to-Hit-Alaska-(Yes,-you-read-that-right)

http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/climate.htm

"Find The Atmosphere : An Introduction to Meteorology 11th Edition 2009 Lutgens, Frederick K.;Tarbuck, Edward J.;Tasa, Dennis 0321587332 9780321587336 - Direct Textbook." Shop for Used Textbooks, New Textbooks, Rental Textbooks & EBooks: Direct Textbook. Web. Dec. 2011. <http://www.directtextbook.com/prices/9780321587336>.