Kenai FjordsBy: Ben Williams

How was the park formed?The Kenai Fjords National Park was formed by

glaciers from the ice age, or a mirror of the past as many have called it, still slowly moving after millions of years after they formed. These glaciers most likely started out hundreds of miles away, from the point they are today, near the icecaps. They moved from the Harding ice field, moving from there to form the fjords that we admire now.

What year was the park formed? Why?The park was founded in 1980 named after

President Warren G. Harding, who visited Seward in 1923.

It was founded to protect the Harding ice field, it’s out flowing glaciers, and coastal fjords making it a very beautiful place.

What types of rocks can be found in this park? There are two main rocks in this park know

as greywacke and basalt. Greywacke is a type of sedimentary sandstone while basalt is formed by volcanoes.

What special land features can be found in this park? The Harding Ice field is the largest

contained ice field in the U.S. The tremendous glaciers and beautiful coastal fjords are mainly the special land features. Also volcanoes created by tectonic plate subduction leaving behind fertile soil. Tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanoes are destructive but Volcanoes can be constructive too.

What environmental issues are affecting your park? A major problem is climate change in this

park. It affects the habitat for many animals and it starts to melt the glaciers. Some animals don’t mind like moose or goats which are used to the regular weather. This is a problem that will be hard not just to avoid, but to find a way to improvise off of.

How is the land inside your park currently changing?The many 38 glaciers in the park are

constantly moving on a slope, creating many things in its wake. These things consist of fjords, forests, and many more habitats for the animals. Every winter the glaciers get 600-800 inches of snow each winter, which is a very important process to keep the glaciers flowing.

Map of park

How is technology used to help preserve and maintain the park?Technology is used to create files and

websites about the park, to tell everyone about it. The park also uses technology to help take care of sick, wounded animals or find them throughout the park. The technology keeps track of climate changes and weather forecasts to tell the park rangers what will be happening in the next month. Technology is a very useful resource in U.S. national parks.

Pictures and diagrams

BibliographyThe letter I used was sent from Lynn A.

Aderholt to Ben Williams, dated April 8, 2010. For my project I have only used this letter and a couple of brochures to find resources, except Google to find my pictures. These item were very helpful and I’d like to thank Kenai Fjords National Park for their help.