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Seward Peninsula

↑About the Seward Peninsula

The Seward Peninsula is the middle of three major peninsulas on the West Coast of Alaska, and this ecoregion covers most of the peninsula, excepting the northernpost part which is low and flat, and considered part of the Subarctic Coastal Plain.

The climate here is subarctic. Although this peninsula is surrounded on three sides by water, it is spanned by ice for much of the year, reducing any moderating effect the water might have on the climate, excepting in summer. The region has long, harsh winters and short, cool summers; summers are cooler and foggier along the coast. The eastern portion of the region has more continental climate influence. There is continuous permafrost throughout most of the region, but the permafrost is thin in places. There are numerous ice-related features, including pingos (ice-cored hills), and patterned ground including ice-wedged polygons and stone stripes. Soils tend to be shallow, formed mostly on organic matter, and often waterlogged.