GEOSC 10
Geology of the National Parks

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

 
Left: Map of the US with Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska highlighted, Right: A picture of a female moose in the woods
A map and a female moose
Credit: R. B. Alley © Penn State is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) sprawls across the North Slope of Alaska, from the Brooks Range to the coast of the Arctic Ocean, and is nearly as large as the state of Maine. ANWR is home to grizzly and polar bears, wolves loping across the tundra, moose, vast flocks of waterfowl, and snowy owls ghosting on white wings. The Porcupine caribou herd lives in and migrates across ANWR and is used in the traditional lives of several groups of native people. But beneath ANWR, there probably is oil.

Let's visit The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): Where Caribou Meet Oil Conduits

Energy vs. Environment

The Alaska Pipeline, not too far from ANWR, has pumped billions of dollars’ worth of petroleum south from regions near the North Slope. But as that oil runs out, the pipeline may soon be left empty—a very expensive tube with nothing to carry. The similarity of geology suggests that ANWR also has oil to fill the pipeline, and to fuel automobiles in the U.S., or somewhere else in the world. There is not a lot of oil—maybe 10 billion barrels, according to the USGS, with maybe 1/3 of that likely to be produced over a few decades if production is allowed, according to the US Energy Information Agency. If so, then ANWR might supply a little under 6 months of US oil use, not especially important in the big picture. But, with oil having fluctuated between $50 and $100 per barrel for much of the 21st century, 6 months of US oil use represents more than $100 billion and maybe much more…a LOT of money. The argument between wilderness and development has been going on for decades, and is not likely to end soon. So, let’s look a little more closely at this, which is one of the most important issues for the coming decades, because our well-being depends on using fossil fuels now, and on stopping that use in the future.

Want to see more?

Visit the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge website. While you are not required to review this, you may find it interesting and possibly even helpful in preparing for the quiz!