NGWA’s Hydrogeology of States Webinar Series: Alaska

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Date: October 21, 2026
Location: Online 1-2 p.m. ET
CEUs: 1 hour (NGWA is an approved education sponsor)

Instructors:

• David Barnes, PhD, PE

Overview:

As hydrogeology varies widely across the United States — and as primary jurisdiction over groundwater development rests with the states — each is unique. This webinar series explores the issues encountered in each of the 50 states — one at a time.

Dr. David Barnes from University of Alaska Fairbanks will discuss the unique hydrogeology of Alaska, including:

• Alaska has six different hydrologic regions. The characteristics of these regions span a wide range of conditions. In the Arctic, permafrost can extend as deep as 1,600 meters separating seasonal groundwater near the ground surface from groundwater below the permafrost. In contrast, southern areas of Alaska are dominated by coastal and fractured rock island groundwater systems.
• Permafrost features can exert a dramatic influence on groundwater flow. The topography of the permafrost table can alter flow paths in unpredictable directions, while areas where permafrost has thawed completely, known as open taliks, create pathways that connect suprapermafrost and subpermafrost groundwater systems.
• Artesian conditions can exist within certain regions of Alaska’s discontinuous permafrost zone. In these areas, heat dissipation around groundwater production well casings can thaw the surrounding ground, resulting in nearly uncontrollable artesian flow to the surface through the thawed annulus.
  

The Hydrogeology of Alaska webinar focuses on the state’s:

• Major aquifers
• Physical and geologic properties
• Groundwater use and availability
• Groundwater quality and contamination
• Surface water/groundwater interactions
• Groundwater management issues

 
Who should attend?

• Geologists
• Hydrogeologists
• Hydrologists
• Water well drilling contractors
• Land-use planners
• Federal, state, and local regulatory personnel
• Water-supply managers