Despite this, it is interesting to note that nearly all of the inhabited sections of the state are at 1,000 feet elevation or less. Coastal waterways, myriad islands, large and small inlets, bays and sounds make up Alaska's coastline. Permafrost is a major factor in the geography of Alaska. It is defined as a layer of soil at variable depths beneath the surface of the earth in which the temperature has been below freezing continuously from a few to several thousands of years. It exists where summer heating fails to penetrate to the base of the layer of frozen ground.
Permafrost covers most of the northern third of the state.
Discontinuous or isolated patches also exist over the central portion in an overall area covering nearly a third of the state. No permafrost exists in the southcentral and southern coastal portions, including southeastern Alaska, the Alaska peninsula and the Aleutian Chain. Top of Page 3. Earthquakes have long been a part of the earth's growing pains. However, most people are only dimly aware of the frequency and destructive power of an earthquake.