Alaska is known not only for its huge parks and majestic glaciers, but also for its numerous gold deposits. One of them houses the El Dorado Gold Mine, a gold mine discovered in the early 20th century near the city of Fairbanks. In 1990, it was closed due to the unprofitability of the enterprise and became popular place for excursion tours mine, which are held from May to September. Here, visitors are invited to experience the boom of the "gold rush" for themselves.
The two-hour tour begins with a story about gold mining in Alaska. The train takes visitors through a permafrost tunnel to a mine where history comes to life mountainous Alaska. During walking tour around the mine, guides talk about modern methods of prospecting for gold. After a short course in gold mining, everyone can try their hand at finding the precious metal, enjoying the process of washing it.
On the territory of the mine there is a cozy cafe where you can have a bite to eat and relax. The El Dorado Gold Mine is an exciting adventure that attracts a large number of tourists.
Coordinates: 64.97251300,-147.63583800
University of Alaska Museum of the North
The Museum of the North, located on the grounds of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, was founded in 1936. Due to the growth of the collection and the relatively small territory of the museum, in 2005 a new museum building was opened, which is a beautiful modern building of an unusual geometric shape, built of white marble. The lobby is decorated with magnificent architecture and a floating staircase with a wonderful panorama of the Alaska Range in the background. The museum fund contains 1.5 million exhibits located in ten huge halls.
Household items, paintings, jewelry, books, sculptures and much more are collected here. The museum's mission is to acquire, preserve, research and interpret specimens and collections related to the natural, artistic and cultural heritage Alaska in the Far North.
The museum offers visitors thematic exhibitions, lectures and family programs on various topics, which are always attended by many listeners. The museum has an on-site shop that sells a wide variety of Alaska Native art.
Coordinates: 64.85896000,-147.84227200
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Fairbanks International Airport
international Airport Fairbanks is located four kilometers from the city of Fairbanks at an altitude of 132 meters above sea level. Its territory covers an area of 1.5 hectares. The airport is the base for 580 aircraft, which make about 250 thousand takeoffs and landings per year. Basically, it serves cargo airlines as a transit point for long-distance polar flights. Regular passenger flights here are carried out in limited numbers.
Fairbanks is the smallest city in the US with non-stop flights to Europe throughout the summer tourist season. The airport has four runways, one of which is equipped to receive seaplanes.
In 2008, the airport's passenger terminal building was reconstructed and expanded. An additional telescopic ladder was put into operation, which is associated with an increase in the volume of passenger traffic.
There is a taxi rank at the airport square. shuttle buses. For passengers, there is a restaurant, a cafe and a cozy hotel.
Coordinates: 64.81778900,-147.86762400
The most popular Fairbanks attractions with descriptions and photos for every taste. choose best places for visiting famous places Fairbanks on our website.
The sun is the source of life on the planet. Its rays give the necessary light and warmth. At the same time, ultraviolet radiation from the Sun is detrimental to all living things. To find a compromise between the beneficial and harmful properties of the Sun, meteorologists calculate the ultraviolet radiation index, which characterizes the degree of its danger.
What UV radiation from the sun is
The ultraviolet radiation of the Sun has a wide range and is divided into three regions, two of which reach the Earth.
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UV-A. Longwave radiation range
315–400 nmThe rays pass almost freely through all atmospheric "barriers" and reach the Earth.
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UVB. Medium wave radiation range
280–315 nmThe rays are 90% absorbed by the ozone layer, carbon dioxide and water vapor.
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UVC. Shortwave radiation range
100–280 nmThe most dangerous area. They are completely absorbed by stratospheric ozone without reaching the Earth.
The more ozone, clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere, the less the harmful effect of the sun. However, these saving factors have a high natural variability. The annual maximum of stratospheric ozone occurs in spring, and the minimum - in autumn. Cloud cover is one of the most variable weather characteristics. The content of carbon dioxide also changes all the time.
At what values of the UV index is there a danger
The UV index gives an estimate of the amount of UV radiation from the Sun on the Earth's surface. UV index values range from safe 0 to extreme 11+.
- 0–2 Low
- 3–5 Moderate
- 6–7 High
- 8–10 Very high
- 11+ Extreme
In mid-latitudes, the UV index approaches unsafe values (6–7) only at the maximum height of the Sun above the horizon (occurs in late June - early July). At the equator, during the year, the UV index reaches 9...11+ points.
What is the benefit of the sun
In small doses, UV radiation from the Sun is essential. The sun's rays synthesize melanin, serotonin, vitamin D, necessary for our health, and prevent rickets.
Melanin creates a kind of protective barrier for skin cells from the harmful effects of the sun. Because of it, our skin darkens and becomes more elastic.
Happiness hormone serotonin affects our well-being: it improves mood and increases overall vitality.
Vitamin D strengthens the immune system, stabilizes blood pressure and performs anti-rickets functions.
Why is the sun dangerous?
When sunbathing, it is important to understand that the line between beneficial and harmful Sun is very thin. Excessive sunburn always borders on a burn. UV radiation damages DNA in skin cells.
The body's defense system cannot cope with such an aggressive impact. This lowers the immune system, damages the retina, causes skin aging and can lead to cancer.
Ultraviolet destroys the DNA strand
How does the sun affect people?
Susceptibility to UV radiation depends on skin type. The most sensitive to the Sun are people of the European race - for them, protection is required already at an index of 3, and 6 is considered dangerous.
At the same time, for Indonesians and African Americans, this threshold is 6 and 8, respectively.
Who is affected the most by the Sun?
people with light
skin tone
People with many moles
Residents of the middle latitudes while relaxing in the south
winter lovers
fishing
Skiers and climbers
People with a family history of skin cancer
In what weather is the sun most dangerous
The fact that the Sun is dangerous only in hot and clear weather is a common misconception. You can also get burned in cool cloudy weather.
Cloudiness, no matter how dense it may be, does not at all reduce the amount of ultraviolet to zero. In mid-latitudes, cloudiness significantly reduces the risk of sunburn, which cannot be said about traditional places. beach holiday. For example, in the tropics, if in sunny weather you can get burned in 30 minutes, then in cloudy weather - in a couple of hours.
How to protect yourself from the sun
To protect yourself from harmful rays, follow these simple rules:
Get less exposure to the Sun during the midday hours
Wear light-colored clothing, including wide-brimmed hats
Use protective creams
Wear sunglasses
Stay in the shade more on the beach
Which sunscreen to choose
Sunscreen varies in terms of sun protection and is labeled from 2 to 50+. The numbers indicate the proportion of solar radiation that overcomes the protection of the cream and reaches the skin.
For example, when applying a cream labeled 15, only 1/15 (or 7%) of the UV rays will penetrate the protective film. In the case of cream 50, only 1/50, or 2%, affects the skin.
Sunscreen creates a reflective layer on the body. However, it is important to understand that no cream is capable of reflecting 100% of ultraviolet radiation.
For everyday use, when the time spent under the Sun does not exceed half an hour, a cream with protection 15 is quite suitable. For tanning on the beach, it is better to take 30 and above. However, for fair-skinned people, it is recommended to use a cream labeled 50+.
How to apply sunscreen
The cream should be applied evenly to all exposed skin, including the face, ears and neck. If you plan to sunbathe for a long time, then the cream should be applied twice: 30 minutes before going out and, additionally, before going to the beach.
Please refer to the cream instructions for how much to apply.
How to apply sunscreen while swimming
Sunscreen should be applied every time after bathing. Water washes away the protective film and, reflecting the sun's rays, increases the dose of ultraviolet radiation received. Thus, when bathing, the risk of burning increases. However, due to the cooling effect, you may not feel the burn.
Excessive sweating and rubbing with a towel is also a reason to re-protect the skin.
It should be remembered that on the beach, even under an umbrella, the shade does not provide full protection. Sand, water, and even grass reflect up to 20% of UV rays, increasing their impact on the skin.
How to protect your eyes
Sunlight reflecting off water, snow, or sand can cause painful retinal burns. Use sunglasses with an ultraviolet filter to protect your eyes.
Danger for skiers and climbers
In the mountains, the atmospheric "filter" is thinner. For every 100 meters of altitude, the UV index increases by 5%.
Snow reflects up to 85% of UV rays. In addition, up to 80% of the ultraviolet reflected by the snow cover is again reflected by the clouds.
Thus, in the mountains, the Sun is most dangerous. Protecting the face, lower part of the chin and ears is necessary even in cloudy weather.
How to deal with sunburn if you are burned
Treat the body with a damp sponge to wet the burn
Lubricate the burnt areas with anti-burn cream
If the temperature rises, consult a doctor, you may be advised to take an antipyretic
If the burn is severe (skin is very swollen and blisters), seek medical attention.
largest locality The interior of Alaska and the second largest in the state, the city of Fairbanks (in Russian transcription - Fairbanks) is located in the upper part of the Central Plateau, at the confluence of the Chena and Tanana rivers (576 km north of Anchorage).
This is already a real Arctic - from mid-May to the end of July, the day here lasts up to 20 hours, and in winter the sun hardly rises above the horizon. Frosts below 50°C are not uncommon here, and the aurora borealis is considered quite common. This is the most "wooden" city in the United States, which really has a lot of log houses (there are even wooden hotels), the northernmost university in the country and the northernmost golf club on the planet - Fairbanks Golf & country club(international class, by the way, open around the clock in summer), and in clear weather, the air is so clean that you can see the most high mountain v North America. Fairbanks was founded in 1901, when the stocks delivered to the gold mines were left on the shore due to the shallowing of the river. This impromptu camp gave rise to the city, in which after 6 years more than 18 thousand people lived - the "gold rush" attracted more and more adventurers here.
Fairbanks is quite unusual in its layout and from a height it looks more like a huge (about 50 sq. km) octopus, spreading its tentacles-streets between the branches of the river and the spurs of the mountains. Its center is considered to be the Golden Heart Plaza with an impressive bronze statue of the Unknown First Family (1986, as you might guess, such a pretentious name hides the collective appearance of all the pioneers of the state, although the composition itself bears clear Indian features), and main street- rather chaotic and colorful Cashman Street. Further west along First Avenue you can see old Fairbanks with its wooden houses and several historic buildings including St. Immaculate Conception(1904, moved to modern place in 1911), as well as many buildings bearing obvious ethnic elements of their first owners. Alaska State University and the University Museum lie 6.5 kilometers west of downtown Fairbanks in a beautiful and quirky area on a hill from where you can view Mount McKinley on a clear day. The excellent Alaska State University Museum perches picturesquely above the grassy slopes of the Tanana Valley and is considered one of the best in the state - each of its sections is devoted to the geology, history and other aspects of a particular area of \u200b\u200bAlaska, and of special interest is usually the "Blue Baby" (discovered in the eternal permafrost bison "age" about 38 thousand years) and a collection of gold nuggets found in the state.
Almost in the center of the city, on Airport Way, is the theme park Pioneer Park, or Alaskaland. Built for the Centenary Exhibition (1967), it has three museums (Air, Village and Pioneer Museum), a collection of historical Vehicle and facilities, a small railroad passing through the most interesting places of the exhibition, a 12-meter old carousel and the old Palace saloon (they say that this is where the traditional Alaskan dish, baked salmon, is best cooked). However, there are a great variety of bars and restaurants in the city, and many of them are known throughout the country. One of these is the Saloon Malamute (malamute is a breed of sled dogs, to which the inhabitants of the state owe a lot for well-known reasons) in Esther, 9 km west of Fairbanks.
