Building on Shifting Ground: Liquescence in an Arctic River Delta

Building on Shifting Ground: Liquescence in an Arctic River Delta

Author: Franz Krause - in Simonetti, Cristián, et al. Urban Liquefaction: Rethinking the Relationship between Land and Sea. Punctum Books, 2026.

Project MUSE, https://muse.jhu.edu/book/143231. Pages 59-70. Published: 2026-02-19. Open Access.

This chapter by Franz Krause offers a fascinating look at Aklavik, a hamlet of approximately 600 inhabitants in the Mackenzie River Delta. It explores how the collision of Western "river literacy" and the volatile Arctic environment creates a state of liquescence, both physical and social. This chapter explores key concepts and provides pertinent observations on: The People and the Place; "River Literacy" vs. Delta Reality; The Evolution of Infrastructure; Liquescence vs. Liquefaction; The 2006 Flood and Infrastructure Failure; and Socio-Political Shifting Ground.