Sediment from retreating, land-terminating glaciers contains proportionally fewer micronutrients such as iron and manganese, reducing the glaciers’ value to microorganisms at the base of the food web.
Alaska
Posted inResearch Spotlights
New Earthquake Model Goes Against the Grain
Subducting plates are stronger in certain directions than others, which may be a factor in how earthquakes occur and how seismic waves propagate.
Posted inResearch & Developments
1.5 Million Acres of Alaskan Wildlife Refuge to Open for Drilling
A large swath of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) will soon open for drilling, the Trump administration announced today.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Alaska Awaits Response from FEMA in the Aftermath of Major Floods
Major floods in Alaska have caused the death of at least one person and displaced thousands more over the course of the last two weeks. Many of the displaced may not be able to return home for 18 months or longer, according to Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Tectonics and Climate Are Shaping an Alaskan Ecosystem
Biogeochemical research reveals the web of forces acting on a high-latitude microbe community in the Copper River Delta.
Posted inResearch & Developments
Glacial Lake Outburst Causes Record River Crest in Juneau
The Mendenhall River in Juneau, Alaska, reached a record-breaking crest Wednesday morning thanks to a glacial outburst flood (GLOF) from Suicide Basin. At 16.65 feet, the crest exceeded the previous record flood stage of 15.99 feet in 2024.
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
Updates from the Alaska Earthquake Center regarding the 10 August 2025 landslide
The location of this major event has now been identified. It was a major rock slope failure that ran out across the South Sawyer Glacier. The Alaska Earthquake Center has now provided a detailed update about the 10 August 2025 landslide that occurred in the area of Tracy Arm. This work has been led by […]
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
A likely large, tsunamigenic landslide in Tracy Arm inlet, Alaska on 10 August 2025
Seismic data and eye-witness reports of a displacement wave point to a large landslide at 5:30 am. On 10 August 2025, at 5:30 am local time, the Alaska Earthquake Center detected a seismic signal that was almost certainly generated by a landslide. They have posted the record of the seismic signal to Twitter. Their posting […]
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Arctic Rivers Trade Inorganic Nitrogen for Organic
Climate change is shifting the makeup of a key nutrient in rivers across Russia, Alaska, and Canada, with the potential for ecosystem-wide impacts.
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
Landslides during periods of glacial retreat in Alaska
An excellent new paper (Walden et al. 2025) examines the occurrence of accelerated movement in rock slope landslides in Alaska as adjacent glaciers melt. The exceptional temperatures in recent days in both North America and Europe has once again highlighted the rate at which the climate is changing in response to anthropogenic increases in greenhouse […]