Using satellite data, scientists have detected where once-stable alpine ecosystems are transforming into greener, shrubbier places.
Canada
New Insights into Permafrost Degradation and Subsidence
A 20-year monitoring study in the discontinuous permafrost zone of Nunavik, Canada documents changing ground thermal dynamics and associated thaw subsidence.
Preserving Soil Carbon by Preserving the Forest Floor
A 20-year study of British Columbia forests examines how soil carbon is affected by logging.
Fast, Severe Wildfires Can Change How Forests Grow Back
These blazes can cause ecological shifts even in fire-adapted forests.
Climate Change Made This Summer’s Canadian Wildfires Twice as Likely
Wildfires in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and the Northwest Territories have burned more than 3.9 million hectares this summer, prompted widespread evacuation orders, and created poor air quality for not only Canadians, but more than 120 million people across the midwestern and northeastern United States. The fires spread exceptionally quickly, stressing the resources of local response agencies. About 700 fires are still active across Canada.
According to a new analysis, human-induced climate change and its contribution to fire conditions across Canada made these fires twice as likely to occur. The report is from World Weather Attribution, an international climate science partnership.
How Beavers Gnawed Their Way into the Arctic
Historical data on beavers’ Arctic expansion are lacking, but tree rings are shedding light on the timeline.
Legal action in the aftermath of the Independent Review Board report of the 24 June 2024 heap leach failure at the Eagle Gold Mine
The receiver of the operator is suing JDS Energy and Mining for breach of contract and negligence over the failure at the Eagle Gold Mine, based on the outcome of the investigation by an Independent Review Board. Loyal readers will remember a series of posts I made two years ago about a remarkable landslide that […]
The Cheekeye Debris Barrier Project
In British Columbia a CAN$115 million project is almost complete to mitigate the risk posed by debris flows to the town of Squamish. Upstream of the town of Squamish in British Columbia, Canada, an extraordinary project is underway to mitigate the risk of debris flows. Known as the Cheekeye Debris Barrier Project, the scheme involves […]
Artemis II Crew Splashes Down
After a journey to and around the Moon, the Artemis II crew splashed back to Earth off the coast of San Diego at 5:07 p.m. local time (8:07 p.m. ET) on 10 April.
Alaska’s Wildfires Heat the Planet, but Canada’s Cool It
Using 2 decades of satellite data, researchers learned that wildfires in North America don’t follow the same script: In western Canada, snow reflectivity drives a cooling effect, whereas in Alaska, permafrost burning leads to net warming.
