Background Articles

A recent study indicates that dust plays a significant role in the Arctic's climate changes, affecting how clouds form and their impact on the region's climate dynamics.

Findings from European scientists were published in a journal late last year.

A new study found that the drying Great Salt Lake in Utah is now a major source of the gas emissions that are causing the climate to warm.

With the future of fossil fuels in question, an Australian oil company is branding its new Arctic development as climate-friendly.

Rivers and streams in Alaska are changing color – from a clean, clear blue to a rusty orange – because of the toxic metals released by thawing permafrost, according to a new study.

Recent discoloration of 75 streams in Arctic Alaska reflects increased iron and trace metal loading following climate-driven permafrost thaw. These findings have considerable implications for drinking water supplies and subsistence fisheries.

The oranging of northern rivers seems to be related to recent permafrost thaw that has allowed streams to release previously captive iron, trace metals and acid.

The EPA plans to limit or eliminate a chemical commonly used in car tires, known as 6PPD, after it was found to be fatal to salmon in preliminary Alaska sampling, in response to a petition from Native Tribes and several states, but the rulemaking process is expected to take years.

The warming of the Arctic has caused a significant shift in the ecosystem of Great Slave Lake, with smaller diatoms replacing larger ones, potentially impacting the lake's productivity, carbon dynamics, food web, and nearby communities.

Scientists warn that methane trapped beneath the Greenland ice sheet could intensify climate warming as the ice melts, releasing the potent greenhouse gas into the atmosphere at accelerating rates.

If added altogether, deposits of wood across the Mackenzie River Delta would cover a third of Yellowknife. Researchers calculated how much carbon it stores — which is at risk of entering the atmosphere more quickly as the climate changes.

Streams in Alaska are turning orange with iron and sulfuric acid. Scientists are trying to figure out why

Dozens of once crystal-clear streams and rivers in Arctic Alaska are now running bright orange and cloudy, and, in some cases, they may be becoming more acidic. This otherwise undeveloped landscape now looks as if an industrial mine has been in operation for decades, and scientists want to know why.

These lakes form because warm temperatures in the Arctic are melting the permafrost.

A new plant in Iceland will capture 36,000 tons of carbon dioxide directly out of the atmosphere, increasing the direct air carbon capture at Hellisheiði Power Station tenfold. Named Mammoth, the new facility adds to the existing 4,000 tons captured by the plant Orca, which commenced operations at the same location in 2021.

The Skagway Traditional Council is asking harvesters to avoid blue mussels until the population rebounds.

A previously unknown source of the strong greenhouse gas nitrous oxide has been found in East Siberian Yedoma permafrost. Published in Nature Communications today, the observation was made by an international group of researchers, with the lead of researchers from the University of Eastern Finland.

Drought and extreme heat that scientists link to climate change are altering the UNESCO-protected marshlands. Iraq's average annual temperatures are increasing at nearly double the rate of Earth's.

The U.S. Forest Service said it plans to approve Coeur Alaska’s plan to expand facilities at the Kensington Gold Mine, extending the life of the mine by another 10 years.

One-third of the mercury going into the ocean comes from the atmosphere, a quarter comes from ocean currents, one fifth comes from river flows and one-fifth comes from coastal erosion. The speed at which permafrost is releasing toxic metal is still being studied.