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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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In the aftermath of Typhoon Halong, faces reveal themselves on a beach in Southwest Alaska
Typhoon Halong’s storm surge eroded the Nunalleq archaeological site near Quinhagak, exposing and scattering centuries-old Yup’ik artifacts along the Bering Sea coast. Local residents and archaeologists rushed to recover figurines, mask pieces, and other items as permafrost thaw and coastal erosion accelerate losses.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Ex-typhoon Halong peeled back as much as 60 feet from Quinhagak's shoreline
Remnants of Typhoon Halong caused severe coastal erosion in Quinhagak, Alaska, stripping up to 60 feet of shoreline, flooding parts of town, and pushing boats into riverside trees. The storm imperiled the community’s sewage lagoon and scattered priceless artifacts from the Nunalleq archaeological site along the beach.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Ottawa spends $3.2M to protect Gilford Island village from erosion, flooding
The Village of Gwa’yas’dums on Gilford Island will receive over $3.2 million from the Canadian federal government to reinforce its shoreline against climate-driven erosion and coastal flooding.
Village of Gwa’yas’dums, Gilford Island, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

Kipnuk searches for answers after loss of $20M grant to address erosion
After years of assessments, a major step forward in riverbank stabilization for the Kuskokwim Delta coastal community has been derailed by wide-ranging cuts to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Kipnuk, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

17th century graves on Svalbard are threatened by rising temperatures
New research reveals that climate change is causing the collapse of 17th and 18th century graves in Svalbard, exposing skeletal remains and textiles to the harsh elements. Rising temperatures and changing permafrost conditions are accelerating erosion and degradation of these culturally significant sites.
Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway
The Barents Observer

17th century graves on Svalbard are threatened by rising temperatures
Rising Arctic temperatures are causing centuries-old graves on Svalbard to deteriorate, with collapsing coffins exposing skeletal remains to the elements.
Svalbard, Svalbard, Norway
The Barents Observer

Kodiak-area communities' workshop troubleshoots coastal erosion
A recent workshop in Kodiak connected some rural communities to resources that could help them adapt to erosion and other issues.
Akhiok, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

City, DOT work to repair storm damage to Spit road
A storm caused significant erosion damage to Homer Spit Road, reducing it to one lane. Repair efforts are underway to restore the road and impacted businesses.
Homer, Alaska, United States
Peninsula Clarion

After flood, Kotzebue residents take stock of damaged homes and property, and take care of one another
At least 30 houses still needed repairs, cleanup was ongoing, and the city’s residents grappled with the need to fix snowmachines, keep their soaked houses warm and prepare for future emergencies.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Dunleavy declares emergency as erosion threatens Noatak's drinking water
The erosion that prompted Gov. Mike Dunleavy's action is advancing on the Northwest Alaska community's water lines.
Noatak, Alaska, United States

New study warns permafrost thaw along Yukon River could release high levels of mercury
Researchers believe that if permafrost thaw continues at its current rate and mercury keeps being released, it could pose a real threat to many communities throughout northern and western Alaska.
Huslia, Alaska, United States
KYUK

New research uses 130 years of historic flood observations to help identify future risks
This research compiles over a century of local flood data in Alaska to improve future flood risk prediction and planning, addressing the lack of accessible historic flood information for community and regional use.
Western and Northern, Alaska, United States

Timeline: A decade of deadly and destructive Alaska landslides
Landslides have killed at least 12 Alaskans in the past decade and destroyed homes and critical infrastructure.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Juneau glacier flooding leaves residents looking for long-term solutions
Floodwaters from the Mendenhall River rushed under Sam and Amanda Hatch’s home last August at then record-levels. After the water receded, their house sank several inches into the saturated soil, shifting its foundations. As they rebuilt, the Hatch family decided to elevate their house by four feet on piers to avoid flooding in the future. Scraping together deals and favors, Sam Hatch said the whole process cost around $135,000. It was completed a month ago, he said.
Juneau, Alaska, United States

Climate change could be worsening the northern housing crunch
Climate change is affecting all aspects of the northern housing industry, from the structures themselves to the transportation of materials. One way to fix the issue is to put more reliance on northern community-based knowledge..
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
CBC

New work season opens for Denali Park Road bridge
The $100 million Pretty Rocks Bridge will cross the site of a landslide that has closed the road at Mile 45 since 2021.
Denali Park

What is causing the rusting of northern Alaska streams?
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.
Kougarok, River

‘We’re always going to be surprised’: Wrangell’s tragedy highlights Alaska’s lack of landslide monitoring
The Wrangell landslide tragedy underscores Alaska's challenge in landslide prediction due to insufficient monitoring and data collection.
Wrangell, Alaska, United States

Little Diomede school struck by collapsing building closed indefinitely
The Little Diomede school is closed indefinitely after a collapsing city building, with rotted stilts, leaned on it, causing no injuries but prompting a switch to video conference classes and relocation of teachers.
Diomede, Alaska, United States

FEMA officials arrive in Juneau to assess flood damage
Due to recent flooding, FEMA assessors will work with state, local and tribal officials to determine if federal aid is warranted with flood and erosion damage.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Juneau Empire

Juneau’s worst glacial outburst flood destroys homes and displaces residents
“We started seeing structural timber,” one resident said. “And then I was like, ‘Oh, my God. That’s from houses upstream.'”

Secrets of the Lorino cliff
Scientists from Moscow State University have studied the Lorino cliff in the Chukotka region and discovered that the rapid retreat of the coast is due to the reduction of sea ice, and they recommend that villagers prepare for the transfer of coastal structures further inland.
Lorino, Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia

As the climate warms, the face of Denali National Park changes
The damage wrought to the park’s road by melting permafrost is creating a new reality affecting visitors, park staff, local businesses and potentially wildlife.
Denali National Park, Alaska

Study: Erosion has made the Bering Strait a meter deeper on the Alaska side than it used to be
A research project found that the Bering Strait is at least a meter deeper on the Alaska side than previously believed, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center. The project evaluated new and old bathymetric surveys, applying modern technology to the latter to more accurately pinpoint locations.
Bering Strait
ArcticToday

A large fish that fills freezers in Northwest Alaska could be in danger
Following a thaw slump, the water becomes cloudy and full of sediment, potentially suffocating the eggs of spawning sheefish. Scientists are concerned that permafrost thaw could lead to declines in the sheefish population, a staple food for many Alaskans.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Hawaii's lawmakers mull imposing fees to pay for ecotourism crush
Taking care of Hawaii's unique natural environment takes time, people and money. Now Hawaii wants tourists to help pay for it.
Hawaii, United States

Native knowledge of great lakes ecology: Climate changes to Odawa lands
Climate change has been observed for hundreds of years by the plant specialists of three Odawa Tribes in the Upper Great Lakes along Lake Michigan. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is the focus of two National Park Service (NPS) studies of Odawa Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of plants, ecosystems, and climate change. Data collected during these studies contributed to developing Plant Gathering Agreements between tribes and parks. This analysis derived from 95 ethnographic interviews conducted by University of Arizona (UofA) anthropologists in partnership with tribal appointed representatives. Odawa people recognized in the park 288 plants and five habitats of traditional and contemporary concern. Tribal representatives explained that 115 of these traditional plants and all five habitats are known from multigenerational eyewitness accounts to have been impacted by climate change. The TEK study thus represents what Native people know about the environment. These research findings are neither intended to test their TEK nor the findings of Western science.
Glen Arbor, Michigan, United States
Frontiers

In northernmost Alaska, a battle is on to limit the damages of permafrost thaw
Warming soils beneath Utqiagvik are triggering erosion that threatens homes, infrastructure and cultural resources. The North Slope has seen some of the fastest changes in coastal erosion in the nation.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Washing away
The Arctic hamlet of Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., is collapsing into the ocean as it loses up to a meter of coastline each year. The people who live there are in a race against time to preserve their way of life — and their community — before it is washed away.
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

Western Alaska braces for strong storm and possible floods
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

With record use, Chugach State Park feels new pressures
Anchorage’s backyard wilderness is experiencing a surge in users that shows no signs of letting up. Driven in part by social media and location tracking apps, more people are recreating in historically less-used parts of the park than before.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Cost to save Tuktoyaktuk from climate change: $42 million and rising
Protecting the coast of Tuktoyaktuk from the onslaught of climate change is estimated to cost at least $42 million and is only guaranteed to last until 2052. Over the project’s 30-year lifespan, over 60,000 cubic metres of sand are expected to be brought to keep the beach intact.
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada
NNSL Media

Indigenous peoples facing evacuation in Alaska and Louisiana say the United States is ignoring climate threats
Approximately 31 Alaska Native communities face imminent climate change due to floods and erosion. This can lead to the disappearance of culture and lifestyle changes. The four tribes are in the process of relocating from a rapidly disappearing village.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
Autobala

6 properties demolished along Matanuska River, putting an end to erosion-threatened home buyout
A contractor tore down six structures in the past few weeks, part of a process to remove erosion-threatened places that began almost a decade ago.
Sutton, Alaska, United States

How Cows Destroyed an Entire Marine Ecosystem in California
A researcher's quest to understand a mysterious mass extinction leads to cud-chewing culprits.
The Southern California Bight, USA
Atlas Obscura

Elders in Líídlįį Kúę reflect on spring breakup, then and now
Líídlįį Kúę, in Dene Zhatie, means the place where two rivers meet. It has been a place for Dene to gather for millennia. It is also an area prone to flooding, sparking concern about how the community will be impacted by spring break-up, during a year of high water levels.
Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

Australian islanders' homes being ‘eaten away’ by rising sea levels
‘Something has to be done right now ... don’t wait for the time when we’re going to be moved off and be refugees in our own country’
Masig Island, Torres Strait, Australia
The Independent

Yukon permafrost thaw reaching 'critical point' in some areas, says researcher
Permafrost in Canada's northwest is thawing much faster than researchers predicted 20 years ago, according to the president of the International Permafrost Association.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

How Hardanger melted at a record pace from the last ice age
11,500 years ago, Norway experienced one of the fastest meltdowns the world has seen. Now scientists fear the same thing is happening elsewhere.
Folgefonna Hardangerfjorden glacier, Etne, Norway
NRK

How Shaktoolik, Alaska is Addressing Flooding and Erosion
Eugene Asicksik, the mayor at the time, had watched Shaktoolik’s shoreline erode for years. After the September 2013 storm threw tree-sized driftwood dangerously close to the homes, Eugene knew something had to be done to protect the community. He turned to beavers for inspiration, designing Shaktoolik’s first storm surge berm based on the impressive beaver dams upriver.
Shaktoolik, Alaska, United States
ANTHC Center for Environmentally Threatened Communities

"People Need to Know What is Happening to Us Here”: Two Alaska Villages Face a Climate Emergency
Melting permafrost, land erosion, and heavy rains are causing these villages to flood and sink
Nunapitchuk, Alaska, United States
Unitarian Universalist Service Committee

Russia losing Arctic land from erosion on par with area of Liechtenstein, scientists say
Scientists found out that amid climate change in the summer, drifting ice goes further north, and the coastal area is freed from ice for a longer period.
Russia
TASS

Climate change is putting N.W.T. cemeteries in crisis and communities are worried
Many communities in the Northwest Territories are worried about the impacts climate change is having on their cemeteries.
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada

Facing catastrophic climate change, they still can’t quit Big Oil
In Alaska, a new oil boom is on the horizon even as climate change arrives and greenhouse gas emissions climb.
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States
Washington Post

Napakiak Erosion Accelerating
For as long as anyone remembers, Napakiak has been retreating from the Kuskokwim. The village of about 400 people sits on a bend in the river, and every
Napakiak, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Alaska Town Fleeing to Higher Ground
Rising sea levels will threaten three times more people in the next 30 years than previously thought, according to the latest scientific estimates. Among the hundreds of millions of people worldwide facing the threat are the 400 residents of Newtok, Alaska. Rising river and eroding land is pushing the entire community to relocate, despite emotional and logistical hurdles.
Newtok, Alaska, United States
PBS News

New report sheds more light on climate change impacts to Alaska Native villages
A recent report compiled by the Army Corps of Engineers and researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks documents erosion and other environmental threats facing communities in rural Alaska.
Alaska, United States

One of the world's thickest mountain glaciers is melting because of global warming
For half a century, Taku had been the one known Alaskan glacier to withstand the effects of climate change – until now.
Taku Glacier, Alaska USA
USA TODAY

A Western Alaska village, long threatened by erosion and flooding, begins to relocate
Moving Newtok residents to the new village of Mertarvik has been planned for decades. This month, several families moved into new homes.
Newtok, Alaska, United States

The Disappearing Islands
For decades, efforts have been underway to tame the effects of erosion on the Magdalen Islands, an archipelago in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. But the effects of climate change left these tiny islands vulnerable when it came to facing two powerful and unpredictable storms in less than a year.
Magdalen Islands
CBC News

California Sinking
For more than a century farmers in California's Central Valley have been pumping water out of the ground — so much so that the land is slowly sinking, a process known as subsidence. In fewer than 100 years, it's dropped 8½ metres.
Corcoran, California, United States

Napakiak School Fuel Tanks Transported To Bethel Between Fall Storms
The Coast Guard ordered the Lower Kuskokwim School District to empty the tanks to prevent an environmental disaster as the eroding Kuskokwim riverbank advanced towards the fuel site.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Swamp rats have invaded California
Somewhere between the size of a sewer rat and a beaver, with a tail resembling that of an opossum and protruding, nacho cheese-colored teeth, the nutria is both impressively unattractive and highly destructive.
Central Valley, California, United States
Los Angeles Times

The heatwave accelerates the melting: - An eye opener
Record-breaking temperatures are nothing new for Norwegian glaciers. If temperatures become warmer, more glaciers may disappear.
Stryn, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
NRK

Napakiak moves buildings threatened by erosion along Kuskokwim River
A city council member estimated the Western Alaska village has lost about 20 feet of riverbank since May.
Napakiak, Alaska, United States

Homes near Akiak's eroded riverbank need to move, but some people choose to stay
Akiak lost a mile-long stretch of riverbank to erosion last month. Six houses are now within 100 feet of the riverbank and need to be moved as soon as possible, but some people don’t want to move.
Akiak, Alaska, United States

For Quinhagak, climate change means they may have to move
In Western Alaska, accelerating erosion is forcing several villages to consider moving. In Quinhagak, a village on the Bering Sea, erosion is threatening the sewer lagoon and the building that houses its washeteria and health clinic.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States

Point Woronzof bluff is eroding an average of 2 feet a year, UAA researchers find
As government officials look for money for a study, university professors working with students say there’s plenty of data available — and little time to lose.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

City of Homer works with state and Army Corps to battle erosion on the spit
The Homer Spit’s future as an iconic tourist attraction is in danger of washing away. Erosion along the spit’s sea walls is not a new problem. City officials are working with state and federal agencies to find a lasting solution.
Homer, Alaska, United States

In the High Arctic, researchers find permafrost thaws are changing the landscape
In the Eureka Sound Lowlands on Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg islands, the permafrost is more than half a kilometre deep, and the average air temperature is –19.7 C. But higher summer temperatures have caused the earth to collapse.
Eureka Sound Lowlands, Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg Islands

Their Islands Are Being Eroded. So Are Their Human Rights, They Say.
Indigenous Australians from low-lying islands in the Torres Strait argue that the government, by failing to act on climate change, has violated their fundamental right to maintain their culture.
Masig Island, Torres Strait, Australia
New York Times

Thawing permafrost is triggering thousands of landslides across the Arctic
Climate change has caused a 60-fold increase in active landslides on one Canadian Arctic island.
The Conversation

A slippery slope: How climate change is reshaping the Arctic landscape
Increasing ground temperatures in the Arctic are indicators of global climate change, but until recently, areas of cold permafrost were thought to be relatively immune to severe impacts. A new study by Antoni Lewkowicz, a professor in the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics at the University of Ottawa and published in the journal Nature Communications, however, shows that areas of cold permafrost can be vulnerable to rising summer temperatures.
Aulavik National Park, Banks Island, Northwest Territories
Phys.org

Grass crops in Eastern Norway halved in 2018
Last year's drought summer resulted in halved grass crops in Eastern Norway compared to the previous year, according to recent figures from Statistics Norway. - The consequences of the drought continue to affect the daily lives of many farmers, says Lars Petter Bartnes, leader of the Norwegian Farmers' Union.
Akershus, Norway
Norges Bondelag

Greenhouse gas emissions provide extreme warming in Svalbard
Greenhouse gas emissions provide extreme warming on Svalbard.
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Miljodirektoratet

Thawing of Earth 3rd pole; could affect 1.9 billion people, study says
At least a third of the ice in the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush will thaw this century as temperatures rise, disrupting river flows vital for growing crops from China to India, scientists say.
Hindu Kush Himalaya

Under the surface of Russia’s Arctic super-region is a looming disaster
Underneath the ground is a thick layer of permafrost and trillions of cubic meters of natural gas. Development is the main source of concern for the reindeer herders who increasingly are hindered by new pipelines, roads and railway lines.
Labytnangi, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

The pursuit of climate change
Slik har Norge forandret seg. Sakte, nesten umerkelig.
Sør-Odal, Hedmark, Norway
NRK, Norsk Rikskringkasting

First supplies arrive in Kivalina for access route
The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Survived the landslide accident in Svalbard. Now comes the twins' story of living with climate change.
From Longyearbyen to Kiribati, Bangladesh and California. Author Teresa Grøtan has collected young people's everyday life with climate change in the book "Before the Island Sink."
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Aftenposten

Erosion may force this Southwest Alaska village to move — again
This is not the first time the village of Chefornak has faced the threat of erosion and flooding, but relocating won’t be as easy as it was last time.
Chefornak, Alaska, United States

New Study Finds 8 Islands Swallowed By Rising Sea Level
Need a reason to be concerned about rising sea level? I've got eight.
Nahlap Island, Micronesia
Forbes

Moving Meshik (Video)
This LEO Network video documents coastal erosion impact on the old village of Meshik in Southwest Alaska and the pending lake draining event that will take out the road still used by the residents of Port Heiden. The rate of coastal erosion here is one of the highest in the world. Scientists and community members are working together to document the impacts and develop effective adaptation strategies.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States
ANTHC Center for Climate and Health

Work begins on $1M trench to stave off Matanuska River erosion
The 500-foot, rock-filled trench won't be as long as experts advise and wasn't engineered to protect private property.
Butte, Alaska, United States

Warm weather makes Kotzebue sea wall a community hotspot
The half mile-long sea wall was constructed in 2012 at a cost of $34 million to help offset coastal erosion and protect the community from encroaching sea ice.

Climate change endangers Alaska's coastal villages
At risk from surging storm waves and floods, Alaska's coastal villagers are dealing with the immediate consequences of climate change -- threats to their health, safety and even their ancestors' graves.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
U.S.

Point Lay declares climate emergency
With homes dilapidating, shores eroding and staircases falling off the houses, Point Lay residents are living through some of the most severe consequences of the warming climate in Alaska.
Point Lay, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder

Canada’s disappearing coastline
Projections show rising sea levels could cause Canada’s beaches to retreat inland, in extreme cases by as much as half a kilometre. The best option may be to stand back and let it happen.
Canada's Beaches
The Globe and Mail

New rivers in the North? Scientists identify how the dissection of Arctic landscapes is changing with accelerating climate change
New research shows that amplified global warming in the Canadian High Arctic drove a profound shift in the structure of a river network carved into a permafrost landscape in only 60 years. Researchers combined air photographs from 1959 with field observations and state-of-the-art Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data they collected in 2019 to understand how the Axel Heiberg Island landscape has evolved over a 60-year period
Axel Heiberg Island
ScienceDaily

The Ingenious Ancient Technology Concealed in the Shallows
Fish traps have a long history around the world, and a vast network in a Vancouver Island estuary reveals generations of ecological wisdom.
Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada
Hakai Magazine

The Big Thaw - Alaska becomes the nation's first frontier of climate disruption
Most of Alaska sits atop permafrost. But the ground is thawing, leading to unexpected and sometimes catastrophic outcomes — what scientists have called a “slow disaster.”
Selawik, Alaska, United States
Type Investigations

Russia Losing 1-3 Meters of Arctic Shoreline to Climate Change Annually
An amount of shoreline roughly the size of central Moscow now collapses into the sea every year.
Kolguyev Island
The Moscow Times

Sea ice, storms and coastal erosion in Nelson Lagoon - Science Q&A with Reyce Bogardus
UAF graduate student Reyce Bogardus talks about sea ice, storms and coastal erosion at Nelson Lagoon, which is on the southernmost edge of the historical max...
Nelson Lagoon, Alaska, United States
YouTube

Updated Juneau maps add buildings to avalanche risk areas
The Associated Press

Alaska’s most prominent permafrost cliff is one of a kind
Called yedomas in Russia, the mounds of land are much more populous there.
Itkillik River

In Newtok, decades of erosion have finally caught up to the school
Newtok's school faces demolition due to severe riverbank erosion, as the community grapples with climate-induced relocation challenges.
Newtok, Alaska, United States

Russia’s Arctic coast loses 7,000 hectares annually due to climate changes
A new study conducted at the Moscow State University confirms that the Arctic permafrost along the country’s northern coastline is thawing at terrifying speeds.
Dikson, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

Scientists study accelerating land subsidence affecting coastal North Slope communities
CLIMATE CHANGECLIMATE CHANGECLIMATE CHANGEAnchorage Daily News When a
Point Lay, Alaska, United States

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