Background Articles

A new conservation initiative allows the Nuiqsut community and its Native corporation to oversee 1 million acres around Teshekpuk Lake to protect caribou habitat from oil drilling impacts.

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

During this summer, the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard has been melting five times faster than normal. "Svalbard is a hotspot for Arctic warming", experts warn.

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.

Scientists are enhancing flood forecasts in Juneau as Suicide Basin refills, following an unexpected record flood last year caused by rapid drainage.

NASA's PACE satellite, designed to study ocean biology in unprecedented detail, has been successfully launched to enhance understanding of Earth's changing climate and improve weather forecasting.

Alaska communities are facing significant challenges due to climate change, including the disappearance of snow crabs, threats to subsistence hunting and fishing, and difficulties in processing and storing food, but some communities are taking action and developing local climate adaptation plans with the support of funding and collaboration between different governments and agencies.

A new study reveals that four dozen Antarctic ice shelves have shrunk by at least 30% since 1997, with 28 of them losing more than half of their ice, raising concerns about sea level rise due to climate change.

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.

August flooding in Juneau has resulted in severe damage to private homes. After such events physical damage to buildings and homes are obvious. What do the experts say about mental health challenges after events such as the Mendenhall Glacier event?

Scientists have tracked the fate of the Peyto Glacier in the Rocky Mountains for decades as a global reference point. It’s disappearing faster than expected, which is a warning sign for communities downstream that depend on its water.

The Copper River Basin in Alaska has experienced less reliable snow and ice conditions in recent years, impacting winter activities such as trapping, hunting, and gathering firewood. This study, based on nine oral interviews with local residents, reveals that crossing rivers has become more treacherous and difficult, with significant changes in ice conditions observed since the 1970s. Decreased snowpacks and increased shrub growth have also posed obstacles for accessing winter trails, requiring individuals to cut through forests. These changes, combined with socio-economic and technological factors, have affected the way people engage in winter activities in the Copper River Basin. Overall, this research contributes to the understanding of climate change's impact on winter activities in Alaska and the Circumpolar North.

Caucasian glaciers have lost a quarter of their surface area to climate change since the millennium. “We don’t have winters here anymore,” said Sergei Nureddinov, a guest house owner in the mountaintop village of Verkhniy Kani, gesturing to the glacier from his front yard. “The climate catastrophe is here.”

In 2021, the average temperature in Norway was normal, while precipitation was 10 percent below normal. The year is nevertheless marked by great contrasts. The summary of the weather in 2021 was presented at the Meteorological Institute's annual event Climate Status on 5 January. Here you can see video footage of Climate Status (Vimeo)

Deglaciation could increase salmon habitat by nearly 30% in the Gulf of Alaska by 2100.

Landslides and tsunamis aren’t historically common in Glacier Bay, but because more than half a million visitors tour the park each year park managers want to get a clearer picture of the risks of tsunamis and landslides, which have become more common recently due to a changing climate.

The Dixon Glacier, on the other side of Kachemak Bay from Fitz Creek, is rapidly receding. That’s true for glaciers around Alaska, and the world. But what’s special about Dixon is it sits just a few miles from Bradley Lake, a source of hydropower that supplies the railbelt with about 10% of its energy needs.

In Norway, glaciers are receding faster than ever and potentially will be eliminated by climate change in key tourist destinations.

Until recently, glaciers sprawling over three separate archipelagos in Russia’s High Arctic have remained more protected and intact than the faster-melting glaciers in subarctic Alaska and similar locations. But now, the melt of those Russian Arctic glaciers is speeding up too, according to a new study by German and Russian scientists.

Kenai River flooding began last week when glacier-dammed lakes burst and caused water levels to rapidly rise. Water levels were already high due to recent rainfall.