LEO Network

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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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Observations

No more shinny? Thousands of lakes are losing their winter ice
If the trend of reduced ice on the world's lakes continues at its current pace, the Canadian tradition of shinny could become a thing of the past, according to new research.
Canada
CBC

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
CBC

Yukon gov't gives up on attempt to build ice bridge in Dawson City
An official says time and money was running out. No decisions have been made yet on what to do next winter.
Dawson City, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Glacial melts in the Canadian Arctic reveal land that hasn't been seen in more than 40,000 years
Scientists found dozens of plants and quartz samples underneath the melting ice, which could've been hidden for many years.
Business Insider

Decade of heavy storms has helped Northwest glaciers, but don’t expect that to last, studies show
Glaciers in western North America over the past 18 years have lost some 117 gigatons of ice — enough that if it was melted and spread across the state of Washington it would come up our knees, said David Shean, co-author of a recent study cataloging glacial loss.
My Rainier
Anchorage Daily News

Expect more extreme hurricanes on the East Coast due to faster ice melts in Greenland, study says
A new study suggests Greenland ice has hit a new tipping point with unprecedented melting since the early 2000s — and this will have consequences for East Coast cities.
East Coast of Canada

Fortified Arctic infrastructure needed in face of climate change, says study
Research suggests climate change is going to cause more damage to roads and other infrastructure in Canada's North than previously feared. The study has major implications for construction in the North.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

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

2018 Was Fourth-Warmest Year In Nome History
2018 was “the fourth-warmest year in Nome’s weather history,” says climate specialist Rick Thoman. In fact, for most places in Western Alaska, 2018 ranked among the top five warmest years on record…
Nome, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

World's permafrost warming, with Siberia rising the most
Scientists say the world's permafrost is getting warmer, with temperatures increasing by an average of 0.3 C over a decade.
Siberia

Antarctic ice melting 6 times faster than it did in 80s
As the Antarctic ice sheet continues to melt away, we expect multi-meter sea level rise from Antarctica in the coming centuries. In this century alone, a ten-foot rise is possible.
McMurdo Station, , Antarctica
USA Today

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

Detah ice road opening later and later
If the ice road between Detah and Yellowknife doesn’t open on Friday, it will break a decades-old record.
Detah, Northwest Territories, Canada

Satellite imagery illuminates ice conditions around 3 Nunavut communities
Inuit in Cambridge Bay, Kugluktuk and Gjoa Haven are getting a clearer picture of sea-ice conditions near their communities thanks to a partnership with University of Victoria research group Ocean Networks Canada.
Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada

Climate Change Is Fueling Wildfires Nationwide
Global warming has already resulted in more forest fires out West, according to the latest National Climate Assessment. The future could see more of the country burn.
Western United States
New York Times

Melting glacier in China draws tourists, climate worries
On the edge of the Third Pole, a retreating glacier draws tourists and worries over climate change.
Lijiang, Yunnan, China
Washington Post

Yukon considers ice boom to help form Dawson ice bridge this winter
Researchers from the National Research Council Canada investigated why the Yukon River didnt freeze at the George Black ferry crossing, where the ice bridge is usually built, for the last two winters.
Dawson, Yukon, Canada

Mysterious Microbes Turning Polar Ice Pink, Speeding Up Melt
Thriving communities of red algae are doing something nefarious to the world's ice sheets: melting them more quickly.
Port Charcot
National Geographic

Mysterious Microbes Turning Polar Ice Pink, Speeding Up Melt
Thriving communities of red algae are doing something nefarious to the world's ice sheets: melting them more quickly.
Greenland
National Geographic

Switzerland is rapidly losing its snow (and climate change is probably to blame)
A new study based on analysis of satellite images shows how much snow cover Switzerland has lost in the last 20 years. Losing all the glaciers in Switzerland is not that far away.
Switzerland
The Local Switzerland

As Greenland Warms, Nature’s Seasonal Clock Is Thrown Off-Kilter
For millennia, ecosystems in Greenland and throughout the Arctic have been regulated by seasonal changes that govern the greening of vegetation and the migration and reproduction of animals. But a rapidly warming climate and disappearing sea ice are upending that finely tuned balance.
Kangerlussuaq, Qeqqata, Greenland
Yale E360

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

Photos: How climate change is transforming Canada
From floods to fires, drought to coastal erosion, climate change is already having an impact on Canada's communities, landscapes and wildlife
Canada
Canadian Geographic

The Decline of Yellow Cedar in Alaska’s Temperate Rainforest
Culturally vital, ecologically unique, and economically valuable, the yellow cedar’s fate is closely tied to snow
Poison Cove, Alaska, United States
Earth Island Journal

Glaciers in the Canadian High Arctic are melting at an unprecedented rate
A study of more than 1,700 glaciers on northern Ellesmere Island found six per cent of ice coverage disappeared between 1999 and 2015
Northern Ellesmere Island, Canada
Canadian Geographic

A huge stretch of the Arctic Ocean is turning into the Atlantic
The divide between Atlantic and Arctic isn’t just geographical, it’s physical. And the physics are changing.
North Barents Sea
Anchorage Daily News

Global warming cooks up 'a different world' over 3 decades
Over 30 years the world’s annual temperature has warmed nearly 1 degree according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Salida, Colorado, United States
Lake Cowichan Gazette

As the Arctic warms, a changing landscape on the Chukchi Sea
It’s well established that Arctic ice is changing in dramatic ways. As the climate warms, ice coverage is decreasing, the amount of multiyear ice has gone down significantly and in
Barrow, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Changing environment - Stories above the Arctic Circle
Malmberget, Norrbotten, Sweden
YouTube

Climate Change draws invasive species to the Arctic
Warmer temperatures and declining sea ice pulls foreign animals and plants to the Arctic, with drastic consequences for these sensitive ecosystems.
Nuuk, Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, Greenland
ScienceNordic

Insurers say Canadian weather getting hotter, wetter and weirder
Average number of days with heavy rain or snow across Canada has been outside norm since spring 2013
Canada
Lake Cowichan Gazette

Scientists ‘shocked’ by massive snowfall increases among Alaska’s highest peaks
A team of scientists presented data on Tuesday suggesting that even as the state of Alaska has warmed up extremely rapidly in recent years, snowfall in the iconic Denali National Park has increased dramatically during the era of human-driven global warming.
Denali National Park, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Can These Seabirds Adapt Fast Enough to Survive a Melting Arctic?
On a remote Alaskan sandbar, under the watchful eye of a devoted scientist for more than four decades, climate change is forcing a colony of seabirds into a real-time race: evolve or go extinct.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Audubon

As ice thaws, rock avalanches on Southeast Alaska mountains are getting bigger
A study of rock avalanches in the western part of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve found that the likelihood of large slides covering about 2 square miles has at least doubled in the last five years.
Lamplugh Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Study: ‘Unprecedented’ rain, warmth for Alaska by end of century
Climate warming is likely to bring more episodes of heavy rain, above-freezing winter thaws and scorching hot summer days in the coming decades, says a study by scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

'Seemingly unbelievable' temperatures becoming more common in Arctic winters
Warm periods are bringing the temperature up by as much as 30 C in the middle of winter

After the last Sigluaq
Sixty years ago, around the time when Matthew Rexford's father's father was turning the ground to build his own ice cellar as a proud whaling captain, there were 12 of these such cellars in Kaktovik. Today there is only one left.
Kaktovik, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

NASA releases time-lapse of the disappearing Arctic polar ice cap
This visualization begins by showing the dynamic beauty of the Arctic sea ice as it responds to winds and ocean currents. Research into the behavior of the Arctic sea ice for the last 30 years has led to a deeper understanding of how this ice survives from year to year. In the animation that follows, age of the sea ice is visible, showing the younger ice in darker shades of blue and the oldest ice in brighter white. This visual representation of the ice age clearly shows how the quantity of older and thicker ice has changed between 1984 and 2016.
YouTube

Toxic mercury levels are actually declining in Alaskan polar bears—but that's not as great as it sounds
A recent study shows that polar bears' mercury levels are declining as melting ice drives them onshore. But is it all good news? Read on.
Popular Science

Ice Skating on Goodacre Lake - A Distant Memory
Ice skating on Goodacre Lake in Beacon Hill Park was a common winter pleasure in the past. Generations of Victorians glided under the Stone Bridge on natural ice and circled the islands in the moonlight.
Goodacre Lake, Beacon Hill Park, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Beacon Hill Park History

Retreating sea ice in Arctic affecting zooplankton behaviour
As the climate warms and Arctic sea ice retreats and gets thinner, more light is getting through. “Since marine zooplankton respond to the available light, this is also changing their behaviour – especially how the tiny organisms rise and fall within the water column,” the AWI said in a news release on their website.
MOSAiC Expedition Route
The Independent Barents Observer

First Nation warns of 'ecocide' as spring melt poses risk to tailings pond at Yukon mine site
The Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation is warning spring melt could cause the tailings dam at the abandoned Mount Nansen mine in central Yukon to overflow or breach, which would send a toxic slurry into the environment.
Mt. Nansen, Mine

Measuring up: How meteorologists gauge the snowfall as Anchorage nears a season record
Experts use measuring sticks and tanks in regular intervals to monitor snowfall as this season’s total approaches an all-time high.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Tuluksak Will Lose Only Source Of Running Water During Breakup
For the residents of Tuluksak, breakup means that they will once again be losing their source of running water.
Tuluksak, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Over 1,000 Anchorage building owners warned of snow collapse risk and danger to workers
The city told owners their buildings should not be occupied until snow is removed if they have a roof at risk of collapse.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Finnish pond hockey on thin ice as climate crisis looms
A changing climate threatens the pastime of outdoor ice hockey around the world and in Finland.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland
News

Arctic research consortium closing down after Trump administration cuts funding
The Arctic Research Consortium of the United States, established in 1988 and credited with helping scientists and Alaska communities, is closing this month.
Juneau, Alaska, United States

Canadian Ice Service tracking icebergs in western Arctic for 1st time
Drifting icebergs can conflict with navigation routes and cause hazards for coastal communities and ships. Climate change is creating more ice shelf break-off than ever and scientists are keeping track of drifting patterns as a result.
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada

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

Arctic Cold Case: Thousands of mysterious animal deaths finally solved
Forty-two reindeer were found foraging among the skeletal remains of a herd on St. Matthew’s Island, a remote patch of Alaskan land in the Bering Sea. What makes it most puzzling is that only three years earlier, the same herd numbered 6,000 animals.
St. Matthew Island, Alaska, United States
Eye on the Arctic

Melting sea ice forces polar bears to travel farther for food
In recent years, polar bears in the Beaufort Sea have had to travel far outside of their traditional arctic hunting grounds which has contributed to an almost 30% decrease in their population.
Beaufort Sea
Phys.Org

Antarctic winter sea ice hits 'extreme' record low
Researchers warn the shift can have dire consequences for animals, like penguins, who breed and rear their young on the sea ice while also hastening global warming by reducing how much sunlight is reflected by white ice back into space.
Two Hummock Island

Loss of Arctic summer sea ice 'inevitable' within 30 years, report says
Climate change is rapidly melting away the world’s frozen regions, with summertime Arctic sea ice sure to vanish by 2050, according to a report published on Monday. In just this year, rains fell on East Antarctica in March, as air temperatures were unusually warm. During the summer, the Alps lost 5
ArcticToday

Evacuation alerts in areas of Tagish, Marsh Lake, and Lewes River Road
An evacuation alert has been issued by Yukon Emergency Measures Organization for areas of Tagish, Marsh Lake and Lewes River Road. This alert is due to high water and flooding in the areas. Water levels have exceeded what they were in the 2007 flood.
Marsh Lake, Yukon, Canada

Western Canada heat wave accelerates rate of glacier melt, experts say
Because the heat coincided with the summer solstice, when the northern hemisphere gets “maximum energy” from the sun, "it was really kind of a one-two punch.”
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
vancouversun

Climate change threatening Indigenous ways of life
Cecelia Brooks remembers a time when the deep forest of New Brunswick was so cold, snow could still be found in its depths in August. That rarely happens anymore. Brooks, who lives on St. Mary's First Nation in Fredericton, is one of many Indigenous people in the Wabanaki region who say climate change is threatening traditional plants and medicines. Those changes, Brooks says, could alter their way of life.
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

Colorado ptarmigan populations holding steady
Populations of southern white-tailed ptarmigan, an iconic yet well-camouflaged and easily overlooked bird of Colorado’s alpine regions, appear to be holding steady. But long-term concerns about its future remain in a warming world with growing numbers of people recreating in the state’s fragile alpine ecosystems.
Colorado, United States
Vail Daily

Microbes fueled by wind-blown mineral dust melt the Greenland ice sheet
Scientists have identified a key nutrient source used by algae living on melting ice surfaces linked to rising sea levels. They discovered that phosphorus containing minerals may be driving ever-larger algal blooms on the Greenland Ice Sheet.
Greenland
EurekAlert!

Flood risk higher due to rising freezing levels and rain melting snowpack
Weather systems that carry warm air inland, bringing not just rain, but also pushing up freezing levels, causing rapid snowpack melting. The atmospheric river hitting B.C.'s central coast will also pose a risk in the Interior.
Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada
Castanet

The great goose die-off
Scientists determine geese died due to exhaustion and salt-poisoning. More birds end up dying because of the long flights they undertake, in extreme conditions.
Cambridge Bay
NUNAVUT NEWS

Citizen observers help scientists predict breakup flooding
As Alaska faces an increased risk of spring breakup flooding this year, scientists are asking residents to share photos documenting major rivers’ progress from ice to water to help them predict with more accuracy where flooding might occur.
Tanana, Alaska, United States

Research project aims to spread reflective beads on Arctic ice to slow climate warming
Communities and conservation groups have raised concerns about the project. Researchers said they won’t move forward with field testing until it’s deemed safe.
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States

Global Warming Threatens Sweden’s Reindeer Herds
Unusual weather patterns in Sweden’s arctic region seem to be jeopardising the migrating animals’ traditional grazing grounds, as rainfall during the winter has led to thick layers of snowy ice that block access to food.
Kiruna, Norrbotten, Sweden
Courthouse News

What happens when the ice disappears?
Lake Superior is warming faster than any of the Great Lakes, with impacts on ice fishing, wildlife and Indigenous ways of life
Lake Superior / *Gitchigumi*
The Narwhal

Northern Bering Sea saw some indicators of health rebound in 2023
The Northern Bering Sea showed signs of ecological recovery in 2023, with improved conditions for zooplankton and fish despite ongoing challenges from climate change and variable sea ice patterns.
Bering Sea
The Nome Nugget

State officials extend studded-tire removal deadline by 15 days
Most of Southcentral Alaska has seen near record-setting snowfall this winter. The state of Alaska extended its annual deadline for residents to swap out their studded winter tires by 15 days due to what they called “prolonged winter weather.”
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

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