Background Articles

The Wrangell landslide tragedy underscores Alaska's challenge in landslide prediction due to insufficient monitoring and data collection.

The 2023 Arctic Report Card highlights unprecedented summer warmth, ecological shifts, and the integration of Indigenous knowledge in understanding and adapting to climate change impacts.

The collapse of Diomede city's building, suspected to be caused by melting permafrost, has led to emergency measures and online schooling as efforts to stabilize and dismantle the structure proceed.

Alaska's U.S. senators oppose the EPA's move to regulate and phase out leaded aviation gasoline, citing potential negative impacts on the state's travel and economy.

At the 2023 American Geophysical Union fall meeting, scientists from the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) are showcasing their research. One highlighted study involves the Permafrost Grown initiative, which aims to help Alaska farmers manage permafrost-related challenges such as ground thawing that leads to uneven terrain and sinkholes. Benjamin Jones from UAF is using drones and pulsed lasers to analyze historical changes in agricultural land to develop best practices for sustainable farming on permafrost.

Climate change is worsening the planet’s biodiversity crises, making environments more deadly for thousands of species and accelerating the precipitous decline…

Alaska Airlines is promoting Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as an eco-friendly alternative to traditional mileage runs, though its effectiveness depends on production methods and it's not yet widely adopted or cost-competitive.

Norway faces criticism for allowing companies to conduct their own environmental impact assessments for offshore wind projects, with calls for stricter regulations and better use of existing marine research to protect nature.

El Nino is causing warmer and drier conditions in the Arctic, leading to record warm falls in Northern communities and challenging traditional hunting and trapping due to delayed ice formation.

In the much-higher water temperatures that lingered in the 2014-19 period, juvenile chum salmon metabolism was super-charged, meaning they needed more food, said the study, by scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. But the food that was available was of low quality — things like jellyfish instead of the fatpacked krill and other prey they normally eat, the study said.

Researchers are studying arctic ground squirrels, whose unique hibernation abilities may offer insights into treating human brain injuries and diseases.

Otto Florschutz, a candidate in the 2022 U.S. House special election, was found dead following a landslide in Wrangell, Alaska, that also claimed the lives of four members of the Heller family.

The Inuit Circumpolar Council is advocating for a greater role in international climate discussions, highlighting the severe climate impacts in the Arctic and seeking access to global climate funds.

More than a dozen states, including several in the Pacific Northwest, are reporting outbreaks of a new respiratory illness. There have also been increases in canine respiratory illness cases at a clinic in Southeast Alaska and another in Southcentral, but there’s no indication yet if those were due to the mystery illness.

Health officials in Sanikiluaq, Hudson Bay, warn against consuming fermented meat due to a suspected botulism outbreak and urge vigilance for related symptoms.

Alaska's chief veterinarian warns of a mysterious respiratory illness affecting dogs in the Lower 48 and advises local pet owners to take precautions.

Experts argue that transforming food systems through structural changes, Indigenous knowledge, and data sharing is essential for long-term food security and sustainable development.

Alaska experts are grappling with the challenge of controlling the highly invasive Japanese knotweed, which is resistant to conventional eradication methods and threatens local ecosystems.

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.

Steller sea lions are the most affected by human activities in Alaska, leading to hundreds of deaths, primarily due to entanglement in fishing gear.