Background Articles

UAF undergraduate Leanne Bulger discovered a persistent hole in a Fairbanks forest emitting unusually high CO₂ levels—likely due to thawing permafrost microbes—and led a team using probes, gas analyzers, and radar to study its depth and gas flux.

British Columbia’s March snowpack averaged just 79 percent of normal, up from 63 percent a year ago but still low enough to raise the province’s drought risk for spring and summer.

The study, conducted by Canadian and Norwegian scientists, highlights that in the last decade, polar bears have on average started leaving their dens with cubs one week earlier than was recorded before 2016.

A new study by Canadian and Norwegian researchers shows that polar bear mothers in Svalbard are leaving dens with their cubs about one week earlier than before 2016, a shift potentially linked to climate change.

A recent report highlights the unprecedented low snowfall during the 2024-2025 winter in Anchorage and Southcentral Alaska, affecting not only the weather but also events like the Iditarod race.

April was 1–2 °C warmer than the 1991–2020 average in Finland, with a high of 22.9 °C in Rauma and a low of –23.8 °C in Kilpisjärvi. Sunshine was above average, while southern areas and Lapland saw increased rainfall.

Russian captains face ongoing challenges navigating the Northern Sea Route as deteriorating Arctic ice conditions persist over the next 25 years. Arctic winds have pushed multi-year ice toward the North Siberian coast, concentrating thick ice in the East Siberian and Chukchi Seas and forcing ships to change their routes.

Salmon advocates have raised concerns over declining salmon numbers, blaming an oversupply of hatchery-reared fish that overwhelms natural stocks and disrupts ocean ecosystems.

This article explains how Interior Alaska’s cold, airy snow uniquely bends off railings and loops from power lines, defying gravity due to slow deformation and the sintering process.

Seismic activity at the Sundhnúk crater row has intensified with over 20 earthquakes recorded in the past 24 hours, while a separate swarm in Öxarfjörður is being closely monitored.

Anchorage School District has activated its Emergency Operations Center and released a preparedness plan for a potential eruption of Mount Spurr, located 75 miles west of Anchorage.

Spring in the Arctic sees the lowest maximum sea ice extent on record in a 47‐year satellite observation history, according to NSIDC data.

An investigation into the death of roughly 100 fish near Alaska’s Kensington gold mine remains inconclusive months later, with both state regulators and Coeur Mining unable to pinpoint the cause despite extensive testing.

Researchers warn that European glaciers are retreating rapidly, exemplified by significant losses in Norwegian glaciers, potentially jeopardizing water supplies, agriculture, and energy. The article highlights the urgency of glacier conservation on World Glacier Day 2025.

The City of Ketchikan is recovering from a landslide that displaced hundreds of residents, prompting swift emergency responses and community cooperation, though no injuries were reported.

A new study using advanced mapping techniques reveals that infrastructure damage costs in Alaska due to permafrost thaw could be significantly higher than previously estimated, potentially reaching $37B to $51B under medium and high emission scenarios.

A Unesco report warns that unprecedented glacier melt driven by the climate crisis threatens the food and water supply for two billion people worldwide, with major impacts on irrigated agriculture and mountain communities.

Anchorage has upgraded its emergency response to level two due to potential eruption risks from Mount Spurr, located 75 miles west of the city.

A new report by the World Meteorological Organization declares 2024 as the warmest year in 175 years, driven by human-caused CO2 emissions. The unprecedented warmth is raising sea levels faster and endangering millions along coastlines, especially in Arctic regions like Svalbard.

While the U.S. grapples with an egg shortage caused by avian flu, eggs remain plentiful and affordable in Canada. There are reasons for that, including that egg farms there tend to be smaller.