LEO Network

About the LEO Network
The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
Continue

Observations

Whale in Gare Loch rescue attempt found dead
The animal was part of a pod which rescuers hoped would swim to deeper water before a major military exercise.
Rosneath, Scotland, United Kingdom
BBC News

Extreme rain brings flurry of landslides
Large amounts of precipitation triggered landslides across Prince of Wales Island, blocking roads and damaging at least one bridge.
Prince of Wales Island, Alaska

Mother of all jökulhlaups reported in Southeast Alaska
Scientists believe a massive glacial dam release - or jökulhlaup - recently occurred in Southeast Alaska. But they probably would not have known about it if they had not been tipped off by an observant commercial fisherman.
Alaska Public Media

Brown bear cubs fall victim to adult males in Eurasia's largest protected population of the species
This spike of bear cannibalism is reported at the South-Kamchatka nature reserve in Kamchatka.The spike of cannibalism in brown bears is currently linked to the lower number of sockeye salmon getting to the lake from the Sea of Okhotsk.
Kronotsky Nature Reserve
Siberian times

Entomologists vacuum Asian giant hornets out of first nest found in Whatcom County
Washington State entomologists have spent weeks searching, trapping and using dental floss to tie tracking devices to Asian giant hornets in an effort to find the nest and destroy it. The nest was first discovered Thursday in a tree cavity, about eight feet up, on private property in Blaine. Heavily protected crews with WSDA worked to eradicate the nest early Saturday morning.
Blaine, Washington, United States

Waiting on a North Wind
The winds have been unusual this fall. Usually a north wind is "part and parcel of the turn of the season" but so far the wind has been "sporadic without a sense of direction."
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Scientists found plastic debris in the digestive track of southern right whale stranded in Argentina
Scientists found plastic debris in the digestive tract of a southern right whale stranded in Argentina, according to a study from the Southern Right Whale Health Monitoring Program, co-led by the University of California, Davis, School of Veterinary Medicine; and Instituto de Conservación de Ballenas in Argentina.
Puerto Madryn, Chubut Province, Argentina
MercoPress

'Ursine terror': plea to improve habitat after spate of bear attacks in Japan
The attacks are being attributed to a shortage of acorns in the bears’ natural habitat, forcing them to wander into populated areas in search of food.
Takikawa, Hokkaido, Japan
The Guardian

Police kill brown bear believed responsible for vehicle damage
Two brown bears were killed in Haines last week, bringing the total killed outside hunting season in management unit 1D this year to 26. Bear calls to police have increased by about 600% compared to past years.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Damage from Fall Storm
Winds in Sand Point reached speeds higher than those predicted by the National Weather Service and caused damage to community infrastructure.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States
Anne Morris, Edward "Ted" Smith, Amber Hill

Ten polar bears - six adults and four cubs - besiege a stalled rubbish truck in Russian Arctic
Fellow driver tries to scare the predators away as they climb inside the truck to reach food scraps. All predators look healthy and well fed, however the author of the video suggests that it could have been hunger that made them surround the truck.
Siberian Times

Tsunami warning issued following 7.4 magnitude earthquake off Alaska Peninsula
A tsunami warning was issued for areas along the Alaska Peninsula coastline following the 7.4 earthquake, which was centered 62 miles from Sand Point.
In this post, you can find links to the US Tsunami Warning Centers, as well as information on creating home emergency kits during COVID.
We hope everyone stays safe as this event unfolds, and welcome observations of conditions along the Alaska Peninsula.
Sand Point, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Foreign trash continues to wash up on regional shores
Residents across the Bering Strait have continued to report unusual amounts of foreign trash washing up on their beaches. After months of working on the models, NOAA has been able to pin the source of the debris as likely somewhere southwest of St. Lawrence Island in the Gulf of Anadyr.
Gambell, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

2020 has been kind to Iceland’s eagles
2020 was the second most successful year on record for Iceland’s sea eagles. Currently there are 85 breeding pairs—mostly around the Breiðafjörður area. This year, there have been 51 eaglets from 60 nests.
Stykkishólmur, West, Iceland
RÚV

Beluga Family Rescued From Low Tide by Russian Emergency Worker
Residents of the coastal Chumikan village reported two adult whales and one baby on Wednesday afternoon, on a shore of the Uda River that flows into the sea. Alexei Paramonov spent hours protecting the pod from wild animals and poachers and saved the baby whale from hypothermia.
Chumikan, Khabarovsk Krai, Russia
The Moscow Times

Dead giant octopuses washed ashore south from Kamchtka peninsula on the Kuril Islands
A mass die off of fish and invertebrates has been reported in the Sea of Okhotsk, west of Kamchatka. Dozens of surfers reported symptoms including including poor eyesight, fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, skin rashes and head and throat aches.
Severo-Kuril’sk, Sakhalin, Russia
Siberian Times

Beached bowhead whales in Nunavut point to killer whale attacks
This past weekend a group of hunters on all-terrain vehicles found four dead bowhead whales lying on a beach about 60 kilometres north of the Nunavut community of Kugaaruk. Photos of the bowhead whales taken by Rene Kukkuvak, appear to have a torn tongues and rake-like gouges.
Kugaaruk, Nunavut, Canada
Nunatsiaq News

Lone Scottish dolphin spotted off Denmark
The Moray Firth dolphins have been moving out of their normal range in Scotland waters. A dolphin known as Yoda is the latest member to be spotted far from home. Another Moray Firth dolphin has been seen in the Irish Sea.
Svendborg, South Denmark, Denmark
BBC News

Why so glum, chum? Scientists perplexed by this year's low chum salmon numbers in Yukon River
This year the Eagle station's fall chum estimate is 23,828 fish. This is far below the escapement goal of 70,000 to 104,000 fish.
Eagle, Alaska, United States
CBC

Alaska Grown Black Walnuts
The unthinkable (ripe Alaska walnuts) a few decades ago is potentially our new reality as our climate continues to shift (warmer summers and longer falls). As our climatic parameters shift, so does our opportunity to diversify our edible plantings!
Peter's Creek
Facebook - Alaska Home Gardeners Group

Salmonids in North Fork of Chester Creek
The number of salmon returning to Chester Creek has improved since 2008. This year, spawning salmon are lingering in the creek later than usual.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Infected Covid-19 patients climb in Arctic Alaska
October began with "an explosion" of COVID-19 positive cases despite efforts to tighten and extend restrictions. In the first five days 14 residents on the North Slope and 23 in the Northwest Arctic, upping active caseloads in each borough to 40 and 45, respectively.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder

A rare Jay spotted in Whitehorse. But was it a Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) or Steller's Jay (Cyanocitta stelleri)?
An unusual blue bird was sighted in Whitehorse this month. It was not captured on film but the observer thinks it was a Blue Jay or a Steller's Jay. A Steller's Jay was reported to eBird in Haines Junction, Yukon Territory, just two days later.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Hurricane Delta lashes Mexico's Yucatan, then heads for US
Hurricane Delta emerged into the Gulf of Mexico on Wednesday and headed toward Louisiana after making landfall just south of the Mexican resort of Cancun, toppling trees and and cutting power to residents of the Yucatan peninsula’s resort-studded coast.
Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico
AP NEWS

A Lily (genus Lilium) is Blooming in My Garden
Late-blooming lily may benefit from warm temperatures in late September/early October.
Palmer, Alaska

Foreign Trash Washing Up on Beaches
"We have been finding plastic bottles, glass bottles, couple life vests, and boots." The Bering Sea has noted an abundance of foreign debris washing up on our shores. Communities like Unalakleet, Gambell, Savoonga and Nome have all reported and documented hoards of this debris.
Shishmaref, Alaska

Worst plum season in 60 years
"It almost snowed when it was flowering. The bees were barely out, and we see the result of that here," said fruit farmer Kari Lutro. The decline for plums is as much as 90 percent, compared with last year.
Lofthus, Hordaland, Norway
NRK
Tale Hauso, Jon Bolstad, Sjur Mikal Dolve

Scientists suspect "Alaskapox" rash could be spread from small animals
The novel virus has only affected two people, both in Fairbanks. The "Alaskapox" was first identified in 2015 after a Fairbanks woman sought medical attention for a small skin lesion, pained fever and fatigue. In August, a second Fairbanks woman with no known connection to the first was found to have the virus. Scientists suspect both women may have gotten the virus from contact with small wild animals.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Late-blooming Rose (Rosa acicularis) in Fairbanks
Wild roses typically bloom in June and July, and go dormant when temperatures drop in the fall and winter.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Debris from 3/11 disaster now washing ashore across Okinawa
Plastic containers washed out to sea after the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster are starting to wash up on the shores of Okinawa Prefecture, leaving residents puzzled at the time it took for the items to travel just 2,000 kilometers.
Naha, Okinawa, Japan
The Asahi Shimbun

Eco disaster at Kamchatka peninsula with mass death of sea animals at precious Pacific beach
Khalaktyrsky Beach near Petropavlovsk is littered with hundreds of dead sea animals, from deep-sea Giant Pacific octopuses, to seals, sea urchins, stars, crabs and fish. Surfers were the first to raise alarm after problems with eyesight, fevers and throat aches.
Khalaktyrsky Beach
Siberian Times

Lots of Late Blooming Roses (Rosa acicularis)
Wild roses usually bloom in May and June, but warm fall temperatures may have signaled roses in Fairbanks to bloom later than usual.
Ester, Alaska, United States

Not much for berries or fireweed
"In a summer of continuous rainfall I would presume glorious growth and tons of picking...but this did not happen. The blueberries never took off, neither did the soap berries known to us as bear berries."
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Big year for some biting insects, but not mosquitoes
Mosquito populations may be down, but the gnats, no-see-ums, white sox and several other unidentified bugs were relentless.
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Rare King-of-the-salmon fish found on Vancouver Island
A rare deep-sea fish was discovered on Vancouver Island this month. A pair of friends, Natalie Mueller and Andie Lafrentz, were walking along Whiffin Spit in Sooke on Sept. 19 when they spotted what they first thought was a “large piece of scrap metal.”
Sooke, British Columbia, Canada
CTV News - Vancouver Island

No treasure found under the rainbow: The soil is full of plastic garbage
In the pictures, Måøya looks like a pristine natural gem on the coast of Trøndelag. But when scientists and adolescents started digging into the soil, they got shock.
Måøya, Frøya, Sør-Trøndelag, Norway
NRK
Solvår Flatås, Stein Lorentzen, Morten Andersen

Bear in Denali National Park euthanized over safety concerns
The bear had entered buildings and food caches, according to National Park Service officials.
Denali National Park, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

After record-warm summer in Svalbard, extreme meltdown on the glacier
When glaciologist Jack Kohler returned to Austre Brøggerbreen in Svalbard, he was shocked. More than three meters of the ice at the glacier front had melted away. That's a record. And an ice tunnel had become a trench.
Austre Brøggerbreen, Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
NRK

Warmest late-September day in half a century as mercury hits 23.5C
An exceptionally warm air current from the southeast has kept days and nights unseasonably mild in southern and central Finland since last week. Meanwhile the north of the country has been shivering with rain and temperatures in the single digits. The highest reading in decades was recorded in Kokemäki, southwest Finland.
Kokemäki, Satakunta, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Pandemic, restaurant slowdown blamed for rats in Portland neighborhoods
Exterminators are fielding more calls about rodent activity. Rat-related calls are up 20 percent from last year; include mice and calls are up 57 percent.
Portland, Maine, United States
Press Herald

Fish and Game is looking for a black bear that followed and charged people in Anchorage park
The repeated run-ins with the bear were part of the reason that one children's camp decided to move out of Russian Jack to another park.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Late Blooming Rose
A wild rose (*Rosa acicularis*) blooms late during a warm fall.
Willow, Alaska, United States

Record-breaking cold?
The thermometer at the main visitor centre in Þingvellir National Park went all the way down to –9.6°C last night and meteorologists confirm that is one of the coldest temperatures ever recorded in a built-up area at this time of year—and could even have been a new record.
Laugarvatn, South, Iceland
RÚV

Russia’s coldest city suffocates under a thick blanket of smog from September wildfires
The lengthy wildfire season follows a record-hot Arctic summer. People living in Yakutsk are waking up to heavy smog brought from the wildfires raging to the west, east and north; struggling to breathe and with head, eye and throat aches.
Yakutsk, Sakha, Russia

Badger on the Finnmark plateau: – very strange, but also very fun
Odd Arne Hætta thought his dog Leo had found an elk, but it turned out to be something else entirely. Badgers are not common so far north but, sporadic cases have been observed in the past, including in Skibotn in Troms.
Čuonjájávri, Kautokeino, Norway
Marie Elise Nystad, Tom Stian Tretnes Hansen

Hunter killed by bear in Wrangell-St. Elias died in ‘surprise attack’ while field-dressing moose, officials say
The National Park Service said a 22-year-old Ohio man was salvaging moose meat when he was killed in the national park’s first recorded fatal bear mauling.
Wrangall St. Elias National Park, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Brown bear breaks into Alaska Zoo, kills alpaca named Caesar
The bear tunneled under the zoo’s perimeter fence and broke through the cedar split rail fence around the alpaca enclosure before killing Caesar, according to the zoo’s executive director, Pat Lampi. Another alpaca -- Fuzzy Charlie -- was found unhurt though wide-eyed and skittish.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Mt. Glittertind should be the highest - scientist surprised by what they discovered
Glittertind was for a long time Norway's highest mountain due to the large ice cap. But measurements in 1984 showed that the ice had diminished, and since then it has become the little brother to Galdhøpiggen.
Glittertinden, Lom, Norway

Rare fish washes ashore at Whiffen Spit
It was a king-of-the-salmon (Trachipterus altivelis), a deep-sea-dwelling species of ribbonfish. Its common name comes from the legends of the Makah people west of Strait of Juan de Fuca, which believe this “king” leads the salmon to their spawning grounds each year.
Sooke, British Columbia, Canada
Times Colonist

Salmon and smiles: 30,000 pounds of fish distributed in Whitehorse
The Yukon First Nations Education Directorate gave away 30,000 pounds of free fish as part of its nutritional program in Whitehorse this week. People were particularly happy to receive the donation because salmon are well below the historical average this year.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
CBC

After dry summer, Nome sets daily rain record
Nome recorded 1.27 inches of rain on Sept. 14
Nome, Alaska, United States

Gray heron seen for first time in contiguous US, as species expands range
This tall waterbird, native to Eurasia, was spotted in Nantucket. Could the species soon establish a foothold in the Americas?
Madaket, Massachusetts, United States
National Geographic

Juneau’s unsecured garbage and ‘bumper crop of yearling bears’ are a deadly combination
Alaska Department of Fish and Game officials say a bunch of young bears and a dwindling natural food supply are forcing the bruins to search human garbage for food before they hibernate for the winter.
Juneau, Alaska, United States

Health advisory issued for CJ Strike Reservoir due to harmful algal bloom
The Central District Health Department as well as the Southwest District Health and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality says recent water samples indicate there were concentrations of toxin-producing cyanobacteria in the reservoir.
Mountain Home, Idaho, United States

Mushers react to scary closure of chum fishery
A lack of chum salmon is causing pain in riverside communities of Yukon and Alaska, as mushers are left without a traditional source of food.
Old Crow, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Emaciated grizzly found dead
Grizzly was found on Gwa’sala-‘Nakwaxda’xw territory in Smith Inlet, 60K north of Port Hardy. The low number of salmon is not helping the bears, and a low count of berries.
Nekite River Estuary, Central Coast, British Columbia
Vancouver Island Free Daily
Binny Paul, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Rare muskox sighting in Manokotak raises questions
The Bristol Bay Times - Serving Dillingham, Naknek, King Salmon and Southwest villages
Manokotak, Alaska, United States
Bristol Bay Times
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Winds kick up century old volcanic ash in Alaska
Strong southerly winds picked up loose ash from a 1912 volcanic eruption, sending an ash cloud about 4,000 feet into the sky.
Novarupta Volcano

A large new ‘hole’ appears in Gydan tundra, following record-warm Arctic summer
A 200 metres wide thermocirque is discovered only weeks after scientists find funnel in the Yamal peninsula, caused by build up of methane.
село Гыда, Тазовский район, Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Russia
Siberia Times

Chilkat sockeye, coho, chum runs appear low compared to past years
So far, the department has counted just under 37,000 fish at the Chilkat weir, well below the 10-year average of 80,000 fish. Zeiser said at this point in the season, it’s doubtful the run will hit the escapement range of 70,000 to 150,000 fish.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Well-Preserved Cave Bear Discovered in Russia’s Melting Arctic Permafrost
Reindeer herders in Russia's Arctic have discovered what scientists say is the first-ever cave bear carcass with soft tissues intact in the region's rapidly thawing permafrost.
Lyakhovsky Islands
The Moscow Times

Meet Nunavut's newest arrival: the beaver
A recent beaver catch in Baker Lake, along with this summer’s earlier beaver sighting near Kugluktuk, more than 1,000 kilometres northwest of Baker Lake, have some wondering whether beavers are expanding their range into Nunavut.
Baker Lake, Nunavut, Canada
Nunatsiaq News

Exceptional Growing Conditions during Last Days of Summer Saves Potato Harvest
Potato farmers in Þykkvabær on Iceland’s south coast are thankful that the last days of summer were wet and warm. The spring was cold and early August was colder than it has been in living memory.
Þykkvibaer, South, Iceland
Iceland Review

Odd shaped Low-bush Cranberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea)
Pear shaped cranberries (*Vaccinium vitis-idaea*) are likely the result of a genetic mutation.
Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, United States
Regina Rovira, Matt Carlson, Katie Spellman

Veterinarians warn of unusual strain of kennel cough in dogs
A potentially dangerous dog virus is spreading among animals in the Wilmington area.
Wilmington, North Carolina, United States

Polar bear chased away with flares after wandering close to a secondary school at Chukotka
The Bear Patrol in is on high alert as predators are gathering by a walrus rookery. At least nine polar bears were noticed by residents of Ryrkaipiy, a village in the easternmost region of Chukotka.
Ryrkaypiy
Siberia Times

Cougar spotted on Ingraham Trail on Sunday: GNWT
Cougar sightings are rare in the North Slave region, but not unheard of. The big cat was seen at 1 p.m. crossing the highway at kilometre 49, between the Cameron Falls trailhead and Reid Lake campground.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
NNSL Media

Yukon River fall chum run the worst on record
About 189,000 fall chum had entered the Yukon River as of Sept. 7. At least 300,000 fish must enter the river before either Alaska or Yukon fishers can begin harvesting.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
Yukon News

Pink salmon catches in Nunavik are raising red flags for biologists
After learning about catches of pink salmon near Salluit, Quebec wildlife officials are urging any fishers who net the newcomers to report their catch. Two pink salmon were netted in Nunavik during the summer of 2019 in the Ungava Bay region, one near Kangirsuk.
Kangirsuk, Quebec, Canada
ArcticToday

High winds, torrential rain wreck buildings in Sanikiluaq
“We stood at the window and we actually watched a shed get blown down the road. I saw an empty oil barrel get lifted up and put over a sea can. There were wires flying around,” Alison Drummond said.
Sanikiluaq, Nunavut, Canada
Nunatsiaq News

These are among the rarest birds you can see in Norway
This week, bird enthusiast Nils Harry Lillejord experienced a kind of "holy grail" for those who watch birds. When he was on his way to work, he saw a Glossy Ibis (Plegadis falcinellus). The bird has only been seen twenty times since 1835.
Stormyrjordene, Bodø, Nordland, Norway

Rare ‘Ugly Duckling’ Albino Seal Pup in Far East Russia Wins Hearts
Scientists worry for the pup's survival. Due to the pup’s albinism, it not only has bad eyesight, but could also be ostracized by the colony due to its unique characteristics.
Tyuleny Island
The Moscow Times

Nunavut government limits hunting of Dolphin and Union caribou herds
The Government of Nunavut is restricting harvest due to what it calls “a recent steep decline in the population” of the herd. That decline has led to a “conservation concern” about the western Nunavut herd’s numbers.
Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, Canada
ArcticToday

Frost Damage Forces Farmers to Buy Hay
Sveinbjörn Þór Sigurðsson of Búvellir farm in Aðaldalur, North Iceland says 80-90% of his hay fields were frozen in spring, and dry weather exacerbated the situation.
Near Húsavík, Northeast, Iceland
Iceland Review

Soybeans flourish in thawing permafrost
In the vast plains that blanket much of northern Russia a once-unthinkable business is taking hold – soybean farming. It’s the result of years of increasing global temperatures, which are thawing the permafrost and turning the land into fertile soil.
Зарайск, Зарайский район, Moscow, Russia
The Anniston Star

Muskox (Ovibos moschatus) in Manokotak
A muskox (*Ovibos moschatus*) seen farther inland than usual during mating season.
Manokotak, Alaska, United States

Second year of Hemlock Looper Moth (Lambdina fiscellaria) outbreak returns to North Vancouver in larger numbers
The Hemlock Looper Moth outbreak is said to last between 3-4 years and now coincides with an outbreak of Phantom Hemlock Looper which saw its last outbreak more than a decade ago.
North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Stunning beach with hundreds of colourful sparkling pebbles damaged by typhoon Maysak
The remarkable glass beach was formed after years of dumping old vodka, wine and beer bottles, along with jars and ceramics during the Soviet era. Record strong wind destroyed at least half of the unique beach on Ussuri bay.
Vladivostok, Primorskiy, Russia
Siberia Times

Grey Pigeon (Columba livia)
Invasive pigeons have made their way out of Alaska's large cities to fish camps on the west side of Cook Inlet.
Tyonek, Alaska, United States

Why are spruce trees turning orange in the Alaska Range?
The answer to the Tang-colored mystery involves tiny spruce needle rust fungus spores that also rely on Labrador tea plants to survive.
Healy, Alaska, United States

Typhoon Maysak Batters Russia’s Far East
High winds reached speeds of up to 154 km/hr. At least three people died and dozens were injured. The storm unmoored a floating dry dock, causing it to slam into some of the vessels making up Russia's Pacific Fleet.
Vladivostok, Primorskiy, Russia

A pair of stranded killer whales (and a sick sea lion) has biologists looking for answers
“For the killer whales, I honestly don’t know if this is normal or not,” said Mandy Keogh, the Regional Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator for NOAA Fisheries in Alaska. Dead killer whales simply aren’t seen that often.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Growth on Window After Storm
Tatitlek, Alaska, United States

Most of Hay River's 2 Seasons Adventures beach front campground wiped out by weekend storm
A Hay River tourism operation on the shoreline of Great Slave Lake has been hit hard by high water and high wind.
Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada
NNSL Media

Researchers came to study Russian Arctic glacier, but found only big lake
The glaciologists from Moscow came too late to see the MGU glacier in the North Ural.
The Independent Barents Observer

Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) with Dead or Dying Eggs
Dead or dying eggs in a female coho salmon are a possible symptom of environmental stress felt by the fish. In Western Alaska, water levels have been low following a rapid spring snowmelt and low precipitation.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States
Jayde Ferguson, Erica Lujan, Richard L Thoman Jr, Ted Meyers

Rainiest summer on record in over 100 years
Prince Rupert residents only had one dry day during the entire month of August and got a third of their annual rainfall in three summer months.
Prince Rupert, British Columbia, Canada

As Arctic warming accelerates, permafrost thaw hits Alaska mine
The multinational company that operates the Red Dog Mine in Northwest Alaska says that thawing permafrost linked to global warming has forced it to spend nearly $20 million to manage its water storage and discharge.
Red Dog Mine, Alaska, United States
High North News

‘Merciless’ rain in Southeast Alaska breaks records, dampens spirits
Record rainfall in parts of Southeast are just one more reason 2020 will be a year some will be happy to forget. Ketchikan recorded 47 inches of rain from June to August.
Ketchikan, Alaska, United States

Record heat in Svalbard is causing problems – Mine 7 inundated with meltwater
The glacier over Mine 7 in Adventdalen on Svalbard is thawing in the summer heat. This has resulted in a severe flood with thousands of liters of water.
Gruve 7, Advendtdalen, Svalbard
Anja Ariel Tørnes Brekke, Aslaug Aarsæther

Unalaska records 120 mph winds during record-breaking August storm
The strong winds toppled boats, threw shipping containers into the bay, and even blew the windows out of American President Lines crane. The winds came during a storm from the remnants of Typhoon Bavi.
Unalaska, Alaska, United States

Mystery lines on Haida Gwaii beach
I've asked quite a few of the elders here if they had ever seen and none of them said they had ever seen it, said Skidegate Chief Councillor Bill Yovanovich, who took the photos Saturday on Lina Island. They show small bits of white shells arranged into what appears to be an intentional grid pattern that stretches at least a hundred metres along the beach.
Lina Island, Haida Gwaii, Canada
Global News

Waterfowl Disappearance and Other Lake Ecosystem Changes
Residents note significant changes in the Christiansen Lake ecosystem since 2019. This includes fewer nesting birds, fish, and mammals around the lake, while the leech population has increased along with the occurrence of algal blooms.
Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

Uncommon Slimy Sculpin (Cottus cognatus) Catch
Slimy sculpins (*Cottus cognatus*) are small, nocturnal, bottom-dwelling fish that lack a swim bladder to help them stay bouyant in the water. Their size and habitat allow them to easily avoid fishing gear designed for salmon.
North Fork Andreafski River

Huge explosion leaves crater 165ft deep in Arctic tundra
Giant hole, thought to have been caused by methane release, is biggest of its kind discovered in Russia’s Yamal peninsula. It is the 17th crater of its kind to be found and documented in Yamal since 2014.
Yamal Peninsula, Russia

Support

Observation Template