ABOUT THE ALASKA
SCIENCE CENTER

• • Office Information
  • Employee Directory
  • Employment
  • Request for Quotes
  • USGS Bureau Phonebook
  • Interdisciplinary Science

SCIENCE OFFICES

• • Biology
  • Geography
  • Geology
  • Water

CONFERENCES

• Conferences and Workshops

USGS ALASKA DATA RESOURCES

• Alaska Geospatial Data
• Recent Earthquakes in AK
• Science Questions and Information Requests
• Geotagged Oblique Aerial Photos from Alaska
• Permafrost and Climate Monitoring Network
• Water data
• Volcanoes

OTHER ALASKA AREA
SCIENCE OFFICES

• • Alaska Volcano Observatory

Prior In The Spotlight Articles

The Novarupta—Katmai Eruption of 1912—largest eruption of the 20th century: A Centennial

One hundred years ago this June, a 3-day explosive eruption at Novarupta on the Alaska Peninsula near King Salmon became one of the five largest eruptions in recorded history. It created the spectacular Katmai caldera and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, which early explorers called the eighth wonder of the world. Preserved as a National Monument in 1918, and now part of Katmai National Park, the eruption created an outdoor laboratory that has captivated scientists and sightseers alike for 100 years.

Katmai expert Judy Fierstein will tell the story at the Anchorage Museum of those 3 dramatic days and what has been learned from the 1912 eruption about large explosive events. Judy will explain how geologist "volcano detectives" explored and examined the eruption's aftermath, how the eruption has remained scientifically important for 100 years, and why Katmai still offers insights about earth processes that shape our world.

Resource Managers use USGS Satellite Telemetry Data to Plan Emergency Fuel Delivery

Spectacled Eiders, a large sea duck that is classified as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, spend most of their lives in a marine habitat. Resource Managers are using Spectacled Eider satellite telemetry data collected by USGS Alaska Science Center scientists to plot a route to help deliver emergency fuel to the ice bound coastal community of Nome, AK. Satellite telemetry data and subsequent aerial surveys revealed that 380,000 spectacled eiders, almost the entire population of this species, winter in the northern Bering Sea for five to six months within the pack ice. The Russian Tanker Renda, along with the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Healy, is in route with 1.4 million gallons of petroleum products, making this the first time a delivery has been attempted during winter in Alaska. For more information see USGS News Release http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=3067&from=rss_home or visit USGS at http://alaska.usgs.gov/science/biology/seaducks/spei/index.php.

Comprehensive Alaska Geochemical Database Contains over 40 Years of Data

The publication "Alaska Geochemical Database (AGDB)—Geochemical data for rock, sediment, soil, mineral, and concentrate sample media" was created and designed to compile and integrate geochemical data from Alaska in order to facilitate geologic mapping, petrologic studies, mineral resource assessments, definition of geochemical baseline values and statistics, environmental impact assessments, and studies in medical geology. This Microsoft Access database serves as a data archive in support of present and future Alaskan geologic and geochemical projects, and contains data tables describing historical and new quantitative and qualitative geochemical analyses. The Data series includes analyses on 264,095 rocks, sediments (collected from streams, lakes, and various sources), soils, minerals, and heavy-mineral concentrates (derived from stream sediments, soils or rocks). A Fact Sheet is available online at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3130/; the Data Series—containing a pamphlet, metadata files and data files—is available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/637/.

A Promising Tool for Subsurface Permafrost Mapping

Permafrost is a predominant physical feature of the Earth's Arctic and Subarctic clines and a major consideration encompassing ecosystem structure to infrastructure engineering and placement. Perennially frozen ground is estimated to cover about 85 percent of the state of Alaska where northern reaches are underlain with continuous permafrost and parts of interior Alaska are underlain by areas of discontinuous and (or) sporadic permafrost. The region of Interior Alaska, where permafrost is scattered among unfrozen ground, is a complex mosaic of terrains and habitats. Such diversity creates arrays of lakes and surface-water and groundwater patterns that continental populations of migratory waterfowl and internationally significant fisheries have adapted to over time. A road or pipeline might pass over frozen and unfrozen ground, affecting the types of materials and engineering approaches needed to sustain the infrastructure.

Abraham, Jared, 2011, A promising tool for subsurface permafrost mapping—An application of airborne geophysics from the Yukon River Basin, Alaska: U. S. Geological Survey, Fact Sheet 2011-3133, 4 p.

The Alaska Science Center Celebrates National Native American Heritage Month

Craig Ely has been working with local youth and community leaders from the village of Chevak on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta for several generations. During National Native American Heritage Month, the Alaska Science Center pays tribute to the field assistants and Yupik Eskimo student volunteers participation in helping with the annual USGS waterfowl banding program along the Kashunuk River near the Bering Sea coast in western Alaska. The tundra swans, like other large waterfowl, are an important part of subsistence lifestyle in the Yupik culture and as the earliest spring migrants, often represent the first fresh food after a long winter. We recognize and celebrate the importance of cultural knowledge and contributions toward furthering science for the future. Learn more about Swan Surveillance and Research …

Scientists Quantify Export Of Mercury From The Yukon River

The Yukon River watershed, home of the longest free-flowing river in the world, releases nearly 5 tons of mercury per year into the environment. This is 3 to 32 times more mercury than eight other major northern hemisphere rivers. Thawing permafrost in the Yukon River watershed may be a source of naturally occurring mercury being conveyed by rivers into the environment. Methylated mercury, the type toxic to humans, was also found in the Yukon River, but at very low levels according to the five-year study that analyzed surface-water samples for total mercury concentrations and measured water discharge from the Yukon River at Pilot Station, Alaska.

USGS News Release
Full article http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es202068b

Walrus Tagging Near Point Lay

USGS Alaska Science Center researchers, in cooperation with the Native Village of Point Lay, will attempt to attach 35 satellite radio-tags to walruses on the northwestern Alaska coast in August as part of their ongoing study of how the Pacific walrus are responding to reduced sea ice conditions in late summer and fall. For more information see http://usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2882

Arctic Cruise Explores Changing Ocean

For the second straight year, U.S. Geological Survey scientists will embark on a research cruise to the Arctic Ocean to determine trends in ocean acidification from the least explored ocean in the world. Researchers are deciphering the extent to which Arctic Ocean chemistry is changing and detailing potential implications for carbonate species - like phytoplankton and shellfish - that are vulnerable to greater ocean acidity. Water samples and other data will be collected aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy for seven weeks beginning August 15. Follow the cruise at http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/ocean-acidification/arcticcruise2011/

Podcast

New model gives insight to the potential future of the Pacific walrus

Walruses are important to human communities bordering the Chukchi and Bering seas in the United States and Russia, and the status of walrus provides information about the health of these highly productive marine ecosystems. Projecting the future population status of the Pacific walrus was investigated with a new model developed by scientists at the USGS Alaska Science Center.

The Bayesian network model integrates the potential effects of changing environmental conditions and human stressors to help identify the reasons associated with declines in projected walrus populations. Sea ice habitat, particularly in summer/fall, and harvest levels had the greatest influence on future population outcomes. The Bayesian network model for walrus provides the framework for an increased research effort on the Pacific walrus and its marine ecosystem, as part of the Changing Arctic Ecosystems initiative.

The purpose of this initiative is to understand how changes in the ice-dominated ecosystems of the Arctic affect biological communities. A report detailing this model and its findings are available in the journal Polar Biology. Hear from the lead author in this exclusive interview.

Deformed Beaks May Signal a Greater Environmental Problem

The highest rate of beak abnormalities ever recorded in wild bird populations is being seen in a number of species in the Northwest and Alaska, and scientists have not yet isolated the cause. In Black-capped Chickadees, Northwestern Crows, and other birds affected by "avian keratin disorder," the beak is noticeably overgrown and often crossed, and some affected birds also have abnormal skin, legs, feet, claws or feathers. Biologists with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Alaska Science Center published their findings in this month’s issue of The Auk, a Quarterly Journal of Ornithology. The increasing occurrence of deformities in multiple bird species with broad geographic distribution suggests that avian keratin disorder is spreading and may be an indication of underlying environmental health problems. The USGS will continue to investigate why so many birds are affected in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. Current research is also focused on understanding the disease and potential causes of the disorder.

Projected Changes in Timing and Extent of Sea Ice in the Bering and Chukchi Seas

The Bering and Chukchi Seas support productive fisheries, a high diversity and abundance of marine mammals and birds, and large petroleum reserves. Because sea ice influences the presence of, or accessibility to, these varied resources, a broad spectrum of private and commercial stakeholders are interested in how global warming may change the timing and extent of sea ice in the Bering and Chukchi Seas. A USGS report published last week examines 21st century sea ice projections for the Bering and Chukchi Seas by 18 general circulation models. For the Chukchi Sea, ice-free conditions are projected for August, September, and October by the end of the century, with high agreement among models. High agreement also accompanies projections that the Chukchi Sea will be completely ice covered during February, March, and April at the end of the century. The ice-free season in the Bering Sea is projected to increase from its contemporary average of 5.5 months to a median of about 8.5 months by the end of the century. The primary impetus for this study was to provide an analysis of future habitat of the Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), a pinniped species strongly associated with sea ice, and a species that is presently under review by the US Fish and Wildlife Service as a possible candidate for the Endangered Species Act.

Rapidly retreating Columbia Glacier

Columbia Glacier, located near Valdez, AK, in Prince William Sound, has been retreating rapidly since the early 1980s. Since the USGS began research in the mid-1970s the glacier has retreated more than 15 km and thinned in excess of 500 m. A new study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters presents the first detailed observation of the transition from a grounded to floating terminus. This study provides insight into the mechanics of iceberg production which will allow glaciologists to better understand and model iceberg production from glaciers and ice sheets. These predictions, in turn, will provide a more accurate estimate of sea-level rise in the near future.

Walrus Tracking in the southern Chukchi Sea - 2010

USGS is leading a walrus tracking study to better understand the distribution of walruses,and their use of important foraging areas and sea ice habitats in the Chukchi Sea. The Department of the Interior (DOI) needs basic information about walrus in this region due to the potential of trans-oceanic shipping and oil and gas leasing in the Chukchi Sea. In addition, the DOI also hopes to use data from this study to understand how changes in sea ice will affect walruses.

USGS Alaska Avian Influenza Studies

Polar Bear Research

USGS Factsheet: Pacific Walrus Response to Arctic Sea Ice Losses

Impacts of the 2008 Kasatochi Volcano Eruption

On August 7, 2008, Kasatochi Volcano, located in the central Aleutian Islands, erupted catastrophically, covering the island with ash and hot pyroclastic flow material. Kasatochi was an annual monitoring site of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR), thus features of the island's terrestrial and nearshore ecosystems were well known. In 2009, the U.S. Geological Survey, AMNWR, and the University of Alaska Fairbanks initiated long-term studies to better understand the effects of the eruption and the role volcanism plays in structuring ecosystems in the Aleutian Islands, a volcano-dominated region with high natural resource values. Go to the Kasatochi website to learn more about Kasatochi and these multi-disciplinary research projects.

Walrus Tracking in the southern Chukchi Sea

Researchers attached satellite radio-tags to walruses to help describe walrus movements, foraging areas, and sea ice habitats in the Chukchi Sea. Thirty-four walruses were tagged in early June during the 2009 spring northward migration, six in early July near Barrow, and sixteen in mid-September near Icy Cape during the sea ice minimum. View this animation to see walrus locations through mid-November.

Rapid erosion along an Arctic coastline

In an effort to gain a better understanding of the processes driving reported increases in coastal erosion along the Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska we established an erosion monitoring station that consisted of a time-lapse camera and other instrumentation in the nearshore environment. This video clip shows one photo a day from 11 July 2009 to 22 August 2009. At the beginning of the time-series, blocks that had collapsed during 2008 are seen abutting the bluff. These blocks are completely removed by the 17 July 2009 and the sea begins to cut another erosional niche that will ultimately lead to the block collapse occurring on 03 August 2009. This large block (measuring 6m x 10m x 2m) is then degraded within five days. Removal of this block allows for the development of another niche and block collapse episode. An increase in the number of these events per year is likely responsible for the increase in land loss along this Arctic coastline. Beaufort Sea Coast Erosion (video)

Wandering Wildlife

Satellite telemetry tracking wildlife across the Arctic.

Avian Influenza

International Polar Year

Recent Publications on Sea Ice

USGS Arctic Study Evaluates Science and Knowledge Gaps for OCS Energy Development

In response to a request from Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, the U.S. Geological Survey on June 23 released the "science gap and sufficiency" report evaluating science needed to better inform decisions regarding oil and natural gas exploration and development in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas off Alaska. The report summarizes the large volume of existing scientific information, much of it conducted under the auspices of the Environmental Studies Program of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement; identifies where knowledge gaps exist; and provides initial guidance on new and continuing research that could improve decision-making. More than 50 findings and an equal number of recommendations are contained in the 279-page report, entitled An Evaluation of the Science Needs to Inform Decisions on Outer Continental Shelf Energy Development in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, Alaska. A fact sheet on the Arctic study is available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2011/3048, the report is available at http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1370