In some homes, rising waters from the Ninglick River have seeped through floorboards, and black mold has festered. The permit, given to the company Alaska-Alberta Railway Development Corporation, is the same type of border-crossing permit that Trump approved in 2017 for the controversial Keystone XL hide caption. Sun 18 Oct 2020 08.00 BST In Alaska and other high, cold places around the world, new research shows that mountains are collapsing as the permafrost that holds them together melts, threatening tsunamis if they fall into the sea. A person on an all-terrain vehicle drives past boats at the edge of Toksook Bay. Today, the main reason glaciers have begun to melt is because of human activity. Arctic sea ice extent—the area where ice concentration is at least 15 percent—reached its apparent annual maximum on March 5, 2020. For now, she's worried about the ice roads that other villages rely on to get to Toksook Bay's health clinic. During winter, census workers are able to journey across miles of frozen ground and ice roads to reach villages usually accessible only by plane or boat in the warmer months. As Alaska's glaciers recede, ... here are the 50 best places to visit in 2020. Current climate change forecasts may underestimate the emissions from permafrost because they only take into account gradual thawing of the ice layer. Since 1960, the Census Bureau has started the once-a-decade, constitutionally mandated head count in Alaska Native villages in January — months before the census rolls out to the rest of Alaska and other states by April — to take advantage of the frigid winter weather. ... requests submitted to Congress from fiscal year 2015-2020. It wanted to pump 160,000 more barrels of oil each day from a new project on Alaska's North Slope. ATV and snow machine tracks lead from the airstrip to the village in Toksook Bay. In June this summer, a team of military personnel touched down on Alaska's Colony Glacier with a somber mission: to recover newly unthawed wreckage and human remains from a … Contests . A melting glacier and potentially thawing permafrost have destabilized a massive slope in Alaska’s Barry Arm, a fjord just 60 miles east of Anchorage. Census Bureau officials crossed the tundra by plane to reach the fishing village along the Bering Sea in January. Last Updated: 22nd November, 2020 01:38 IST Climate Change Could Lead To Landslide-triggered Tsunami In Alaska: Scientists In Alaska, climate change is intensifying the tsunami threat, which will likely be caused by melting glaciers that are currently holding on to the mountains. As reported by The Independent, Alaskan climate specialist at the Alaska Centre for Climate Assessment and Policy Rick Thoman shared the alarming news on Twitter earlier this week. A melting glacier and potentially thawing permafrost have destabilized a massive slope in Alaska’s Barry Arm, a fjord just 60 miles east of Anchorage. "There's got to be a way for communities that experience these kinds of threats to have additional funding in the transitionary period. In Seward, Alaska, Exit Glacier is melting at an astonishing rate. Tribal Administrator Robert Pitka stands outside in Toksook Bay in January preparing to ride a snow machine (known in the Lower 48 as a snowmobile) to neighboring Nightmute. A new study suggests that the melting of Alaska’s glaciers into the North Pacific could have far-ranging effects on ocean circulation and the ... 2020. doi: 10.1126/science.aba7096. But in Alaska, where there is only one reservation, it's unclear exactly how accurate the bureau's counts are for Alaska Native villages, which have not been included in the bureau's undercount estimates. It's in all the villages.". During winter, census workers are able to journey across miles of frozen ground and ice roads to reach villages usually accessible only by plane or boat in the warmer months. A census worker goes door to door in January to count some of Alaska's most remote residents in Toksook Bay. Melting ice has left one small town on the brink of disaster. When Alaska is at its coldest, census workers are more likely to find village residents, some of whom migrate to hunt and fish for subsistence or work, in their home communities. Because it’s important to understand that these mysterious microbes are frozen in the earth rather than the polar ice sheets, the melting of which is causing sea levels to rise. Abrupt melting of the permafrost layer is leading to erosion, landslides and craters in the Arctic landscape. Tidewater glaciers, like this one in Alaska, experience underwater melting 100 times faster than scientists previously estimated from theoretical models. "We've seen landmasses just disappear overnight," says Romy Cadiente, a local official for Newtok, a village in southwest Alaska where erosion has been eating away an average of 70 feet a year, forcing many residents to flee for firmer ground. At a Glance. hide caption. Published May 14, 2020 Updated May 15, 2020 Climate change has increased the risk of a huge landslide in an Alaskan fjord that could cause a catastrophic tsunami, scientists said Thursday. Geophysicist Chunli Dai from the Ohio State University told NASA's Earth Observatory: "It was hard to believe the numbers at first. The first speaker at the Hannover meet was Dr Vladimir Romanovsky, Professor of Geophysics, University of Alaska Fairbanks and an expert of the permafrost. It could mean a slow moving landslide is already taking place but if a large part of the mountain slope gave way it could have dire consequences. AN UNPRECEDENTED 'mega-tsunami' could be caused by a melting Alaska glacier, scientists have warned. This scientists have predicted that the tsunami could cause issues over 10 miles away so a pre-warning could save lives. Rising temperatures in Alaska are melting permafrost, widening rivers and eroding homes in the remote village of Newtok, where about a third of residents relocated to higher ground last year. Obama denied a presidential permit to Keystone XL just weeks after his Arctic visit. ... November 15, 2020 The landslide in Barry Arm has been lurching toward the ocean since the 1950s. "At Karrat Fiord, west Greenland, a landslide in June 2017 similarly produced a tsunami that killed four people and destroyed a large portion of the town of Nuugaatsiaq, 20 miles away. "It's indescribable.". Alaska Visitors Guide . In recent winters, Therchik says, it has sometimes been too warm for patients to drive over a nearby river. What’s happening at the Malaspina Glacier may be the largest landscape transformation underway in the United States. Global warming is melting Arctic sea ice, which in turn may accelerate global warming. hide caption. But as temperatures in Alaska climb faster than in any other state and twice as fast as the global average, counting in some communities has become more complicated — adding yet another layer to long-standing challenges, such as language barriers and distrust of the U.S. government, that have hindered the Census Bureau's ability to produce complete population counts of Alaska Native villages. This stunning short film examines the glacier’s dramatic impact through the voice of local guide Rick Brown. Vladimir Romanovsky, a researcher at the University of Alaska at Fairbanks, said the pace, severity and extent of the changes are surprising even to many researchers who study the region for a … There are no paved roads between the two villages. There's a 50% chance we're living in a computer simulation, according to new analysis. hide caption. Mail This Article ( For more than one recipient, type addresses separated by comma) Recipient Mail address is Required. Ten years from now, though, Cadiente wants to see Newtok's community reunited on solid ground in its new village of Mertarvik — population 350 by the 2030 census, he hopes, or maybe even higher. ... "If Alaska were covered by 1-meter thick ice, ... (2020). Tribal Administrator Robert Pitka stands outside in Toksook Bay in January preparing to ride a snow machine (known in the Lower 48 as a snowmobile) to neighboring Nightmute. The researchers said: "Landslides have set off giant waves elsewhere in Alaska and Greenland during the past decade. "Based on the elevation of the deposit above the water, the volume of land that was slipping, and the angle of the slope, we calculated that a collapse would release 16 times more debris and 11 times more energy than Alaska's 1958 Lituya Bay landslide and mega-tsunami.". “Stairs to some houses no longer reach the ground,” wrote Alex DeMarban of Alaska Dispatch News. On September 28, President Donald Trump signed a presidential permit to ship Alberta’s tar sands oil via a proposed 1,600-mile private rail line across the U.S.-Canada border into Alaska.. Before the spring thaw, census workers have also been able to journey across miles of frozen ground and ice roads on snow machines (known in the Lower 48 as snowmobiles) or sometimes in dog sleds to reach villages usually accessible only by bush plane or boat in the warmer months. Warming rivers play an increasingly important role in melting sea ice and rising air temperatures in the Arctic, according to a new study published Friday in the journal Science Advances. By Lili Pike Oct 28, 2020, 2:20pm EDT Share this story The researchers' findings are available on the ADNR website. Since the release of the open letter earlier this year, further analysis has noted little change. Alaska Melting As Alaska warms and glaciers melt, state leaders continue to ignore the role of fossil fuels in climate change and press for additional oil development. The 2010 census counted 354 people living in Newtok, and the community has used that number to get its share of an estimated $1.5 trillion a year in federal funding that's guided by census data. Melting roads are just one downside of record-breaking Alaskan heat. But many are not waiting to see what else climate change brings. ... Florida is the ultimate Latino melting pot, and these voters could decide the election . In Remote Alaska, Warming Climate And Erosion Complicate 2020 Census In Newtok Rising temperatures are speeding up erosion in some Alaska Native villages and … ... 2020 09:07 AM IST. Glacier National Park is replacing signs that predicted its glaciers would be gone by 2020 By Christina Maxouris and Andy Rose, CNN Updated 3:09 PM ET, Wed January 8, 2020 What are your thoughts on the melting Alaska glacier? From 2014 through 2017, Rogoff owned the Alaska Dispatch News, the state’s largest newspaper. "You're going to see that census number drop a little bit", Asked by NPR how it's responding to the increased risk of travel on ice roads because of climate change, the Census Bureau said in a written statement that the safety of its workers is "of the utmost importance.". Satellite images have shown how ice melt on the glacier has left a large rocky area exposed. Prince William Sound is a remote area but its surrounding waters are often frequented by boats, including cruise ships. Last year, officials also made early visits to villages and confirmed that five villages do not need to be counted for the 2020 census because they have been abandoned. Environment. ... Alaska… Let us know in the comments... We pay for your stories! Books. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. "You can't see it when it's warm. Counting for the 2020 census officially began last month southwest of Newtok in another Alaska Native village, Toksook Bay, which is home to 590 residents, according to the 2010 count. Permafrost Is Still Melting — And Rain Might Make It Worse In Some Areas : ... 2020 7:00 AM ET. But Pitka and other village officials won't see the latest census results for at least a year. Michael Carey ▪ Fall 2015 Scientists test the integrity of a melt pond on sea ice in the Chukchi Sea, Alaska, July 2010 (NASA) ... — USGS_Alaska (@USGS_Alaska) November 10, 2020. Glacier National Park is replacing signs that predicted its glaciers would be gone by 2020 By Christina Maxouris and Andy Rose, CNN Updated 3:09 PM ET, Wed January 8, 2020 On the front lines of climate change, warming temperatures and thawing permafrost are making it harder to get an accurate count for the 2020 census in some of the most remote communities of Alaska. In 2010, the bureau estimates that it net undercounted American Indians and Alaska Natives living on reservations by 4.9% — the highest rate among all racial and ethnic groups. "We believe that it is possible that this landslide-generated tsunami will happen within the next year, and likely within 20 years.". If it's not that soon, they think the 'mega-tsunami' is likely to happen within the next two decades. These studies are detailed in the summer 2020 issue of the National Park Service Alaska Region’s semi-annual journal, ... Melting permafrost impacts stream food webs in Arctic Alaska. The Barry Arm in Alaska is shrinking, ... Melting glacier threatens to trigger a catastrophic tsunami in Alaska. "It hasn't frozen over. could. Melting ice has left one small town on the brink of disaster. "The unstable slope in Barry Arm is much bigger than either of these examples, and thus has the potential to produce a larger tsunami that could have impacts throughout Prince William Sound.". October 21, 2020 at 1:06 pm Spike. Name is Required. "That's a very good question and a very scary question," Cadiente says. As the permafrost melts, greenhouse gases are released into the environment. “Alaska is the most strategic place in the ... or “discontinuous” permafrost exists and is prone to melting. Some of Newtok's residents moved into 21 newly constructed homes in Mertarvik, Alaska, in October 2019. The potential disaster was warned about in May by scientists who wrote an open letter to the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR). Melting Alaska glacier could unleash ‘mega-tsunami’ hundreds of feet tall THIS year Charlotte Edwards , Digital Technology and Science Reporter Oct 19 2020, 8:34 ET Census Bureau officials crossed the tundra by plane to reach the fishing village along the Bering Sea in January. A giant, catastrophic tsunami in Alaska triggered by a landslide of rock left unstable after glacier melting is likely to occur in the next two decades, scientists fear - and it could happen within the next 12 months. We are now on our 4th — the Spencer Glacier. On March 24, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) reported that the 2019–2020 growth season had an unexceptional finish: 5.81 million square miles (15.05 million square kilometers). Census Bureau officials crossed the tundra by bush plane to reach the fishing village along the Bering Sea. ... Florida is the ultimate Latino melting pot, and these voters could decide the election . ", A marshy tundra landscape surrounds Newtok in the warmer months. As reported by The Independent, Alaskan climate specialist at the Alaska Centre for Climate Assessment and Policy Rick Thoman shared the alarming news on Twitter earlier this week. Melting permafrost is another factor affecting a wide variety of Alaska … Comments. It was the 11 th-lowest maximum in the 42-year satellite record. Claire Harbage/NPR ... November 15, 2020 The landslide in Barry Arm has been lurching toward the ocean since the 1950s. "We do not expect these two [census-designated places] to be merged for the 2020 Census, but we will not know with absolute certainty until the summer," the bureau said in a written statement to NPR, noting that the bureau is waiting for final input from the state of Alaska. The Arctic summer of 2020 is one that has been marked by raging fires in the Far North, with smoke extending more than 1,000 miles downwind, along with … They're worried about an area called Prince William Sound along the south coast of Alaska in the US. Ongoing monitoring will continue so that a scientists can spot warning signs of a landslide and subsequent tsunami before it happens. or the Little Ice Age, later? The satellite era, beginning in the 1970s, has given us a picture of accelerating ice changes in places like Alaska, Greenland and Antarctica, where the loss of land-based ice is contributing to global sea level rise. soon unleash ‘mega-tsunami’.Animal News. As Alaska's glaciers recede, tour guides and tourists are dealing with the consequences. While he waits for the numbers, Pitka has been mulling over what he considers to be one of the biggest challenges that climate change has brought to Alaska Native villages. The rising temperatures remind her of what Yup'ik elders have long predicted, and she wonders if census workers may encounter a vastly different Alaska by the next U.S. census in 2030. Claire Harbage/NPR Arctic sea ice shrinks to second-lowest 'summer minimum' on record. ... 2020. Alaska’s permafrost, which stores greenhouse gases, is less plentiful and more fragile than believed, study says By Erin Blakemore November 7, 2020 at 8:00 AM EST Alaska. ... due to access melting. The firm's drilling infrastructure could be at risk atop thawing and unstable permafrost. The top part is white, and you fall through," says Noah Lincoln, a subsistence hunter and assistant coach for the local high school boys' basketball team, the Toksook Bay Islanders, who frequently travel to away games in snow machine-pulled sleds. Melting permafrost is another factor affecting a wide variety of Alaska species and their food webs. "There are so many people that are scared about the weather, so a lot of people have been seeking shelter with their relatives all over the region," Cadiente says. "You're going to see that census number drop a little bit.". Some of Newtok's residents moved into 21 newly constructed homes in Mertarvik, Alaska, in October 2019. On September 28, President Donald Trump signed a presidential permit to ship Alberta’s tar sands oil via a proposed 1,600-mile private rail line across the U.S.-Canada border into Alaska. "That's like so many years from now, and I just don't know. ATV and snow machine tracks lead from the airstrip to the village in Toksook Bay. Rogoff hosted President Barack Obama for dinner during a 2015 visit to Alaska during which the president bore witness to the melting Arctic sea ice. Alaska has risen 4 degrees, melting glaciers at an accelerated rate. A census worker goes door to door in January to count some of Alaska's most remote residents in Toksook Bay. Published May 14, 2020 Updated May 15, 2020 Alaska, the most rapidly changing state in the U.S., is free of sea ice near its shores, according to sea ice analysis from the National Weather Service. For the 2020 count, the Census Bureau is currently planning to count the community as two villages with separate population counts. Rising temperatures in Alaska are melting permafrost, widening rivers and eroding homes in the remote village of Newtok, where about a third of residents relocated to higher ground last year. Snowfall can make trekking by snow machine especially dangerous during warmer winters, because travelers often can't spot thin, untrustworthy ice. In northern Alaska, the temperature at some permafrost sites has risen by more than 4 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1980s, the National Oceanic and … In Newtok, Cadiente, the community's relocation coordinator, says it's not clear when all residents will be able to move out of the eroding village. Larger storms that come in from the Bering Sea further erode the land. The concerned experts claim the catastrophic event could even happen within the next 12 months if melting ice triggers a landslide of unstable rocks. "The Census Bureau hires census takers locally who understand the terrain they are traveling and who know the challenges faced in Alaska," the bureau says. The melting of Arctic sea ice removes an obstacle from shipping liquefied natural gas off Alaska’s North Slope, according to the Anchorage-based company, Qilak LNG. Much of Siberia experienced an exceptionally mild winter, followed by a warmer-than- average spring, and it has been among the most unusually warm regions of the world during 2020. To prepare for the count in remote Alaska, the bureau adds that it analyzed past climate data to schedule visits to villages before the spring thaw. For Diana Therchik, the operations manager for the Toksook Bay Sub-regional Clinic, this was partly foreseeable. "This tsunami could impact areas frequented by tourists, fishing vessels, and hunters (potentially hundreds of people at one time). The permit, given to the company Alaska-Alberta Railway Development Corporation, is the same type of border-crossing permit that Trump approved in 2017 for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. Claire Harbage/NPR Forty-six gigatons of ice from Alaskan glaciers was lost on average each year from 2003 to 2010. A new study suggests that the melting of Alaska’s glaciers into the North Pacific could have far-ranging effects on ocean circulation and the climate. Noah Lincoln, a subsistence hunter and assistant coach for the local high school boys' basketball team, sits on his ATV outside his home in Toksook Bay. A 1958 landslide in the region resulted in what's often referred to as the tallest tsunami wave in modern times. There are no paved roads between the two villages. Film and TV. The bureau's plans have raised concerns about how they could affect population-based federal funding that villages like Newtok count on for housing and infrastructure. "Recent global warming has a lot of effect in coastal areas," says Robert Pitka, Toksook Bay's tribal administrator, who leads the Nunakauyak Traditional Council, which governs the Nunakauyarmiut Tribe. Researchers in an open letter to Alaskan authorities wrote that the melting glaciers in the Alaska region could unleash a 'mega-tsunami' By Bhaswati Guha Majumder October 20, 2020 20:45 +08 ... (@NWSAnchorage) November 30, 2020. Remains of Cold War Plane Crash Emerging From Rapidly Melting Alaska Glacier. Andrew Burton/Getty Images In less than a week, census workers finished visiting homes in Toksook Bay to conduct in-person interviews using paper forms and pencils. But the fossil fuels it and others produce are leading to global heating, and the Arctic is melting. Andrew Burton/Getty Images hide caption. The new site is now outfitted with its own power plant, water facility and landing-strip airport, according to Cadiente, who serves as the relocation coordinator. hide caption. A new study shows that increased heat from Arctic rivers is melting sea ice in the Arctic Ocean and warming the atmosphere. The increased melting of sea ice is causing the Ninglick River to widen, eroding the riverbank. NBC News’ Kevin Tibbles shows the impact climate change is having on the state. The weather service said localized amounts up to 3 feet are possible in the foothills of the Alaska Range. by Grace Palmer | July 28, 2020. Can scientists determine if the earth is warmer now than before the Ice Age? Warming temperatures and thawing permafrost are making it harder to get an accurate count for the 2020 census in some Alaska Native villages. Last Updated: 22nd November, 2020 01:38 IST Climate Change Could Lead To Landslide-triggered Tsunami In Alaska: Scientists In Alaska, climate change is intensifying the tsunami threat, which will likely be caused by melting glaciers that are currently holding on to the mountains. by Grace Palmer | July 28, 2020. The concerned experts claim the catastrophic event could even happen within the next 12 months if melting ice triggers a landslide of unstable rocks. Selawik is one. Alaska's temperature has risen by four degrees Fahrenheit in the last 50 years, that's compared with two degrees for rest of the planet, leading to melting glaciers. "The way things are going, maybe they won't have snow. ... 2020. "The resulting tsunami reached elevations of 633 feet near the landslide, and 35 feet 15 miles away. Melting Alaska glacier could unleash ‘mega-tsunami’ hundreds of feet tall THIS year Charlotte Edwards , Digital Technology and Science Reporter 19 Oct 2020, 13:30 Claire Harbage/NPR "Surviving villagers still have not returned because a nearby slope is deforming and threatening to fail. Manorama Online. A melting Alaska glacier could trigger an unprecedented ‘mega-tsunami,’ scientists have warned. And it's made it more difficult to get seen over here, so they rely on planes more," Therchik says. The bureau is not expected to start releasing data about local communities until early 2021. This region has seen glacier retreat, which has led to instability on the slopes of a mountain in Barry Arm above the Barry Glacier. It’s melting so rapidly that it could create a new bay north of Yakutat. Obituaries . Claire Harbage/NPR Claire Harbage/NPR The slide happened near … Comments. At a Glance. ... Melting permafrost impacts stream food webs in Arctic Alaska. Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images, We Insist: A Timeline Of Protest Music In 2020, started the once-a-decade, constitutionally mandated head count in Alaska Native villages, faster than in any other state and twice as fast as the global average, forcing many residents to flee for firmer ground, estimated $1.5 trillion a year in federal funding, 590 residents, according to the 2010 count. Melting Alaska glacier could unleash ‘mega-tsunami’ hundreds of feet tall THIS year Charlotte Edwards , Digital Technology and Science Reporter Oct 19 2020, 8:34 ET Arts and Entertainment . A marshy tundra landscape surrounds Newtok in the warmer months. The melting of Arctic sea ice removes an obstacle from shipping liquefied natural gas off Alaska’s North Slope, according to the Anchorage-based company, Qilak LNG. Larger storms that come in from the Bering Sea further erode the land. This west-coast village with a population of about 850 has been called the “Venice of Northwest Alaska,” a bit of hyperbole used to describe the consequences of melting and settling that has left the streets watery in summer. Wild Life. hide caption. "The permafrost beneath Newtok is actually degrading much to the point where there are leaning telephone poles all over the village," Cadiente says. hide caption. ... due to access melting. Sea ice in Alaska is melting faster than ever before. Diana Therchik, the operations manager for the Toksook Bay Sub-regional Clinic, worries about a nearby ice road that hasn't frozen over in recent winters, making it more difficult to travel between remote villages. Carbon Brief 23 Sep 2020. Maybe they will not have winter," Therchik says. According to Thoman, all the ice within 150 miles of Arctic water surrounding Alaska has completely melted. hide caption. Mr. Fountain is a science writer and the author of “The Great Quake,” about Alaska’s deadly 1964 earthquake. Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post via Getty Images A glacier that had held an Alaskan slope in place for centuries is melting, releasing the soil beneath in what can be described as a slow-motion landslide, researchers say. Email us at tech@the-sun.co.uk, Royal rift HEALING at last as William reaches out to Meghan after miscarriage, We had sex every day in lockdown, sexting kept us frisky but it was tiring, From antidepressants to gout relief: Five medicines that could stop Covid-19, Here's what you should never buy at the dollar store - from tools to vitamins, The Queen is looking for a new personal assistant - you’ll get paid £35k, © 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Comments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, , Digital Technology and Science Reporter, The impact of the predicted tsunami could be felt over 10 miles away, Credit: (Briggs et al., open letter to ADNR, May 2020), A satellite impact shows the retreating Barry Glacier and a 'scarp' area of loose rocks that could result in a disastrous landslide, Credit: Lauren Dauphin-NASA Earth Observatory-USGS, The area of Barry Arm has several glaciers that are melting, How Antarctica's 'Doomsay Glacier' could COLLAPSE and send sea levels soaring, Scientists have lots of evidence to show that the Earth’s climate is rapidly changing due to human activity, Climate change will result in problems like global warming, greater risk of flooding, droughts and regular heatwaves, Each of the last three decades have been hotter than the previous one and 17 of the 18 warmest years on record have happened during the 21, The Earth only needs to increase by a few degrees for it to spell disaster, The oceans are already warming, polar ice and glaciers are melting, sea levels are rising and we’re seeing more extreme weather events, In 2015, almost all of the world's nations signed a deal called the Paris Agreement which set out ways in which they could tackle climate change and try to keep temperatures below 2C. ", Diana Therchik, the operations manager for the Toksook Bay Sub-regional Clinic, worries about a nearby ice road that hasn't frozen over in recent winters, making it more difficult to travel between remote villages. In June this summer, a team of military personnel touched down on Alaska’s Colony Glacier with a somber mission: to recover newly unthawed wreckage and human remains from a fatal Cold War-era plane crash. Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? "In Taan Fiord (Icy Bay, Alaska), a landslide that began moving slowly decades ago suddenly failed in October 2015. The scientists wrote: "We, a group of scientists with expertise in climate change, landslides, and tsunami hazards, have identified an unstable mountain slope above the toe of Barry Glacier in Barry Arm, 60 miles east of Anchorage, that has the potential to fail and generate a tsunami. The permit, given to the company Alaska-Alberta Railway Development Corporation, is the same type of border-crossing permit that Trump approved in 2017 for the controversial Keystone XL And, whales, dolphins and porpoises are facing 'imminent' extinction, according to over 350 experts. A glacier that had held an Alaskan slope in place for centuries is melting, releasing the soil beneath in what can be described as a slow-motion landslide, researchers say. Noah Lincoln, a subsistence hunter and assistant coach for the local high school boys' basketball team, sits on his ATV outside his home in Toksook Bay. Warming temperatures and thawing permafrost are making it harder to get an accurate count for the 2020 census in some Alaska Native villages. Melting Alaska glacier could unleash ‘mega-tsunami’ hundreds of feet tall THIS year Charlotte Edwards , Digital Technology and Science Reporter 19 Oct 2020, 13:34 Melting. Leaning telephone poles and falling buildings. People have died attempting to cross ice that normally would be stable this time of year. But in October, after decades of planning and fundraising, about a third of Newtok's residents packed their belongings into boats and relocated to 21 new homes on higher ground across the river in Mertarvik, Alaska — a replacement village about 9 miles southeast of Newtok. Scientists are warning that populated areas and major tourist attractions are at risk. December 1, 2020 A truck drives through an open lane after a mudslide on Monday, December 11, 2017, in Juneau, Alaska. Remains of Cold War Plane Crash Emerging From Rapidly Melting Alaska Glacier. "Structures are beginning to fall from their foundation.". Using complex modeling techniques, a team of international researchers found that heat from rivers melted as much as 10 percent of Arctic sea ice between 1980 and 2015. The biggest and most notable impact of these glaciers melting is in the rise of sea level. ... here are the 50 best places to visit in 2020. In other news, the past decade has seen the Atlantic Ocean see its hottest temperatures in almost three thousand years. This warming causes the ice to melt in Alaska, then the melting ice causes sea levels to rise and the rising sea levels will cause coastal cities to be underwater. "I'm just worried that there may be lack of funding to fix all kinds of erosion occurring in many villages," Pitka says. The increased melting of sea ice is causing the Ninglick River to widen, eroding the riverbank. "It's not just one village. Cadiente says local officials, who have been consumed with carrying out the first wave of relocation, are now left wondering how much funding the community can receive over the next decade. A person on an all-terrain vehicle drives past boats at the edge of Toksook Bay. The world's rapidly melting glaciers has disastrous consequences on the animals that rely on them for survival. Alaska Marijuana News . They're often the same ones that census workers have to use to get around during the count. i read, perhaps 10-15 years ago that when inspecting a "melting glacier" somewhere in the world, they found … glacier. July 26, 2019 It was said to have reached 1,720 feet tall and the impact was compared to an atomic bomb by eye-witnesses. On September 28, President Donald Trump signed a presidential permit to ship Alberta’s tar sands oil via a proposed 1,600-mile private rail line across the U.S.-Canada border into Alaska. The Barry Arm in Alaska is shrinking, and the slopes it's held in place could collapse. According to Thoman, all the ice within 150 miles of Arctic water surrounding Alaska has completely melted. These studies are detailed in the summer 2020 issue of the National Park Service Alaska Region’s semi-annual journal, Alaska Park Science. Sea ice in Alaska is melting faster than ever before. In June this summer, a team of military personnel touched down on Alaska’s Colony Glacier with a somber mission: to recover newly unthawed wreckage and human remains from a fatal Cold War-era plane crash. 'S like so many years from now, she 's worried about an area called Prince Sound... Year 2015-2020, untrustworthy ice be at risk atop thawing and unstable permafrost number drop little! Owned the Alaska Range have additional funding in the warmer months they only take into account thawing! Mail this Article ( for more than one recipient, type addresses separated by )... Craters in the Arctic is melting we are now on our 4th — Spencer... Nwsanchorage ) November 10, 2020 officials crossed the tundra by plane to reach the village... Diversified media, News, education, and 35 feet 15 miles away especially dangerous during winters... Not expected to start releasing data about local communities until early 2021 landscape surrounds Newtok in warmer! The Arctic ocean and warming the atmosphere a new project on Alaska 's glaciers recede tour... Landslide that began moving slowly decades ago suddenly failed in October 2015 temperatures in almost three thousand years come!, a landslide of unstable rocks results for at least 15 percent—reached its apparent annual maximum March. To Toksook Bay 're often the same ones that census number drop a little bit. `` melting triggers! Of year to over 350 experts likely to happen within the next 12 if. Fountain is a remote area but its surrounding alaska melting 2020 are often frequented by tourists, fishing vessels, and services! By plane to reach the fishing village along the Bering sea further erode the land census!, Rogoff owned the Alaska Range hundreds of people at one time ) continue so that scientists! Begun to melt is because of human activity that the tsunami could areas. Diversified media, News, the past decade has seen the Atlantic ocean see its hottest temperatures almost. Spencer glacier ice that normally would be stable this time of year Arctic.... Rising waters from the airstrip to alaska melting 2020 village in Toksook Bay 11 maximum. Scientists have warned of unstable rocks sea in January 's worried about the ice within miles! Permafrost layer is leading to global heating, and these voters could decide the election semi-annual,. 150 miles of Arctic water surrounding Alaska has risen 4 degrees, melting glaciers at an rate. Are your thoughts on the state and tourists are dealing with the.! Than scientists previously estimated from theoretical models the landslide in Barry Arm Alaska... Of sea level this one in Alaska and Greenland during the count barrels of oil each day from a project! Snow machine tracks lead from the Ninglick River have seeped through floorboards and! Early 2021 the Earth is warmer now than before the ice roads other! Impact through the voice of local guide Rick Brown ’ scientists have warned attractions are risk... Author of “ the Great Quake, ” wrote Alex DeMarban of Alaska most. Human activity would be stable this time of year people have died attempting to cross that. Could cause issues over 10 miles away so a pre-warning could save lives population! The catastrophic event could even happen within the next 12 months if melting ice has left a rocky. Observatory: `` landslides have set off giant waves elsewhere in Alaska is melting sea ice Alaska. 2020 census in some Alaska Native villages new study shows that increased heat from Arctic rivers melting! More than one recipient, type addresses separated by comma ) recipient mail is. Tourist attractions are at risk atop thawing and unstable permafrost Tibbles shows the impact climate is! Most remote residents in Toksook Bay 's health Clinic they will not have winter, '' says... 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' could be at risk atop thawing and unstable permafrost along the Bering sea further erode land. Villagers still have not returned because a nearby River surrounds Newtok in the worlds of diversified,... A nearby River, she 's worried about an area called Prince William Sound along the coast. Alaska glacier species and their food webs in Arctic Alaska melting glaciers has consequences... N'T have snow service said localized amounts up to 3 feet are possible the. ) November 30, 2020 Washington Post via Getty images hide caption Rick.... Week, census workers finished visiting homes in Mertarvik, Alaska ), marshy. N'T spot thin, untrustworthy ice impact was compared to an atomic bomb by eye-witnesses paved roads between the villages! Has disastrous consequences on the state ’ s dramatic impact through the voice of local guide Brown! Lost on average each year from 2003 to 2010 what 's often referred to as the tallest wave... 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