LEO Network

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

Erosion to Dump and Water Plant
Noatak, Alaska, United States

Permafrost Thaw Threatens Ice Cellars
Arctic food storage system at risk.
Point Hope, Alaska, United States

Community Water Distribution System Freeze Up
We performed a survey of community water lines to see how permafrost thaw and sinking foundations may be impacting homes, water and waste water systems. During the June visit we saw where foundation sinking was putting stress on pipe runs and junctions. Now in the winter we see evidence of freeze up in some of the homes where the junction boxes have been compromised, gaps in the insulation seal, and resulting freeze up and overflow of water.
Selawik, Alaska, United States

River Bank Erosion
Erosion on the banks of the Koyukuk River is increasing in the community of Evansville and Bettles.
Evansville, Alaska, United States

Tundra Slipping Below Sea Level
Melting permafrost causing tundra to slip below sea level in northern Alaska.
North Slope, Alaska, United States

Damage to ATV Bridge
Permafrost thawing causing bridge damage.
Selawik, Alaska, United States

Thawing and Eroding Trail
Permafrost thaw is causing trail in Golovin to erode.
Golovin, Alaska, United States

River Erosion on the Yukon Flats
Yukon Flats community dealing with river erosion and landscape changes that are threatening the loss of traditional harvesting areas.
Fort Yukon, Alaska, United States

Natural Gas Vent
On a rising tide, a line of bubbles from the mud under the water of Ugashik Bay can be observed rising forcefully to the surface.
Pilot Point, Alaska, United States

Erosion Disrupts Swallows
6-3-13 Erosion disrupts swallows - Evansville, Alaska, USA
Evansville, Alaska, United States

Muddy River Raises Salmon Concerns
Thawing permafrost and river bank collapsed on the Cheenik Creek.
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Bluff erosion
9-24-13 Bluff erosion - St. Michael, Alaska
St. Michael, Alaska, USA

Sink hole damages airport
The runway, built in 1958, is over-top of permafrost and frozen soils.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Sewage Lagoon Vulnerable - Coastal Erosion
Coastal erosion potential threat to community sewage lagoon.
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States

Sinkhole Appears Along Road
Sinkhole appears along road
Quinhagak, Alaska, United States

Storm Damage
Series of storms contribute to flooding, erosion, infrastructure damage.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States

Loss of Fuel Header Due to Coastal Erosion
Fuel headers leading to bulk fuel farm out of service due to coastal erosion.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States

Extreme Shore Erosion
Loss of shoreline and subsistence camps.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Gravesite Erosion
Permafrost thaw and storms are drivers.
Teller, Alaska, United States

Thawing ATV Trail
Thawing all-terrain vehicle (ATV) trail.
Chuathbaluk, Alaska, United States

Koyukok River Erosion
7-15-14 River erosion - Evansville, Alaska, USA
Evansville, Alaska, United States

Erosion Threatens Boardwalk
River erosion damaging pedestrian walkway
Kwigillingok, Alaska, United States

Eroding Arctic coastline reveals human bones
When a storm exposes human remains in Barrow, there isn’t an established protocol. They are usually given to the federally recognized Native Village of Barrow for repatriation.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Eye on the Arctic

Coastal Erosion
Coastal erosion near Cape Blossom
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

River Erosion
Shungnak, Alaska, United States

Bluff Erosion
Bluff/cliff side erosion along the Ningikfak River.
Chevak, Alaska, United States

Crack in the Tundra
Possibly an effect of thawing permafrost.
Kipnuk, Alaska, United States

The Alaskan Highway Is Literally Melting
A critical artery is threatened by thawing permafrost.
Tok, Alaska, United States
Bloomberg.com

DEC looks into whether drums in village's drinking water lake pose any hazards
State and North Slope Borough officials say Point Lay’s drinking water lake was wiped out by the nearby Kokolik River, which flooded and eroded the lake banks.
Point Lay, Alaska, United States

Huge Thaw Crater
Downriver from Arctic Village
East Fork Chandalar River, Northeast Interior, Alaska, United States

River Erosion
River erosion along the Yukon River near..?
Yukon River, Alaska, United States

Nome Area Ponds Are Disappearing
Ponds in and around the Nome area are drying up.
Nome, Alaska, United States

Lake Drying
Decades have passed and ponds are drying up.
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Melting permafrost changes Yukon River
Tanana, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Disturbing melody of melting permafrost crater
This tadpole-shaped gash in the Earth's surface - around one kilometre long, and 800 metres wide - is enlarging by up to 30 metres a year.
Yakutsk, Sakha, Russia
Siberian Times

Arctic methane gas bubbles threaten to explode
The bulges are caused when permafrost beneath the soil melts due to "abnormally warm" weather - allowing methane gas to escape and head to the surface
Bovanenkovo, Russia
Mirror

Climate change hits Alaska's rural water systems
Thawing permafrost is warping water and sewer lines. Along the coast and rivers, erosion is threatening the lakes that communities use for drinking water or the lagoons where they dump sewage.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States
KTOO

7,000 massive methane gas bubbles under the Russian permafrost could explode anytime
Yamal Penninsula, Siberia, Russia
ThinkProgress

Medieval Child’s Burial Unearthed in Northern Russia
Salekhard, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
Archeology

Sinkhole pops up at Ft. Wainwright
A sinkhole has opened up on Ft. Wainwright in Fairbanks. The 3-foot diameter void discovered Monday near a housing unit, is suspected to be the result of thawing permafrost.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

‘Doomsday’ seed vault meant to survive global disasters breached by climate change
The seed bank designed to preserve the world’s crops and plants in the event of global disaster isn’t prepared to withstand the greatest global disaster facing our planet: global warming. Melting...
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
The Verge

Drying Ponds and Buttercups
I went to gather some yesterday and there was no water to speak of; in a pond that's has been filled with water my whole life.
Hooper Bay, Alaska, United States

Plenty of water? Canadian Arctic communities on the verge of running out
Looking at a map of Arctic Canada, it seems there are literally thousands of lakes and rivers, yet many Arctic communities are facing water shortages or threats of shortages to come.
Iqaluit, capital of Nunavut Territory, will be facing that problem in the very near future.
Andrew Medeiros (PhD)
Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada
Eye on the Arctic

Methane explodes under Yamal tundra, creates another sinkhole
Locals say they saw flames and smoke as a major bubble of methane blasted below the surface and created another sinkhole in the Russian Arctic peninsula.
Yamal Peninsula, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

Thawing permafrost forces closure of Dawson City's rec centre
Permafrost underneath the structure is believed to have melted since last fall and key parts of the building might not be able to withstand strong winds or an earthquake, according to a professional engineer hired by Dawson City.
Dawson City, Yukon, Canada
CBC News

Permafrost Melt Causing River Erosion
Severe permafrost thaw and erosion along Koyukuk River banks.
Allakaket, Alaska, United States

Debris Eroding from Old Dumpsite
Community concerned about health and safety from old site.
Cheenik Creek, Alaska, United States

As permafrost thaws, village cemeteries sink into swamp
Climate change is thawing the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta’s permafrost, and it’s doing more than cracking foundations, sinking roads and accelerating erosion.
Kongiganak, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

The crater that is growing in Siberia is a climate time bomb
Melting permafrost, which some attribute to climate changes, is creating huge craters in Siberia. The craters are appearing as layers of ice melt, and larg
Batagajka
The Vintage News

Shifting permafrost threatens Alaska village's new airport
Tununak Airport near Bethel is facing a catastrophic problem, as airlines are refusing to land there due to the village's shifting permafrost.
Tununak, Alaska, United States
CBC News

Storm causes flooding, erosion across Northwest Alaska
"Yesterday we came over to do an assessment of the high-water flood storm," said Northwest Arctic Borough Deputy Director of Public Services Dickie Moto, who grew up in Deering. "They lost a lot of ground on the front and on the back side of town because of the high water and rough seas.
Deering, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Thawing permafrost causes $51M in damages every year to N.W.T. public infrastructure: study
An advocacy group has put a price tag on the heaving roads and leaning buildings ubiquitous to the Northwest Territories.
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC News

As permafrost thaws, Western Alaska village cemeteries sink into swampland
In villages like Kongiganak, communities have stopped burying their dead because, as the permafrost melts, the oldest part of their cemetery is sinking.
Kongiganak, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

For Alaskan Coastal Village, Erosion Hits Home
Melting permafrost and major storms are eating away at the coastal Alaskan village of Newtok. Residents are desperate to move, but the U.S. has no climate change policy that could help them.
Newtok, Alaska, United States
NPR

Erosion may force this Southwest Alaska village to move — again
This is not the first time the village of Chefornak has faced the threat of erosion and flooding, but relocating won’t be as easy as it was last time.
Chefornak, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Storm Related Erosion
Without ice to provide protection from storm waves, Port Heiden has lost the old town road.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States

Erosion is creeping toward Alaska’s coastal radar sites
The Air Force is trying to better understand the erosion bearing down on its valuable radar sites.
Kaktovik, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Water Pooling Around Houses and Flooding Ice Cellars
Permafrost thaw is affecting houses, roads, and ice cellars.
Wainwright, Alaska, United States

State reroutes Dalton Highway to protect motorists from migrating ‘blob’
Transportation engineers moved the road to avoid a giant mass of frozen debris sliding downhill.
Livengood, Alaska, United States

Severe Bank Erosion from Permafrost Thaw
Thawing and eroding is destroying river bank, impacting access, threatening infrastructure, and causing safety concerns.
Selawik, Alaska, United States

For methane researcher, golf course bubbles are a first
“It’s an area that I and some other colleagues have started thinking about: can you get methane forming in terrestrial environments? But it’s a very new area of science,” carbon scientist Katey Walter Anthony said.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

The Abandoned Graveyards on a Thawing Arctic Island
Climate change is causing trouble on Herschel Island.
Herschel Island, Yukon Territory
Atlas Obscura

Warming ocean is devouring Alaska’s coast
A permafrost coastline is receding dramatically along Alaska's North Slope region. It could be an indicator of far more massive land losses across the Arctic.
Drew Point, Alaska
Washington Post

State investigates Prudhoe Bay wells after a second North Slope well ‘jacked up’ and leaked oil and gas
The incident appears similar to an oil and gas release in 2017 blamed on thawing permafrost and hot production fluids.
Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, United States

Did you know Mauna Kea has permafrost? ... Well, it might not have it for much longer
“Nobody knows how old it is. We do know that it’s disappearing.”
Mauna Kea, Hawaii, United States

Disappearance of Tundra Ponds
Kettle ponds in Denali National Park contain less water this spring than in previous years, due to low snowfall and permafrost thaw. Shrubs are replacing grasses as the lakes dry.
McKinley Park, Alaska, United States

Napakiak Erosion Worsens After Spring Storms
Napakiak doesn’t have a boat landing anymore. Storms over the past week ate huge chunks from the Kuskokwim riverbank close to the city school and fuel
Napakiak, Alaska, United States

Unprecedented erosion in Akiak swallows up to 100 feet of riverbank
Akiak City Administrator David Gilila says the village is in danger of becoming an island in the Kuskokwim River.
Akiak, Alaska, United States

Alarming wildfires rage near giant ‘Mouth of Hell’ gash in the tundra, a wonder of Siberia
The fires are now raging some 10 to 15 kilometers from the megaslump crater - a large hole in the frozen Arctic soil which highlights the dramatic speed of thawing permafrost.
Батагай, Верхоянский район, Республика Саха, Russia
Siberian Times

Arctic permafrost thawing 70 years early
A new study has found permafrost at outposts in the Canadian Arctic is thawing 70 years earlier than predicted.
Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories, Canada

More than two million hectares on fire in Siberia, with tundra on fire destroying the permafrost
Some 784,931 hectares of wildfires are raging on permafrost zones including the Arctic in Yakutia - officially Sakha Republic - and the Khanty-Mansi autonomous region, causing possibly irreparable damage to the tundra. Other infernos are sweeping through boreal forests which are known as the lungs of the Northern Hemisphere.
Vanavara, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia
Siberia Times

State of emergency in Yakutsk as Russia’s permafrost river dries to a record low
Usually one of the most full flowing in Russia, the river tends to drop the level twice a year - but not by a catastrophic 2-2.5 meters as this year.
Yakutsk, Sakha, Russia
Siberia Times

Russian scientists find 'most powerful' ever methane seep in Arctic Ocean
Russian scientists in the Arctic Ocean said they have discovered the most powerful methane gas fountain ever recorded, highlighting the danger of this greenhouse gas accelerating climate change or causing an oil or gas spill as it erupts from thawing permafrost.
Bennett Island, Russia
The Telegraph

Climate change thaws permafrost
Nils Thomas discovered "sinkhole" in the middle of Finnmarksvidda. Scientists have long warned against this, and now it happened.
Vuohcetjávri, Kautokeino
NRK

Permafrost Thaw and Related Flooding
Concern about permafrost thaw and possible impacts to underground water and wastewater lines.
Golovin, Alaska, United States

Erosion of Gravesites along River

The river is very low and affecting well water quality
Low water on the Noatak River may be the reason behind changes in the water quality in community wells. The water quality began to change in the plant as measured (eventually) by the need for twice as much chlorine and Naclo polymer in order to get an acceptable residual of chlorine. The change indicates that the well recharge had been depleted and the that wells began operating on stored water in the aquifer. This water would have been older, likely anaerobic and higher in organics and in inorganics such as iron and manganese.
Noatak, Alaska, United States

Hill Where Graveyard is Located is Eroding
This year was one of the warmest and wettest in recorded history and permafrost thaw is causing the ground at the community cemetary to thaw and erode. The community is seeking guidance on best practices for relocation of remains.
Brevig Mission, Alaska, United States

Ground Sinking at Historic Mass Burial Site
This year was one of the warmest and wettest in recorded history, and permafrost thaw is causing the ground at the mass gravesite to sink.
Brevig Mission, Alaska, United States

Thaw-related Cracking of Local Roads
Observers seek guidance on causes for road cracks and how to address damage.
Brevig Mission, Alaska, United States

Meshik Village Erosion and the End of Goldfish Lake
Gradual sea ice reduction and reconfiguration of the coast, have increased the rate of erosion near Port Heiden over the course of several decades. Draining of Goldfish Lake brings memories, loss of community landmark, and many emotions.
Port Heiden, Alaska, United States

Gravesite Sinking
Noatak site experiencing thawing and subsidence.
Noatak, Alaska, United States

Erosion of Russian Era Graves
Erosion of Russian era graves is a concern because of history with epidemic, and tribal office has to collect and rebury remains.
St. Michael, Alaska, United States

Settlement of Water Treatment Plant and Numerous Areas in Community
Ground settling is causing a wide range of impacts in Noatak, including to the water treatment plant. But are there benchmarks to monitor the changes in the water plant?

Erosion threatens campsites at Nome River, Fort Davis
Severe erosion at the Nome River mouth has cost Rita Hukill and her family most of their land at their campsite at Fort Davis.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Erosion Threatening Burial Site
A few years ago, people had to cover up parts of the burial site that were becoming exposed.
Wales, Alaska, United States

Thawing causing houses to slide sideways
Staircases are separating from building and utility poles leaning.

The coffins should be safely in the permafrost – now more emergency need to be excavated
Permafrosten på Svalbard kunne gitt dem evig liv. Men nå er historien til hundrevis av hvalfangere i ferd med å tine bort.
Likneset, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
NRK

New Ground Rising from First Lake

State of emergency in Norilsk after 20,000 tons of diesel leaks into Arctic river system
The exact reason of the leak is yet to be established, but a statement from Norilsk Nickel company, which operates the site suggests it could have been caused - worryingly - by collapsing permafrost.
Norilsk, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia
Siberia Times

Permafrost melting is causing above and below ground tanks to shift
Thawing is impacting both above ground and underground fuel storage. They have started on a plan to empty the fuel tank and relocate it or fix the foundation.
Tetlin, Alaska, United States

Tuktoyaktuk working with feds to address climate change and eroding shoreline
"If we can protect the shoreline for another 30 years, it will give us time to move inland because we all can't up and leave tomorrow," Mayor Elias said.
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

Major Coastal Erosion near Kotzebue
The rate of coastal erosion seems to be speeding up near Cape Blossom.
Cape Blossom, Alaska, United States

Cloudberry bogs are collapsing - climate change is to blame
In Finnmark and parts of Troms, good and favorite berry bogs have cracked and disappeared. The reason is warmer and more humid climate. "Almost impossible to reverse," says a bog researcher.
Karasjok, Finnmark Fylke, Norway
NRK

Sunken Earth
Permafrost thaw is causing tundra to sink and pool water.
Chevak, Alaska, United States

Yakutia has a MASSIVE hole in the ground... and it’s growing
Today, the fault measures around a kilometer in length, 800 meters in width and 100 meters in depth, making it the largest permafrost thermokarst sinkhole in the world. Its shape is reminiscent of a gigantic mollusc with a tail.
Ese-Khayya, Sakha, Russia
Russian Beyond

Exposed Permafrost in Tundra
Permafrost is becoming exposed in Western Alaska, in areas where the landscape transitions to tundra.
Alakanuk, 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

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

Arctic permafrost mounds: More than 400 sealed ‘craters’ are ticking time bombs
The mounds are believed to be caused by the build up of methane gas in pockets of thawing permafrost under the surface  Dissecting them like surgical abscesses to release the gas is seen as one solution to avoid future eruptions.
Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada
High North News

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

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

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

Minor to Severe Erosion Across the Region Caused by Strong Bering Sea Storm
Late last week a strong Bering Sea storm hit the region, bringing winds up to 50mph, blowing snow, and high-water. Some communities saw significant erosion while others were mostly unscathed.
Nome, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

The permafrost in Jotunheimen is thawing – We do not know the consequences
Underground, a mighty giant is disintegrating: the permafrost is about to drop its roof. Constantly creeping upwards, the permafrost zone is now 100 meters further up the mountainside than 20 years ago.
Mt. Juvvasshøe, Lom, Innlandet, Norway

Preserved carcass of Ice Age woolly rhino found in Siberian permafrost
The frozen carcass is 80 per cent intact and may be around 34,000 years old. Two extinct cave lion cubs were also found here in the Abyisky district of Yakutia last year close to a tributary of the remote Tirekhtyakh River.
Badyarikha River
Metro

Yukon permafrost thaw reaching 'critical point' in some areas, says researcher
Permafrost in Canada's northwest is thawing much faster than researchers predicted 20 years ago, according to the president of the International Permafrost Association.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Sinkhole opens under Chefornak home, forcing family to evacuate
In Chefornak, a family was forced to evacuate their home because a sinkhole caused by thawing permafrost formed underneath it. That family had to move into a building intended to be a quarantine facility.
Chefornak, Alaska, United States

Sewage Lagoon Project Finally Completed
Abnormally warm winters in 2018 and 2019, in which the ground did not freeze solid enough to support heavy equipment, delayed completion of this project.
Kwigillingok, Alaska, United States
ANTHC Plumb Dandy

Building breaks in middle and collapses 10 meters as thawing permafrost no longer supports stilts
Arctic permafrost is degrading much faster than expected, warn scientists from the extreme north of Yakutia. It took two years for a building in the port town of Chersky on the Kolyma River, to snap in the middle after the once solid permafrost could no longer hold its supporting foundation.
Черский, Нижнеколымский район, Sakha, Russia
Siberian Times

Scientists Assess Risk of Thaw Settlement in Permafrost Regions of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
This research provides a scientific reference for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of engineering facilities in the permafrost region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China
Mirage News

Thawing Permafrost and Subsidence Causing On-going Water System Challenges
Multiple buildings and homes, including the Point Lay clinic, were without water. The water main break was a result of the water main sinking down further into the permafrost.
Point Lay, Alaska, United States

Permafrost degradation affects hydrological factors in source area of Yellow River
Climate warming has accelerated the permafrost degradation, which influences the processes of water supply, runoff and discharge in the Source Area of the Yellow River (SAYR) in the northeast of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China
Phys.Org

Rapid permafrost thaw expected in N.W.T., Yukon after heat wave, experts warn
The heat wave sweeping through the N.W.T. and Yukon will have a major impact on permafrost thaw in both territories, experts warn.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Melting permafrost is giving much of northern Alaska a sinking feeling
“We’re dropping in elevation because we live on ice cubes,” says a scientist trying to map permafrost.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

Erosion impacting wells and transmission line
River erosion in Noatak is posing a threat to wells and transmission lines along the bank as the river ebbs closer.

Southwest Alaska community on Bering Sea coast experiences severe flooding
Kwigillingok, a community on the Bering Sea coast of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, is used to some flooding during high tides. But in recent years, that flooding has grown more severe, reaching a new threshold last week.
Kwigillingok, Alaska, United States

Downstream Erosion after Heavy Rain in Brooks Range
Photos show some of the erosion caused by surge of high water in late June on the Noatak River. As of June 29th, 24 feet of bank have been lost adjacent to the Noatak Airport, and 28 feet adjacent to the landfill.

Permafrost is ablaze with hundreds of wildfires in world’s coldest region
Wildfires on permafrost are ravaging Yakutia - or the Sakha Republic - the largest and coldest entity of the Russian Federation. The scale is mesmerizing. There are some 300 separate fires, now covering 12,140 square kilometers - but only around half of these are being tackled, because they pose a threat to people. The rest are burning unchecked.
Sakha, Russia

Trans-Alaska pipeline under threat from thawing permafrost
The slope of permafrost where an 810-foot section of pipeline is secured has started to shift as it thaws, causing several of the braces holding up the pipeline to tilt and bend, according to an analysis by the Alaska Department of Natural Resources.
High North News

Landslide closes park road at Denali, buses stranded for about five hours
Of the 140 unstable slopes along the 92-mile park road, Pretty Rocks has the most potential to disrupt traffic.
Cantwell, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Rapid Erosion Exposes Old Landfill
Unusual high water all summer in Noatak, causing massive erosion towards the airport and old buried landfill, exposing old trash into the river.

Kobuk Rain and High-water Flood
After significant rain and high water from the Kobuk River the Native Village of Kobuk is now flooded.
Kobuk, Alaska, United States

Bank erosion putting community water wells and transmission line in danger
Community Water System at Risk: Extreme precipitation throughout the summer and sustained high water has resulted in erosion of the location for the water transmission line and Noatak's two water wells.

How floor repair of 'igloo church' in Arctic Canada could offer deeper look into North's permafrost
The church is no outlier — several buildings in the community are affected by freeze-thaw cycle of permafrost.
Even an iconic church is not immune from changing permafrost.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada
Eye on the Arctic

Summer thawing impacts on utility poles and shoreline
Thawing permafrost and erosion is resulting in the loss of infrastructure in Newtok. These images show impacts on utility poles, and the shoreline.
Newtok, Alaska, United States

Erosion at Cape Blossom
"The sea level rise and wind is making this happen because it is really vulnerable. We are always really amazed every time we go out there with the change, and pieces of earth the size of a house falling over."
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Climate Change Melts Permafrost, Transforms Landscape in Russia's North
Video | In northern Siberia, the warming climate is leaving people feeling like the ground is "going out from under their feet."
Arctic Russia
The Moscow Times

Alaska’s most prominent permafrost cliff is one of a kind
Called yedomas in Russia, the mounds of land are much more populous there.
Itkillik River

A one of a kind northern permafrost cliff
In northern Alaska, an amphitheater of frozen ground thaws where a northern river cuts into it, exposing walls of ice. The feature, known by scientists as “yedoma,” is the largest of its kind yet found in Alaska. A great wall of ice holds a lot of treasures from the past, which science is eager to explore.
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

25-30 reindeer drowned in the river today
25-30 reindeer drowned in the Kautokeino River today after a herd of reindeer passed through the ice. The accident happened when the herd of reindeer was crossing the fragile ice on the river. This is the third similar incident in the area in a couple of weeks. Yesterday, three reindeer went through the ice. They were all rescued alive. This article is also available in the Sami language at this
Heammogietti, Kautokeino, Troms og Finnmark fylke, Norway

Bank erosion exposing old landfill contents
A fisherman was coming home from fishing last night and noticed (what he thought was) a coffin sticking out of the old gravesite above one of the markers I used to measure erosion with last summer. It turned out to not be a coffin, but rather an old air duct or metal meat trailer.

In the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation due to the melting of permafrost, from 22 to 100 percent of buildings are deformed
What can be done to avoid man-made accidents and emergencies? According to Vostokgosplan experts, the use of special thermal stabilizers will help ensure the stability of the Arctic infrastructure.
Arctic Russia
Российская газета

River erosion threatens road
Noatak has lost 19' of river bank since May 19th. Now the road to the community gravel source is failing.

Huge section of river bank collapses in Noatak
The collapse was documented with drone imagery as was a permafrost rebound signature in the river water.

River erosion threatening old dump site
Community gravel source and old dump site threated by erosion.

30,000-year-old mummified baby mammoth found in Canada’s Yukon permafrost
On June 21, 2022, when miners working on Eureka Creek in the Klondike gold fields within Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin Traditional Territory made an astonishing discovery.There, covered over by permafrost, they found the near-perfect mummified remains of a baby woolly mammoth.
Moosehide Creek, Yukon, Canada
SyFy

Sudden lake draining event
"The event occurred on June 29th, on our native allotment near Kotzebue (Illivak). We left home in the morning and when we came back around 8:00 PM in the evening the whole lake had drained! It looked like it was blown up with dynamite."
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Along Utqiaġvik’s eroding coast, hope that a seawall can help keep the community safe
In Utqiaġvik, where the coast is eroding at some of the fastest rates in the nation, storms, flooding and thawing permafrost damage houses, roads and cultural sites. Ice forms later each year and storms are becoming longer and more severe.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

Storm unearths ancient tusks
The aftermath of Typhoon Merbok left fuel tanks floating and home flooded, but locals also saw an opportunity.
Newtok, Alaska, United States

Up river effect from Typhoon Merbok
The heavy rains and high water from storm Murdok today and Monday are contributing to the erosion of the old landfill and river bank.

Storm Merbok causes erosion to cemetary
The erosion of the Old Russian Cemetery from the impacts of the storm Merbokis also an unfinished process. The earth is actively moving, falling onto the beach bit by bit and sometimes in large chunks every day, to reach a state of stabilization after the storm.
St. Michael, Alaska, United States

Alaska's newest lakes are belching methane
Permafrost is ground that stays frozen year round; the permafrost in interior Alaska also has massive wedges of actual ice locked within the frozen ground. When that ice melts, the ground surface collapses and forms a sinkhole that can fill with water. Thus, a thermokarst lake is born. At first glance, Big Trail looks like any lake. But look closer and there's something disturbing the surface: bubbles.
Phys.org

Severe Erosion in Newtok
A site visit to Newtok on September 30, shows severe erosion from impacts of storm (typhoon Merbok). The images show both severe permafrost melt and river erosion.

Slide buries highway, strands residents
Two heavy rainstorms caused flooding and landslides in the upper valley last week, damaging infrastructure and leaving two residents temporarily trapped in their vehicle.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

After September storm, Newtok residents are desperate to relocate
Melting permafrost and severe erosion have plagued the community for decades. The most recent storm brought waves so fierce, the water claimed roughly half of the 80 or so remaining feet of land that stands between the back end of the school and the edge of the Ningliq river.
KYUK

Thawing causing cemetery to sink
Permafrost thaw in Noatak is causing the condition of the grave site to degrade. A trench has formed and crosses are tipping over.

Alaska’s Arctic Waterways Are Turning a Foreboding Orange
Increase in sediments such as iron could change quality of water sources for local communities such as Kobuk and Kivalina. The impact on animals and plants are unknown and researchers are aware of potential changes in the food web in the future.
Brooks Range, Alaska, United States
WIRED

Sinking in
The community of Aklavik, N.W.T., persevered when devastating floods led the government to attempt to relocate it. Now it faces another existential crisis as climate change thaws the permafrost, forever changing the community’s landscape and wildlife.
Aklavik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Erosion Impacting Vegetation and Roads
This post is an update on the river erosion situation in Noatak, where a new channel is being cut by the Noatak River.

Huge landslide misses Swiss mountain village of Brienz ‘by a hair’
Rockfall buries access road but stops just in front of hamlet, which had been evacuated in anticipation.
Brienz, Bern, Switzerland
the Guardian

July was Utqiaġvik’s warmest month in the past century
The average temperature in July was 48.4 degrees — 6.7 degrees above normal, with 11 hot days in a row. Such extreme warmth can accelerate the greening and permafrost thaw on the North Slope.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

DOT to evaluate cracks on Kivalina evacuation road
Kivalina residents report cracks on the sides of the recently built evacuation road which connects the village to the storm refuge site and the school. The team with the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities plans to visit the village and assess the damages at the end of August.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

Rain continues to impact Noatak River
Heavy rains have elevated river levels throughout August and September. High water continues to erode the river bank in the community. The photos show a tree that was 22 feet from the edge is know 3 feet. Total erosion has reached 91 ft. by old landfill and new mark shows 112 ft. marker.

Protecting roads and water infrastructure from erosion
River erosion is impacting the road and requiring the replacement of health infrastructure.
Huslia, Alaska, United States

A year after the Merbok Storm: Impacts on Cemetery
The Merbok storm of 2022 impacted the Old Russian Cemetery in Saint Michael. This cemetery was created in the 1830s when the northernmost outpost of the Russian American Company was established in that village. People were interred in that cemetery for about 100 years. The cemetery is on a 30 foot high bluff overlooking the bay.
St. Michael, Alaska, United States

Permafrost slump near Alaska Highway in Yukon eats up 13 more metres of land
The slump is so close to the Alaska Highway, the Yukon government is moving the road, creating a new section that will help protect the only year-round road linking parts of the Yukon, and the U.S. state of Alaska, to the rest of the continent.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Later frosts could make new crops possible in Alaska, but climate change brings challenges, too
Shifting seasons and hotter temperatures could allow Alaska farmers to grow more abundant and diverse produce. But climate change can also bring drought, pests and permafrost thaw.  Human-caused climate change is bringing longer and warmer growing seasons, but also pests and unstable weather.
KTOO

Storm erodes shoreline at Shishmaref
High winds that pushed water high up on south facing shores of the Seward Peninsula cause shoreline erosion on the Chukchi Sea coast of Shishmaref, last week.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Storm erodes shoreline at Shishmaref
A storm caused shoreline erosion in Shishmaref, Alaska, but no evacuations were needed as the new seawall held and damage was minimal.
The Nome Nugget

Little Diomede city building slides off its foundation, leaving community vulnerable for more damage
A city building in Little Diomede, Alaska, slid off its foundation, threatening the structural integrity of adjacent buildings and critical services, with the community seeking immediate assistance.
Diomede, Alaska, United States

Dozens of Newtok students attend classes in a school that’s coming apart
Rapid erosion and permafrost degradation mean school district officials are in a race to shore up the building for the remainder of the school year.
KYUK

Monitoring underway at N.W.T. archaeological sites threatened by climate change
As the impacts of climate change threaten vital historical sites across the Northwest Territories, the territory's climate change archaeologist is working with communities to mitigate the damage.

Spring bank erosion and icicle formation
LEO Member Jeffrey Luther has been documenting erosion along the Noatak River for many years. His drone footage this spring captures new bank erosion features and icicle formations.

Climate change causing Siberia's Batagay crater expansion amid environmental concerns
A vast crater in Siberia, known as the Batagay crater or megaslump, has garnered attention for its remarkable growth and impact on the surrounding landscape. Locals have mixed feelings about the crater, with some fearing it due to mysterious sounds it emits, while others explore the site, which locals call “the cave-in.”
Ese-Khayya, Sakha, Russia
ArcticToday

Small Sinkhole in the Village
Is this a sign of more to come? Land changes raises questions about possible causes.
Anvik, Alaska, United States

River erosion threatening community water supply
Erosion of the shoreline on Well Island is threatening the water line that connects the village of Noatak to their water supply. The Tribal Health System is coordinating with the federal agencies and state and borough to support water supply needs and repairs.

Erosion continues along Noatak River
High water throughout the summer continues to erode the river bank.

Damage from permafrost melting in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation may exceed 10 trillion rubles
The article discusses the potential economic impact of permafrost melting in Russia's Arctic zone, estimating damages could exceed 10 trillion rubles by 2050 due to infrastructure collapse and other issues.
Norilsk, Krasnoyarskiy, Russia

Storm Submerges Kotzebue
A record storm caused extensive flooding in Kotzebue, Alaska, submerging the town and prompting community concern and relief efforts.

Fall 2024 Storm Exposed Coastal Permafrost
A severe fall storm in 2024 exposed coastal permafrost in Kotzebue, revealing ice layers previously covered by clay or plants and raising concerns about increased melting and environmental contamination.

All public services decommissioned and shut down: Newtok's end is imminent
Newtok faces imminent shutdown due to severe infrastructure risks and erosion, with remaining residents relocating to temporary homes in Mertarvik.

Newtok shuts down its critical infrastructure
Newtok, a community in Alaska, has shut down power and water services as part of a relocation effort due to permafrost deterioration and coastal erosion dangers.
KYUK

Young mammoth remains discovered in Siberian permafrost after roughly 50,000 years
A juvenile mammoth was found in Siberian permafrost, remarkably preserved for over 50,000 years, near Batagaika crater.
Batagaika crater, Siberia, Russia

Self-sustaining soil cavity hole
A small soil cavity in the UAF North Campus boreal forest remains open all winter, maintaining a steady temperature and emitting high CO2 levels, which is unusual for its self-sustaining nature and potential implications for permafrost research.

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