Arctic
Arctic
Featured News
Scientist Spotlight: Ryan Toohey & the Remote Communities of Changing Arctic Landscapes
Scientist Spotlight: Ryan Toohey & the Remote Communities of Changing Arctic Landscapes
Featured Project
Assessment of Critical Landscape Conditions and Potential Change in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Support Habitat Management Decision Making
Assessment of Critical Landscape Conditions and Potential Change in the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to Support Habitat Management Decision Making
The Arctic is experiencing the fastest changes among all of Earth’s landscapes due to climate change. CASC scientists are examining the impacts of rapid permafrost thaw, modeling and predicting future changes in snowfall, and assessing the impacts of climate change on coastal communities in the Arctic. Explore our science in Arctic regions below.
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The Arctic in the Classroom: Study of Landscape Change in Remote Communities of Alaska: A K-12 Citizen Science Initiative toward Sustained Arctic Observations
Alaska’s land, water, plants, wildlife, and seasons are undergoing a great upheaval, and its people, especially the communities living in remote villages are directly and severely impacted by these widespread environmental changes. These changes are not only widespread but also often so rapid that we cannot possibly have enough scientists and professionals on the ground to detect and predict these
Assessing Permafrost Changes and Related Impacts on Alaskan Infrastructure and Communities
Permafrost is a layer of perennially frozen soil that primarily exists in and around the Arctic and Antarctic regions of the world. While a shallow near-surface soil layer (called active layer) thaws during the summer and re-freezes in the winter, the underlying permafrost remains perennially frozen, often underlying buildings, roads, and other infrastructure. As warmer temperatures become more c
Webinar: Impacts of Climate Change and Melting Glaciers on Coastal Ecosystems in the Nearshore Waters of the Gulf of Alaska
View this webinar to learn more about the impacts metling glaciers have on Alaska's coastal wetlands.
Modeling and Predicting Future Changes in Snowfall and Snow Cover in Alaska
Snow is extremely important to a wide range of natural processes in Alaska. Snow cover helps regulate the earth’s temperature and stores water on the landscape. As it melts, snow hydrates the soil and replenishes the freshwater supplies of streams and lakes, providing water for vegetation, wildlife, and human activities such as agriculture and electricity generation. Understanding present and futu
Monitoring Thermokarst on the Landscapes of Northern Alaska
Permafrost – the thick layer of permanently frozen soil found in Arctic regions – has been thawing rapidly over the past century due to climate change. When permafrost thaws unevenly, it produces thermokarst landscapes, irregular surfaces of small hills interspersed with hollows. The processes that produce thermokarst can lead to significant changes within the surrounding ecosystems, altering wate
Impacts of Climate-Driven Changes in Spring Green-Up on Migratory Birds in Alaska
Migratory birds are important for recreation and tourism, contributing to a vibrant birdwatching industry in Alaska. Every spring, hundreds of birds migrate to their summer breeding grounds in Alaska and northern Canada. Their arrival is timed with the height of the spring green-up of plants, which provide the food necessary for birds to reproduce and raise their young. However, over the last fift