Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake Anchorage Walking Tour

Start Your Virtual or Walking Tour

Sea Otter Population Change in Southeast Alaska

Continue to recover and re-occupy historical habitat

Learn More

Looking Back In Time

Helps prepare for future seismic risks

Learn More

Firelight Newsletter

Post-Fire Hazards Impacts to Resources and Ecosystems

Learn More

How Do Marine Heatwaves Impact Seabirds?

New insights

Learn More

North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database Visualization Tool

View Visualization

The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami

60 Years Later

View More

Transboundary Watersheds Geonarrative

View Geonarrative

Alaska Science Center

The mission of the Alaska Science Center is to provide objective and timely data, information, and research findings about the earth and its flora and fauna to Federal, State, and local resource managers and the public to support sound decisions regarding natural resources, natural hazards, and ecosystems in Alaska and circumpolar regions. We have offices in Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks. 

Learn more about our science

In the Spotlight

Sheridan River scour hole

Streambed scour is the leading cause of bridge failure in the United States resulting in over 60 percent of all failures. Since 1993 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has worked with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities to provide hydraulic assessments of scour for bridges throughout Alaska.

Learn More

Current Water Conditions

Alaska view on the National Water Dashboard

Explore real-time Alaska streamflow, groundwater, and water-quality conditions and access data with our new interactive map application.

Current Conditions

ASC Quick Links

News

The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake Anchorage Walking Tour

The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake Anchorage Walking Tour

Mechanisms by Which Heatwaves Impact Seabirds and Marine Ecosystems

Mechanisms by Which Heatwaves Impact Seabirds and Marine Ecosystems

Unveiling Earthquake History

Unveiling Earthquake History

View All

Publications

Observing glacier elevation changes from spaceborne optical and radar sensors – an inter-comparison experiment using ASTER and TanDEM-X data

Observations of glacier mass changes are key to understanding the response of glaciers to climate change and related impacts, such as regional runoff, ecosystem changes, and global sea level rise. Spaceborne optical and radar sensors make it possible to quantify glacier elevation changes, and thus multi-annual mass changes, on a regional and global scale. However, estimates from a growing number o
Authors
Livia Piermattei, Michael Zemp, Christian Sommer, Fanny Brun, Matthias H. Braun, Liss M. Andreassen, Joaquín M. C. Belart, Etienne Berthier, Atanu Bhattacharya, Laura Boehm Vock, Tobias Bolch, Amaury Dehecq, Inés Dussaillant, Daniel Falaschi, Caitlyn Florentine, Dana Floricioiu, Christian Ginzler, Gregoire Guillet, Romain Hugonnet, Andreas Kääb, Owen King, Christoph Klug, Friedrich Knuth, Lukas Krieger, Jeff La Frenierre, Robert McNabb, Christopher Mcneil, Rainer Prinz, Louis C. Sass, Thorsten Seehaus, David Shean, Désirée Treichler, Anja Wendt, Ruitang Yang
By
Ecosystems Mission Area, Alaska Science Center, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

Assessing the risk of climate maladaptation for Canadian polar bears

The Arctic is warming four times faster than the rest of the world, threatening the persistence of many Arctic species. It is uncertain if Arctic wildlife will have sufficient time to adapt to such rapidly warming environments. We used genetic forecasting to measure the risk of maladaptation to warming temperatures and sea ice loss in polar bears (Ursus maritimus) sampled across the Canadian Arcti
Authors
L. Ruth Rivkin, Evan Richardson, Joshua D. Miller, Todd C. Atwood, Steven Baryluk, Erik W. Born, Corey Davis, Marcus Dyck, Evelien de Greef, Kristin L. Laidre, Nick Lunn, Sarah McCarthy-Neumann, Martyn E. Obbard, Megan A. Owen, Nicholas Pilfold, Amélie Roberto-Charro, Oystein Wiig, Aryn Wilder, Colin J Garroway
By
Alaska Science Center

Capelin on the rebound: Using seabird diets to track trends in forage fish populations

Capelin are cold-water forage fish that respond rapidly to fluctuating ocean temperatures. They are prized food for seabirds and other marine predators in Alaska. Researchers have monitored seabird diets at Middleton Island for decades to make connections between changes in abundance of predators and their prey. During a prolonged marine heatwave in the Gulf of Alaska, seabird diets and limited tr
Authors
Mayumi L. Arimitsu, Caitlin Elizabeth Marsteller, John F. Piatt, Scott Hatch, Shannon Wheland
By
Alaska Science Center
View All

Science

link
Spawning sockeye salmon in the Grand Central River, near Nome, Alaska

Q&A: USGS and USFWS Focus on Co-Production

In 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the USGS teamed up to support the use of co-production in the design, implementation, and use of research and collective learning in projects being developed by staff and collaborators.
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Q&A: USGS and USFWS Focus on Co-Production

In 2023, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the USGS teamed up to support the use of co-production in the design, implementation, and use of research and collective learning in projects being developed by staff and collaborators.
Learn More
link
Image: Denali Fault

Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards

Alaska has more large earthquakes than the rest of the United States combined. More than three-quarters of the state’s population live in an area that can experience a magnitude 7 earthquake. Our research provides objective science that helps stakeholders prepare for and mitigate the effects of future earthquakes and tsunamis, which bolsters the economic health and well-being of Alaska and the...
By
Earthquake Hazards Program, Alaska Science Center, Subduction Zone Science
link

Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami Hazards

Alaska has more large earthquakes than the rest of the United States combined. More than three-quarters of the state’s population live in an area that can experience a magnitude 7 earthquake. Our research provides objective science that helps stakeholders prepare for and mitigate the effects of future earthquakes and tsunamis, which bolsters the economic health and well-being of Alaska and the...
Learn More
link
Image shows a road split due to earthquake damage

Hazards in Alaska

A major goal of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is to reduce the vulnerability of the people and areas most at risk from natural hazards. Working with partners throughout all sectors of society, the USGS provides information, products, and knowledge to help build more resilient communities. This site provides important links to a number of hazard related internet sites that provide important...
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Hazards in Alaska

A major goal of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is to reduce the vulnerability of the people and areas most at risk from natural hazards. Working with partners throughout all sectors of society, the USGS provides information, products, and knowledge to help build more resilient communities. This site provides important links to a number of hazard related internet sites that provide important...
Learn More
View All
Was this page helpful?