Alaska’s red-backed voles show you can’t judge an animal’s behavior by their appearance
The tiny mammals don’t have the physique of a climber, but they’re able to climb up and climb down headfirst — which very few creatures can do.
Science
Illuminating the science of snow, from how it helps sustain communities to what makes it so fun for skiers
Matthew Sturm’s “Field Guide to Snow” provides some of the most interesting anecdotes and data on the history of snow in the state.
Finding the great earthquake of 1900 near Kodiak
Using sources like the readings of seismometers that recorded the seismic waves and written records from the time, a UAF scientist is trying to detail the quake.
Scientists study why the Malaspina Glacier seems to get up and go
The glacier in Southeast hasn’t been studied much in part because it’s so big and remote.
10,000-year-old dog bone found in Alaska offers clue to when humans arrived in Americas
The newly uncovered bone is believed to be the oldest ever found in the Americas.
Alaska could see more dangerous thunderstorms as Arctic sea ice melts and evaporation increases
Researchers predict a tripling of thunderstorms by the end of the century, which could lead to heavier rainfall and flash flooding, landslides and more lightning-sparked wildfires.
Exploring the ‘ghost forest’ that got run over by a glacier in Southeast Alaska
The trees that were mowed over during the mid-1800s by the La Perouse Glacier have been studied to see how living things respond to dramatic changes.
3 Alaska students’ essays have landed on Mars, carried by NASA’s Perseverance rover
The students submitted essays in a contest to name the rover, which landed Thursday on Mars. The rover carried the 155 semifinalist essays, stenciled onto a tiny silicon chip.
Alaska Volcano Observatory to upgrade monitoring system
The system improvements will cover volcanoes from Mount Spurr in south-central Alaska to Kiska Volcano near the end of the Aleutian Islands.
Why power wires sometimes ‘dance’ to an undetectable breeze
As air circulates around at the right frequency, the wires build up oscillation.
Are Venetian blue beads found in the Alaskan tundra the first US import from Europe?
Radiocarbon dating of the Alaska twine and charcoal found near the beads led researchers to believe they arrived sometime between 1440 and 1480, years before Christopher Columbus was even thinking of his journey.
Despite changing and uncertain habitat, Alaska’s bowhead whales appear to be on the rebound
Bowhead numbers in northern Alaska were up in 2020, but there is still plenty of unpredictability facing the species.
Alaska’s all-time cold record turns 50
The reading of minus 80 Fahrenheit was recorded by a weather observer at Prospect Creek Camp just north of the Arctic Circle.
Sightings of lynx, generally stealthy and shrouded, are more common this winter in Alaska’s Interior
Interactions with “nuisance lynx” are leading to speculation that their main food source, snowshoe hares, may be in a down cycle.
A new year brings giant storms, big waves and chilly winds to different parts of Alaska
From minus 78 windchill at Howard Pass to a rarely spotted golden eagle, 2021 has already produced some surprises.
Exploring the gardening potential of the Last Frontier over 100 years ago
Around the turn of the 20th century, Charles C. Georgeson helped establish agricultural experimental stations across Alaska.
‘Granddad’s Arctic isn’t coming back’: Northern Alaska is transitioning to a biologically changed landscape
The 2020 Arctic Report Card, released this month by 134 researchers across Arctic nations, tells a story of change on sea and land.
Where do black-capped chickadees go to survive Alaska’s frigid winter nights?
The tiny birds gorge themselves during the day, find a tiny roost in a tree and shiver their way through the night.
Time stands still on winter solstice, and memories of a friend linger
As we slowly start to regain sunlight later this month, science writer Ned Rozell takes time to remember a friend he lost this year.
This year’s Arctic report tells an ongoing story of change in the north
Scientists and observers gathered virtually this year to review the annual report, but the message remained the same.