Scientists Sound Alarm: Why Are Rivers in Alaska Turning Orange?

Scientists Sound Alarm: Why Are Rivers in Alaska Turning Orange?

Warming soil releases toxic metals that threaten fish and disrupt food chains. In Alaska’s Brooks Range, rivers that were once clear enough to drink have turned a murky orange as toxic metals spread through the water. Warming is thawing long-frozen ground, setting off chemical reactions that are harming fish and disrupting entire ecosystems. As global [...]

Orange Rivers in Alaska Signify a Color-Changing Crisis, Exposing Fish to Toxic Metals

Learn why rivers in northern Alaska are turning orange, causing aquatic ecosystems to become increasingly toxic.

New Study From Alaska Shows Warming Soil Unleashes Metals That are Deadly to Fish and the Food Chain - SnowBrains

A bird’s eye view of a toxic orange stream in Alaska’s Brooks Range shows contaminated water mixing with clear water. To pinpoint when orange streams began appearing, the study authors zoomed out even further and analyzed satellite imagery dating back to 1985. Photo Credit: NPS/Ken Hill A new study detailing the severity of contamination in Alaska’s rivers has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study focus…

Alaska’s Rivers Used To Run Clear, Now They’re Turning Orange For Good

In Alaska’s far north, something strange is happening. Rivers that once ran crystal clear are now turning a rusty orange, and scientists say the shift is permanent. A new study published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has uncovered the hidden force behind this transformation, one that is quietly releasing metals into waterways and reshaping the Arctic landscape for good. Orange Water Showing Up Everywhere Over the last de…