Alaska

Arctic rivers face big changes with warming climate, permafrost thaw and accelerating water cycle • Alaska Beacon

Published

2 years ago

March 9, 2024

Arctic rivers face big changes with warming climate, permafrost thaw and accelerating water cycle • Alaska Beacon

As the Arctic warms, its mighty rivers are changing in ways that could have vast consequences – not only for the Arctic region but for the world.

Rivers represent the land branch of the earth’s hydrological cycle. As rain and snow fall, rivers transport freshwater runoff along with dissolved organic and particulate materials, including carbon, to coastal areas. With the Arctic now warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the world, the region is seeing more precipitation and the permafrost is thawing, leading to stronger river flows.

Major river basins of the Arctic region are mapped.
(NOAA Arctic Report Card image)

We’re climate scientists who study how warming is influencing the water cycle and ecosystems. In a new study using historical data and sophisticated computer models of Earth’s climate and hydrology, we explored how climate change is altering Arctic rivers.

We found that thawing permafrost and intensifying storms will change how water moves into and through Arctic rivers. These changes will affect coastal regions, the Arctic Ocean and, potentially, the North Atlantic, as well as the climate.

Thawing permafrost: Big changes in Arctic soils

Permafrost thaw is one of the most consequential changes that the Arctic is experiencing as temperatures rise.

Permafrost is soil that has been frozen for at least two years and often for millennia. It covers approximately 8.8 million square miles (about 22.8 million square kilometers) in Earth’s Northern Hemisphere, but that area is shrinking as the permafrost thaws.

Erosion reveals ice-rich permafrost near Teshekpuk Lake, Alaska.(Photo by Brandt Meixell/USGS) — Erosion reveals ice-rich permafrost near Teshekpuk Lake, Alaska.
(Photo by Brandt Meixell/USGS)

Historically, most water going into Arctic rivers flows atop frozen permafrost soils in spring. Scientists call this “overland runoff.”

However, our results suggest that as warming continues, an increasing fraction of annual river flow will come from under the surface, through thawed soils in the degrading permafrost. As the overall flow increases with more precipitation, as much as 30% more of it could be moving underground by the end of this century as subsurface pathways expand.

When water flows through soil, it picks up different chemicals and metals. As a result, water coming into rivers will likely have a different chemical character. For example, it may carry more nutrients and dissolved carbon that can affect coastal zones and the global climate. The fate of that mobilized carbon is an active area of study.

More carbon in river water could end up “outgassed” upon reaching placid coastal waters, increasing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, which further drives climate warming. The thaw is also revealing other nasty surprises, such as the emergence of long-frozen viruses.

More rain and snow, more runoff

The Arctic’s water cycle is also ramping up as temperatures rise, meaning more precipitation, evaporation, plant transpiration and river discharge. This is primarily due to a warmer atmosphere’s inherent ability to hold more moisture. It’s the same reason that bigger snowstorms are occurring as the climate warms.

Our study found that the bulk of the additional precipitation will occur across far northern parts of the Arctic basin. As sea ice disappears in a warming climate, computer models agree that a more open Arctic Ocean will feed more water to the atmosphere, where it will be transported to adjacent land areas to fall as precipitation.

Changes projected this century in annual rainfall and snowfall simulated by the computer model used in the study. Red areas represent increases.(Rawlins and Karmalkar, 2024, image) — Changes projected this century in annual rainfall and snowfall simulated by the computer model used in the study. Red areas represent increases.
(Rawlins and Karmalkar, 2024, image)

More snow in northern Alaska, Siberia and Canada will lead to more water flowing in rivers, potentially up to 25% more under a high-warming scenario based on our research. There is more carbon in the soil in northern parts of the Arctic compared with the south. With permafrost thaw, those regions will also see more water coming into rivers from below the surface, where additional soil carbon can leach into the water and become dissolved organic carbon.

More old carbon is already showing up in samples gathered from Arctic rivers, attributed to permafrost thaw. Carbon dating shows that some of this carbon has been frozen for thousands of years.

Impacts will cascade through Arctic ecosystems

So, what does the future hold?

One of the most notable changes expected involves the transport of fresh water and associated materials, such as dissolved organic carbon and heat energy, to Arctic coastal zones.

James McClelland of the Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research program examines a water sample from a stream near Utqiagvik on Alaska’s North Slope. The brown tint is dissolved organic matter. (Photo by Michael A. Rawlins)

Coastal lagoons may become fresher. This change would affect organisms up and down the food chain, though our current understanding of the potential affects of changes in fresh water and dissolved organic carbon is still murky.

River water will also be warmer as the climate heats up and has the potential to melt coastal sea ice earlier in the season. Scientists observed this in spring 2023, when unusually warm water in Canada’s Mackenzie River carried heat to the Beaufort Sea, contributing to early coastal sea ice melting.

Fresh water flowing from rivers such as Canada’s Mackenzie River, at the bottom center of the satellite image, into the Beaufort Sea can break up sea ice early. (NASA Earth Observatory image)

Finally, more river water reaching the coast has the potential to freshen the Arctic Ocean, particularly along northern Eurasia, where big Russian rivers export massive amounts of fresh water each year.

There are concerns that rising river flows in that region are influencing the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, the currents that circulate heat from the tropics, up along the U.S. East Coast and toward Europe. Evidence is mounting that these currents have been slowing in recent years as more fresh water enters the North Atlantic. If the circulation shuts down, it would significantly affect temperatures across North America and Europe.

At the coast, changing river flows will also affect the plants, animals and Indigenous populations that call the region home. For them and for the global climate, our study’s findings highlight the need to closely watch how the Arctic is being transformed and take steps to mitigate the effects.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Alaska

Alaska Sports Scoreboard: Feb. 28, 2026

Published

7 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

High school

Basketball

Girls

Monday

Kenai Central 63, Nikiski 33

Colony 68, Grace Christian 46

Tuesday

South 33, East 22

Service 62, Dimond 47

Redington 47, Houston 17

Wasilla 60, Mountain City Christian Academy 44

Kenai Central 54, Homer 27

Bartlett 53, Chugiak 29

Mt. Edgecumbe 59, Sitka 50

Wednesday

Shishmaref 82, Aniguiin 34

Shaktoolik 73, Anthony Andrews 25

Savoonga 61, White Mountain 56

Glennallen 68, Nenana 26

Seward 72, Houston 8

Service 65, South 26

Brevig Mission 65, Koyuk Malimiut 47

Chief Ivan Blunka 67, Manokotak 30

Thursday

White Mountain 76, Anthony Andrews 50

Hoonah 44, Skagway 21

Koyuk Malimiut 53, Aniguiin 51

Nunamiut 74, Kali 17

Glennallen 25, Delta 20

Birchwood Christian 42, Nanwalek 24

Ninilchik 33, Lumen Christi 30

Dimond 59, Chugiak 54

Shaktoolik 57, Savoonga 24

Colony 43, Mountain City Christian 41

Alak 67, Meade River 66

Lathrop 42, West Valley 34

Seward 78, Nikiski 32

Grace Christian 56, Soldotna 41

Kenai Central 56, Houston 10

Wasilla 72, Palmer 27

Bristol Bay 55, Chief Ivan Blunka 30

Nome-Beltz 33, Bethel 24

Scammon Bay 46, Ignatius Beans 28

Aniak 83, Akiachak 45

Shishmaref 53, Brevig Mission 51

Metlakatla 64, Haines 21

Friday

Chief Ivan Blunka 68, Togiak 38

Meade River 80, Nuiqsut Trapper 34

Nunamiut 68, Alak 50

Cook Inlet Academy 33, Birchwood Christian 32

Meade River 71, Kali 46

Kalskag 62, Akiachak 47

Hoonah 39, Kake 37

Soldotna 36, Palmer 23

Delta 54, Valdez 45

Unalakleet 61, Chevak 45

Minto 46, Hutchison 26

West 71, Bartlett 65

Seward 63, Homer 19

North Pole 61, West Valley 25

Newhalen 78, Chief Ivan Blunka 40

Birchwood Christian 43, Nanwalek 28

Bethel 42, Nome-Beltz 35

Aniak 65, Tuluksak 50

Scammon Bay 49, St. Mary’s 38

Monroe Catholic 84, Galena 42

Ketchikan 57, Redington 24

Meade River 69, Alak 62

Fort Yukon 60, Jimmy Huntington 19

Grace Christian 50, Kenai Central 45

Shaktoolik 44, Shishmaref 34

Wrangell 44, Petersburg 31

Saturday

Unalakleet 41, Chevak 37

Meade River 54, Nunamiut 51

Monroe Catholic 68, Galena 32

Newhalen 32, Bristol Bay 26

Cook Inlet Academy 65, Birchwood Christian 32

Soldotna 55, Palmer 42

Nunamiut 48, Meade River 46

Boys

Sunday

SISD 51, Yakutat 18

Monday

Eagle River 54, Birchwood Christian 52

Colony 69, Grace Christian 64

Kenai Central 68, Nikiski 30

Tuesday

Susitna Valley 48, Lumen Christi 46

Dimond 54, Service 47

South 50, East 46

Houston 53, Redington 40

Wasilla 63, Mountain City Christian Academy 50

Kenai Central 74, Homer 47

Chugiak 66, Bartlett 45

Wednesday

SISD 59, Yakutat 17

Shishmaref 85, Savoonga 45

Hydaburg 58, Hoonah 51

Shaktoolik 103, Martin L Olson 49

Skagway 68, Gustavus 24

Davis-Romoth 108, Kobuk 31

Klawock 68, SISD 27

Glennallen 61, Nenana 57

Gambell 46, James C Isabell 31

South 63, Service 60

Seward 81, Houston 73

Bristol Bay 80, Chief Ivan Blunka 61

Mt. Edgecumbe 68, Sitka 59

Scammon Bay 79, Ignatius Beans 34

Brevig Mission 73, Aniguiin 67

Thursday

Savoonga 69, James C Isabell 61

Hoonah 64, Yakutat 45

Alak 88, Meade River 38

Shaktoolik 110, Brevig Mission 30

Chief Ivan Blunka 62, Tanalian 39

Nunamiut 66, Kali 48

Davis-Romoth 91, Buckland 45

Ninilchik 83, Lumen Christi 38

Monroe Catholic 43, North Pole 42

King Cove 57, Bristol Bay 41

Metlakatla 52, Haines 46

Nome-Beltz 62, Bethel 45

Skagway 79, Angoon 30

Birchwood Christian 69, Nanwalek 63

Dimond 60, Chugiak 57

Colony 75, Mountain City Christian Academy 49

Wasilla 66, Palmer 40

Klawock 63, Hydaburg 49

Shishmaref 58, Gambell 47

Grace Christian 63, Soldotna 52

Seward 66, Nikiski 51

Kenai Central 61, Houston 48

Nuiqsut Trapper 64, Alak 51

West Valley 51, Lathrop 44

Akiachak 83, Akiak 64

Scammon Bay 62, Marshall 54

Friday

Hoonah 71, SISD 38

Hydaburg 61, Kake 50

Chief Ivan Blunka 73, Bristol Bay 68

Kali 63, Meade River 45

Nunamiut 80, Nuiqsut Trapper 62

Service 58, East 50

Angoon 61, Hoonah 56

Cook Inlet Academy 73, Birchwood Christian 34

King Cove 75, Newhalen 39

Petersburg 53, Wrangell 20

Skagway 46, Klawock 43

Metlakatla 50, Haines 42

Nome-Beltz 71, Bethel 43

Juneau-Douglas 67, Tri-Valley 45

Wasilla 73, Chugiak 43

West 83, Bartlett 36

Colony 73, Kodiak 32

Delta 62, Valdez 54

West Valley 72, North Pole 46

Palmer 57, Soldotna 47

Nenana 55, Cordova 53

Chief Ivan Blunka 63, Manokotak 48

Scammon Bay 67, St. Mary’s 54

Unalakleet 87, Chevak 64

Shaktoolik 73, Shishmaref 54

Saturday

Unalakleet 95, Chevak 44

Cook Inlet Academy 95, Birchwood Christian 50

South 73, Eagle River 35

Palmer 45, Soldotna 40

• • •

College

Hockey

Friday

UAF 2, UAA 0

Saturday

UAA vs. UAF (Late)

• • •

Women’s basketball

Thursday

UAA 79, Western Oregon 58

Saint Martin’s 99, UAF 59

Saturday

Western Oregon 73, UAF 58

UAA vs. Saint Martin’s (Late)

• • •

Men’s basketball

Thursday

Saint Martin’s 77, UAF 65

UAA 80, Western Oregon 59

Saturday

UAF 82, Western Oregon 74

UAA vs. Saint Martin’s (Late)

• • •

NAHL

Friday

Anchorage Wolverines 5, Chippewa Steel 4

Saturday

Anchorage Wolverines vs. Chippewa Steel (Late)

• • •

2026 Fur Rondy Frostbite Footrace

5K Women

1. Courtney Spann, Anchorage, AK 26:05; 2. Racheal Kerr, Alakanuk, AK 26:07; 3. Anne-Marie Meyer, Yakima, WA 27:06; 4. Riann Anderson, Anchorage, AK 27:09; 5. Nevaeh Dunlap, Anchorage, AK 27:47; 6. Rita McKenzie, Anchorage, AK 27:55; 7. Marta Burke, Anchorage, AK 28:08; 8. Rachel Penney, Eagle River, AK 29:24; 9. Victoria Grant, Eagle River, AK 29:33; 10. Gretchen Klein, Craig, AK 29:36; 11. Penny Wasem, Willow, AK 29:42; 12. Chantel Van Tress, JBER, AK 29:51; 13. Janet Johnston, Anchorage, AK 30:18; 14. Dianna Clemetson, Anchorage, AK 31:33; 15. Sarah Hoepfner, Anchorage, AK 32:02; 16. Ireland Hicks, Seward, AK 33:21; 17. Lilly Schoonover, Seward, AK 33:21; 18. Suzanne Smerjac, Anchorage, AK 33:32; 19. Mindy Perdue, Wasilla, AK 34:12; 20. Oxana Bystrova, Anchorage, AK 34:23; 21. Charlene Canino, Anchorage, AK 34:49; 22. Tami Todd, Wasilla, AK 34:50; 23. Kaiena Tuiloma, Anchorage, AK 34:57; 24. Meg Kurtagh, Anchorage, AK 35:05; 25. Larue Groves, Chugiak, AK 35:13; 26. Rose Van Hemert, Anchorage, AK 36:12; 27. Morgan Daniels, Crestview, FL 36:25; 28. Elle Kauppi, Anchorage, AK 37:31; 29. Miranda Gibson, Wasilla, AK 37:46; 30. Caroline Secoy, JBER, AK 37:46; 31. Jordyn McNeil, Palmer, AK 38:29; 32. Ryan Plant, Palmer, AK 38:30; 33. Samantha Williams, Anchorage, AK 39:00; 34. Wendy Heck, Willow, AK 39:33; 35. Stephanie Kesler, Anchorage, AK 43:29; 36. Denise Wright, Anchorage, AK 43:50; 37. Brie Flores, Anchorage, AK 46:14; 38. Anabell Lewis, Anchorage, AK 46:15; 39. Jessica Lose, Anchorage, AK 46:18; 40. Kaylie Bylsma, Anchorage, AK 46:18; 41. Alicyn Giannakos, Anchorage, AK 46:38; 42. Natasha Henderson, Anchorage, AK 46:39; 43. Shannon Thompson, Anchorage, AK 48:40; 44. Heather Holcomb, Palmer, AK 48:40; 45. Debora Milligan, Iron Mountain, MI 57:36; 46. Rondy McKee, Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico, 57:37

5K Men

1. James Miller, Anchorage, AK 18:28; 2. Barefoot Bogey, Woburn, MA 18:37; 3. Keaden Dunlap, Anchorage, AK 19:22; 4. Maximus Tagle-Martinez, JBER, AK 20:03; 5. Gavin Hanks, Eagle River, AK 20:59; 6. Patrick McAnally, Anchorage, AK 21:37; 7. Anthony Gomez, Anchorage, AK 22:37; 8. Christopher Hilliard, JBER, AK 23:20; 9. Terry Schimon, University Place, WA 23:37; 10. Ryan Moldenhauer, Anchorage, AK 24:12; 11. Matthew Haney, Anchorage, AK 24:24; 12. Dan Burke, Anchorage, AK 25:44; 13. Paul Chandanabhumma, Seattle, WA 25:52; 14. Woods Miller, Wasilla, AK 26:51; 15. Bill Grether, Anchorage, AK 27:10; 16. Charles Simmons, Anchorage, AK 27:15; 17. Jacob Cassianni, Anchorage, AK 27:32; 18. John Brewer, Anchorage, AK 28:09; 19. Dustin Whitcomb, Eagle River, AK 28:14; 20. Greg MacDonald, Anchorage, AK 28:28; 21. Kevin Redmond, Anchorage, AK 28:38; 22. Olin Jensen, Anchorage, AK 28:45; 23. Michael Loughlin, Anchorage, AK 29:18; 24. Daryl Schaffer, Anchorage, AK 30:30; 25. Aaron Paul, Anchorage, AK 30:37; 26. Mark Ireland, Anchorage, AK 30:37; 27. Christopher Pineda, Eagle River, AK 30:39; 28. Eric Jostsons, Anchorage, AK 31:07; 29. Justin Fitzgerald, Anchorage, AK 31:36; 30. Steve Lambert, Anchorage, AK 32:09; 31. Justin Atteberry, Anchorage, AK 32:21; 32. Matthew Beardsley, Anchorage, AK 34:07; 33. Caleb Penney, Eagle River, AK 34:21; 34. Evgenii Ivanov, Anchorage, AK 34:22; 35. Eliezer Rivera, Anchorage, AK 35:12; 36. David Massey, Anchorage, AK 35:38; 37. Zachary Todd, Wasilla, AK 35:39; 38. Ed Hills, Anchorage, AK 36:52; 39. Chucky Williams, Anchorage, AK 36:54; 40. Rick Taylor, Wasilla, AK 39:32; 41. Steven Shamburek, Anchorage, AK 43:48; 42. Dave Jones, Anchorage, AK 46:46; 43. Tom Meacham, Anchorage, AK 46:47; 44. Russell Martin, Ventura, CA 47:34; 45. David Martin, Ventura, CA 47:45; 46. Zachary Lounsberry, Palmer, AK 48:41

2.5K Women

1. Kelsey Kramer, Wilmington, NC 13:50; 2. Alannah Dunlap, Anchorage, AK 15:09; 3. Kelsea Johnson, Anchorage, AK 15:45; 4. Kirsten Kling, Anchorage, AK 16:05; 5. Miriam Hayes, Anchorage, AK 16:55; 6. Brianna Slayback, Anchorage, AK 17:04; 7. Haley Hoffman, Alexandria, VA 18:01; 8. Kathryn Hoke, Anchorage, AK 18:32; 9. Rachel Stein, Palmer, AK 18:51; 10. Shayla Harrison, Anchorage, AK 19:29; 11. Danielle Harrison, Anchorage, AK 19:30; 12. Nikki Withers, Tacoma, WA 19:32; 13. Michele Robuck, Anchorage, AK 20:20; 14. Jess Adams, Anchorage, AK 20:20; 15. Ashley Martinez, Miami, FL 20:24; 16. Laura Casanover, Houston, TX 20:31; 17. Adylaine Hacker, Eagle River, AK 21:59; 18. Mary Stutzman, Tallahassee, FL 22:59; 19. Jean Bielawski, Anchorage, AK 23:24; 20. Cheryl Parmelee, Mount Dora, FL 25:45; 21. Ruth Anderson, Anchorage, AK 26:56; 22. Morgan Withers, Tacoma, WA 27:17; 23. Terri Agee, Anchorage, AK 27:31; 24. Chyll Perry, Anchorage, AK 27:35; 25. Denice Withers, Yakima, WA 28:09; 26. Sarah Camacho, Anchorage, AK 28:20; 27. Katheryn Camacho, Anchorage, AK 28:21; 28. Brooke Whitcomb, Eagle River, AK 28:41; 29. Kristine Withers, Tacoma, WA 31:19; 30. Penny Helgeson, Anchorage, AK 33:56; 31. Kimberly Halstead, Eagle River, AK 34:02; 32. Julianna Halstead, Eagle River, AK 34:09

2.5K Men

1. Riley Howard, Anchorage, AK 10:54; 2. Julian Salao, Anchorage, AK 12:26; 3. Mitch Paisker, Anchorage, AK 16:05; 4. Kaden Bartholomew, Anchorage, AK 16:24; 5. Brandon Bartholomew, Anchorage, AK 16:25; 6. Michael Hayes, Anchorage, AK 16:30; 7. Calvin Stein, Anchorage, AK 18:51; 8. Jesse Ackerson, Anchorage, AK 19:42; 9. Clinton Hacker, Eagle River, AK 21:59; 10. Daniel Hjortstorp, Gakona, AK 22:20; 11. Atlas Hjortstorp, Gakona, AK 22:20; 12. Craig Withers, Tacoma, WA 27:18; 13. Jordan Ralph, Tacoma, WA 27:19; 14. Scott King, Anchorage, AK 28:20; 15. Shawn Withers, Yakima, WA 31:18; 16. John Ruthe, Anchorage, AK 35:53

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Alaska

Erica Totland, of Yakutat, Sentenced for Manslaughter

Published

19 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Erica Totland, of Yakutat, Sentenced for Manslaughter

Erica Totland.Image-FB profiles

(Juneau, AK) – On Friday, February 20, 2026, Juneau Superior Court Judge Amy Mead sentenced 41-year-old Erica Totland to 14 years with 7 years suspended for Manslaughter, Assault in the Third Degree, and Driving Under the Influence. Totland will be on probation for 5 years upon her release from incarceration.

In 2025 Totland pled guilty to Manslaughter, three counts of Assault in the Third Degree, and one count of Driving Under the Influence. The convictions stem from the April 30, 2022 death of 26-year-old Anton Eriksson and injuries sustained by three passengers in Yakutat. During pre-trial litigation, Judge Mead suppressed toxicology results after finding the seizure of Totland’s blood by Yakutat Police Department without a warrant violated Totland’s rights.

At sentencing, Judge Mead rejected Totland’s request that the court find the Manslaughter was a least serious offense deserving of a lower sentence. Four Eriksson family members testified at the sentencing and discussed the impact that Totland’s actions had on their family.

Assistant Attorney General Daniel K. Shorey of the Office of Special Prosecutions prosecuted the case along with Paralegal Marley Hettinger of the Juneau District Attorney’s Office.

CONTACT: Assistant Attorney General Daniel K. Shorey, at (907) 269-6250 or daniel.shorey@alaska.gov.

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