Alaska
Scientists discover volcano-like structure in Arctic Ocean off Alaska • Alaska Beacon
Scientists aboard a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker have discovered something unusual in the Arctic Ocean off northern Alaska: a volcano-like structure rising more than 500 meters from the seafloor and possibly emitting gas.
The discovery came as scientists from different organizations were aboard the Healy, one of two polar-class Coast Guard icebreaking cutters, were working on a mission to better understand uncharted waters in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas north of Alaska.
Although the structure rises well above the seabed, it tops out at about 1,600 meters below the water’s surface, so it is too deep to pose any risks to navigation, the Coast Guard said in a statement. However, there appears to be a plume of gas rising from the structure that nearly reaches the water’s surface, the Coast Guard said.
The discovery is part of a project called the Alaskan Arctic Coast Port Access Route Study. The project is surveying what have been uncharted waters and collecting depth data along a corridor that the Coast Guard has proposed to be a preferred vessel route between Utqiagvik, the nation’s northernmost community, and the U.S.-Canada border. The project is making use of equipment aboard the Healy to gather data and create detailed images of the seafloor and objects along the proposed Utqiagvik-to-Canada corridor.
Multiple organizations are collaborating on the project, which is in its first phase: the U.S. National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the University of New Hampshire, along with the Coast Guard.
Capt. Meghan McGovern, the commanding officer of the NOAA Ship Fairweather, is part of the Healy mapping team and commented on the discovery.
“Although data analysis is ongoing, these findings are exciting and offer insight into what may exist beneath the ocean’s surface, much of which is unknown in this region,” McGovern said in a Coast Guard statement. “The coordination and partnerships during this mission fill critical gaps in the region for all waterway users and provide a foundation for safe navigation in the Arctic.”
The port access route study accomplishments came despite some difficulties endured earlier in the year by the Healy, its crew and its visiting scientists.
The Healy had to cut short one of its Arctic research cruises after a fire broke out in its electrical system in July, when the ship was sailing off the coast of Canada’s Banks Island. The Healy returned to its home port of Seattle for repairs, then sailed back north on Oct. 1 to resume this year’s Arctic mission.
The Healy is the only Coast Guard icebreaker designed to support scientific research. This year, it hosted 20 early career scientists, along with their mentors, to help them gain Arctic research experience and skills.
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HB 281 mirrors legislation in other states due to shortage of pennies resulting from Trump administration’s halt in production
Suzanne Cohen says she hasn’t had trouble coming up with enough pennies when making cash purchases. But since the copper coins are no longer being minted she doesn’t object if future purchases are rounded off to the nearest nickel.
“If they’ve gotten rid of it it seems like it’s only a matter of time, so this is probably the right thing to do eventually,” she said during the noon hour on Monday at Rainbow Foods.
A hour earlier and a block away at the Alaska State Capitol, a bill was introduced rounding cash purchases to the nearest five-cent sum by Rep. Dan Saddler, R-Eagle River. House Bill 281 is similar to legislation introduced in other states following the Trump administration’s decision last year to stop making new pennies.
“After the U.S. Treasury decided last fall to stop minting pennies, they’re disappearing from circulation faster than they expected,” Saddler stated in an email to the Juneau Independent on Monday. “As pennies get more scarce, we should make sure businesses can’t round transactions up or down to their advantage. My HB 281 simply sets consistent, fair standards for how cash transactions should be rounded to the nearest nickel, to protect Alaska consumers and businesses.”
Practically applied, it means a shopper handing $2 to a cashier would get no change back from a $1.98 purchase, but a nickel back from a $1.97 purchase.
“If the total ends in one cent, two cents, six cents, or seven cents, the total is rounded down to the nearest amount divisible by five cents; (2) if the total ends in three cents, four cents, eight cents, or nine cents, the total is rounded up to the nearest amount divisible by five cents,” the text of HB 281 states.
Dyoni Smith, a section manager at Rainbow Foods who was working at one of the registers on Monday, said there hasn’t been a noticeable shortage of pennies yet either at the store or for the cash purchases she still makes regularly.
“We have a few people who actually pay to the penny with cash,” she said. “And then we have some, like one guy who comes in and he’ll pay cash, and he’ll put the remainder in the donation jar. And then another guy who comes in and sometimes he’ll pay to the penny — sometimes he’ll get change out of the change jar. So there’s quite a few people who I see who use cash.”
President Donald Trump last February ordered the U.S. Treasury Department to stop minting new pennies — something long discussed by other policymakers since the coins cost more to make than they are worth. The U.S. Mint reported that a penny cost about 3.7 cents to make in fiscal 2024, up from 3.1 cents the previous year.
Among the factors to be considered in states implementing rounding laws are possible legal challenges, impacts to retailers and what happened when Canada stopped distributing its penny in 2012, according to a policy summary by the National Conference of State Legislatures. But generally the organization states such laws are worth supporting.
“While states may approach this issue differently due to their own unique circumstances, there is a growing consensus among retailers, economists, and other stakeholders, recognizing symmetrical rounding, (up or down) to the nearest nickel, as the fairest method to all parties when applying to cash transaction,” the policy summary notes.
• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – The Transportation Security Administration has begun accepting Alaska Mobile ID’s at security checkpoints in the Anchorage and Juneau airports. The digital ID’s, which were introduced in the state about a year ago, are just starting to catch on, according to Lauren Whiteside, Division Operations Manager for the Alaskan DMV.
Whiteside said the Division has been working closely with partners for months to prepare Alaska’s Mobile IDs for use at TSA checkpoints in both airports.
“This is a really modernized movement that we are really excited to be a part of,” Whiteside said.
The IDs are obtained through an app that can be downloaded for free. The DMV website has links to the app stores as well as other information on how to obtain a mobile ID.
Whiteside said there are lots of advantages to having your state approved identification on your phone. At the airport, she said, it’s convenience.
“You know sometimes you have your kids with you, sometimes you are balancing carry-on luggage, and if you can do all of your check-ins just using your phone, that’s really appealing to people.”
But Whiteside said the main appeal is privacy. No information can be shared from a mobile ID without the user’s consent, and people can select how much information they wish to share depending on the circumstances.
“I can opt to send everything, which you would likely always want to do with law enforcement, but you have all these options on what you choose to send and what you don’t choose to send,” she said.
Whiteside said it’s important to remember that mobile IDs don’t replace physical IDs, instead, they’re considered a companion to a regular ID and people will need to carry both in case a physical ID is requested.
Although TSA acceptance is limited to just the Anchorage and Juneau airports, Whiteside said she fully expects the program will expand to other airports and other industries.
“As time goes on it’s going to become more and more common, so we recommend anyone who wants to have it- it is not a requirement -but anyone who wants it, we encourage you to go ahead and download,” she said.
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Copyright 2026 KTUU. All rights reserved.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – As the run-up to the 2026 Iditarod continues, two of Alaska’s most prestigious sled dog races saw their winners cross the finish lines Sunday.
The 2026 Knik 200 went to Eddie Burke Jr., who also won the race in 2023. The former Iditarod Rookie of the Year finished in 20 hours, 18 minutes and 51 seconds, nearly a full hour faster than his closest competition.
Meanwhile, out in western Alaska, 2019 Iditarod winner Pete Kaiser continued his dominance in the Kuskokwim 300 with his 10th career win at the event. The victory breaks a tie with Jeff King for the most Kuskokwim 300 wins in a career.
The two races do not normally fall on the same weekend, but the Knik 200 had been postponed three weeks due to poor trail conditions.
You can find full results for both the Knik 200 and Kuskokwim 300 here.
The 2026 running of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race begins on March 8, one day after the ceremonial start.
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Copyright 2026 KTUU. All rights reserved.
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