Some of Alaska’s scenic rivers and streams look downright apocalyptic this year because they turned a flagrant orange color — but it’s not due to local pollution, according to scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

In actuality, the orange tinted water is rust, released as the frozen ground in Alaska thaws out due to unchecked greenhouse gasses driving global warming. And it’s leaking into the state’s waterways, according to NOAA’s annual report on the Arctic region, where it’s posing a danger to local wildlife, residents and commercial fisheries.

The day-glo rivers are also a bright orange flag that the Arctic is warming faster than the rest of the world. The massive defrosting is also anticipated to increase sea levels and screw up weather patterns, according to scientists who talked to NPR.

“When the Arctic thaws and warms, it’s having an impact on the global climate,” Matthew Druckenmiller, lead author of the report and senior scientist with the Boulder, Colorado-based National Snow and Ice Data Center, told the broadcaster.

The planet is already showing signs of distress from global warming, such as large-scale forest fires and extreme summer temperatures outside the Arctic, which Druckenmiller described as a giant fridge for the planet.

“The Arctic is warming several times faster than Earth as a whole, reshaping the northern landscapes, ecosystems, and livelihoods of Arctic peoples,” reads the NOAA report. “Also transforming are the roles the Arctic plays in the global climate, economic, and societal systems.”

Zooming back to Alaska, people started noticing the orange waterways in 2018, according to NPR.

“ We heard from people who live in the region — pilots who are often flying over, people in the national parks,”  US Geological Survey research hydrologist Josh Koch told the broadcaster.

As temperatures heats up in the most remote parts of Alaska, permafrost — ground that usually stays continuously frozen — is melting, and that’s unlocking iron in the soil, which oxidizes from exposure to water and air, causing rivers and streams to turn orange. Surveys revealed that this contamination is far reaching, covering hundreds of miles of terrain in Alaska.

“It’s often not orange until it reaches the stream, and then all the iron and other metals can precipitate and create this iron staining,” Koch added.

It’s not clear if residents are being harmed from the polluted water, but local scientists are monitoring the situation, NPR reports.

The other problem with these rusty rivers is that they increase the acidity level in the water, according to the NOAA report, and this may harm fish like Dolly Varden char, whose juvenile offspring have experienced a sharp decrease in numbers most likely due to iron in its aquatic habitat. And that’s pretty bad for everybody in Alaska.

“The food chain is connected to the lives of people living in the Arctic,” Druckenmiller said.

More on climate change: Melting Glacier in Alaska Floods State Capital

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Kenny Dillingham insisted he had no interest in leaving Arizona State. All he wanted was for his program and assistant coaches to get the resources they needed to be successful.

Dillingham got his wish on Saturday, signing a five-year contract extension that will raise his salary to an average of $7.5 million per year and increase the salary pool for his assistants to $11 million — one of the highest in the Big 12.

“The support of this season has stepped up a ton. Our university stepped up,” Dillingham told reporters following Saturday’s practice. “What I was fighting for was that long-term commitment to our staff, to our program, to the commitment to try be competitive in this crazy world (of college football).”

Dillingham had been reportedly in the mix for numerous high-profile jobs, insisting after a win against West Virginia on Nov. 15 that he wasn’t going anywhere. The 35-year-old coach’s name popped up again when Michigan fired Sherrone Moore last week and Dillingham was honest about using the top job at Michigan to push Arizona State to support the football program even more.

“This was always the goal; secure generational leadership right here at ASU,” Arizona State athletic director Graham Rossini said in a statement. “We have the right coach and want him to have the tools to do his job in a way that keeps building excitement, connection and winning at ASU. Not only is the Valley activated, but the Sun Devils are about to ignite!”

Dillingham has certainly revitalized Arizona State’s program and its fan base.

The former Oregon offensive coordinator and Arizona State alum became the youngest coach in the FBS when he was hired at 32 and, after an injury-plagued first season, led the Sun Devils to the Big 12 championship — their first conference title since 1996. Arizona State went on to reach the College Football Playoff for the first time, earning Dillingham a five-year contract extension that bumped his salary to $5.8 million the first year of the contract.

Injuries hit Arizona State hard this season — notably quarterback Sam Leavitt and All-American Jordyn Tyson — but Dillingham still had his team in contention for a return trip to the Big 12 title game until late in the season.

The Sun Devils sold out every home game this season and finished the regular season 8-4, earning a spot in the Dec. 31 Sun Bowl against Duke.

Now Dillingham and his program have more resources to keep the momentum going.

“Our staff wins. I’ve said this over and over,” Dillingham said. “Them and our players are what have got us to this point. They’re a vital piece and I think they deserve to be taken care of.”

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The Pineapple Express storm bearing down on Southern California could bring heavy rain and strong winds throughout Christmas week, potentially triggering mudslides, downing trees and flooding not only freeways but also homes and businesses.

If the forecasts are right, this could be one of the stormiest Christmases in recent memory for Southern California. There’s an 80% chance downtown Los Angeles will get 2 or more inches of rain from Tuesday through Christmas Day. The last time downtown got 2 or more inches of rain over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day was in 1971.

Here’s what you need to know.

Timing

The peak of the system is expected Tuesday through Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

There’s an 80% to 100% chance of rain in Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties starting Tuesday night and lasting into Wednesday and Thursday.

In Orange County, the Inland Empire and San Diego County, light showers are possible Tuesday, but the heaviest rainfall is expected Wednesday, with officials warning of heavy rainfall, increased flooding risks and possible mudslides. Flood and mudslide risks will continue Thursday.

Expected effects of the storm for Orange County, the Inland Empire and San Diego County.

(National Weather Service)

Worst-case scenario

Forecasters are warning that there’s a 40% chance of “very high” amounts of rain for Los Angeles, Ventura and southern Santa Barbara counties, and a 30% chance of the same for northern Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County.

That scenario would see 4 or more inches of rain fall on the coast and in the valleys, with 8 or more inches in the mountains and foothills, Tuesday through Thursday. Peak rainfall rates would be half an inch to 1 inch per hour.

According to the National Weather Service, that could cause:

• Significant mudslides
• Flooded freeways
• Streams and rivers flooding over their banks
• Localized flooding that could rise above curbs and into homes and businesses
• Moderate coastal flooding in south-facing areas
• Downed trees and power lines
• Dangerous sea conditions
• Swiftwater rescues

Rainfall probabilities for Los Angeles, Ventura and southern Santa Barbara counties.

(National Weather Service)

Between Tuesday and Thursday, numerous areas have a high chance of seeing 3 or more inches of rain. There’s a 77% chance of that occurring in Anaheim and Yorba Linda, a 74% chance in Santa Ana, a 73% chance in Ontario, a 71% chance in Mission Viejo, a 69% chance in Irvine, a 68% chance in Chino, a 65% chance in Laguna Niguel and a 60% chance in San Clemente.

Rainfall probabilities for northern Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County.

(National Weather Service)

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‘High amounts’ of rain scenario

There’s also a 40% chance of “high amounts” of rain in L.A., Ventura and southern Santa Barbara counties, and a 50% chance of the same in northern Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. That scenario would entail 2 to 4 inches of rain falling along the coast and in the valleys, with 4 to 8 inches in the mountains and foothills.

Rain to that extent would risk flooding freeway lanes; causing minor coastal flooding, mudslides and debris flows; and potentially force swiftwater rescues in fast-moving rivers and streams.

Wind

There’s a potential for gusty winds from the south, said Robbie Munroe, meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Oxnard office, which issues forecasts for L.A., Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.

That risks toppling trees and power lines. On Tuesday night, Los Angeles could see peak gusts of 31 mph; Woodland Hills, 38 mph; Paso Robles, 52 mph; and San Luis Obispo, 53 mph.

“Avoid parking under trees,” the weather service said. “Secure loose outdoor objects.”

There’s a 65% chance of gusts exceeding 35 mph in Huntington Beach, a 60% chance in San Diego, a 45% chance in Big Bear Lake and Ramona, a 40% chance in Escondido and a 35% chance in Riverside, according to the weather service office in San Diego.