Once-pristine waterways in Alaska are turning orange, and a new study says climate change is likely to blame.
Federal and academic scientists working in remote areas of Alaska have documented 75 streams in Brooks Range, an expansive mountain range in the heart of the state, turning orange in the last decade. Often, mining operations are to blame for discoloration and polluting creeks and rivers. But researchers say this time, it’s likely the result of climate change supercharging the melting of mineral-rich permafrost and releasing metals like iron, copper, zinc and cadmium that have been locked away for thousands of years.
“It’s the first observation of this scale that’s linked to climate change in this part of Alaska,” said Brett Poulin, an assistant professor of environmental toxicology at the University of California, Davis, who co-authored the study with researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey and National Park Service.
“The water chemistry changes that we’re observing in these remote parts of Alaska are very similar to what we see in mining-impacted waters, whether it’s in Appalachia or here in California,” added Poulin.
