Mummy squirrel tells of a different Alaska 20,000 years ago
Not many ground squirrels live in Interior Alaska today, probably because the current landscape of tundra and boreal forest plants doesn’t provide them enough nutrition.
Science
Alaska sets another first in testing of unmanned aircraft
Pilots and scientists from based at UAF conducted the first official beyond-visual-line-of-sight unmanned aircraft flight in the country approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.
When biologists stocked a deer-heavy Southeast Alaska island with wolves
The study, conducted in the 1960s, showed how many factors play into the dynamics of a wild animal population.
Scientists warn of too many pink salmon in North Pacific
An increasing number of marine researchers say the voracious eaters are thriving at the expense of higher-value sockeye salmon, seabirds and other species with whom their diet overlaps.
Alaska’s northern wheatears are about to embark on a remarkable journey
Their trip of 9,000 miles — perhaps the longest migration of any songbird — will take three months, until they stop for winter in eastern Africa.
Polar bear encounters in Kaktovik aren’t new. But they’re happening a bit earlier than last year.
Looking over a longer time span, bears in the southern Beaufort Sea "are now using land to an extent they haven’t used it historically,” a researcher said.
4.1 quake is Anchorage area’s biggest aftershock in months
The quake around 10 a.m., centered near Big Lake, was the largest aftershock of November’s 7.1 magnitude event since May.
Icelandic glaciologist feels a weighty responsibility
Global warming "is the story of our generation,” said Gudfinna Adalgeirsdottir, a recent visitor to Alaska. “Do we do something? Can we do something?”
Looking to see a wolf at Denali? A grassroots bus-driver survey puts the odds at ‘not-quite nonexistent’
The drop in sightings led wolf advocates to petition the state for an emergency ban on hunting and trapping nearby.
Extreme melting occurs where ocean meets glacier near Petersburg
LeConte Glacier near Petersburg is the farthest-south glacier that spills into the sea on this side of the equator.
The dragonfly, Alaska’s state insect, is a nimble flying machine
Dragonflies have such a short time to shine here in Alaska because, like most insects, they need warm air temperatures for their body parts to perform.
‘No time to wait’: After unprecedented cancer recovery, Wasilla man plans to make the most of the time he’s been given
In a matter of months, Josh McCool went from using a wheelchair and struggling to breathe to playing baseball with his sons and salmon fishing. His doctor says a new kind of radiation therapy made the difference.
The thin line between Alaska and Canada
Marked by metal cones and a clear-cut swath 20 feet wide, Alaska’s border with Canada is one of the great feats of wilderness surveying.
Snowball the cockatoo taught himself 14 dance moves, scientists say
The famous bird not only has rhythm but is also capable of creativity and spontaneity when he boogies.
Ancient life awakens amid thawing ice caps and permafrost
In Earth’s icy fringes, bacteria, moss and nematodes are bearing life anew.
Add krill and mussels to the list of unusual marine deaths in Northwest Alaska
Village wildlife observers worry that the unusual warmth of oceans off Alaska is causing problems throughout the ecosystem.
Scientists take to the air to study outburst floods of glacial basin near Juneau
A University of Alaska Southeast professor is using drones to analyze ice and water levels in Suicide Basin.
Arctic fox walks more than 2,700 miles from Norway to Canada
The fox’s movements were monitored across glaciers and extensive stretches of sea ice with a satellite tracking collar.
Relocation of erosion-threatened Alaska village progresses to ‘sprint’ pace this summer
Newtok’s transition to Mertarvik is flying along because it has to — the Ninglick River bank is crumbling less than 10 yards from a home.
A 60-mile walk under the midnight sun, with no stops for sleep
AlaskAcross 2019 was an informal, unsupported, nonstop hiking traverse in Interior Alaska, from Lost Creek to Eureka.