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Walrus in the northern Bering Sea - photo by A. Trites

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ABOUT THE ALASKA
SCIENCE CENTER

Alaska Science Center

Welcome to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Web page for the resources of Alaska. We are providing timely, relevant, and impartial study of the landscape, natural resources, and natural hazards for Alaska and our nation.

In the Spotlight

Walrus Tracking in the southern Chukchi Sea

Rapid erosion along an Arctic coastline


In an effort to gain a better understanding of the processes driving reported increases in coastal erosion along the Beaufort Sea coast of Alaska we established an erosion monitoring station that consisted of a time-lapse camera and other instrumentation in the nearshore environment. This video clip shows one photo a day from 11 July 2009 to 22 August 2009. At the beginning of the time-series, blocks that had collapsed during 2008 are seen abutting the bluff. These blocks are completely removed by the 17 July 2009 and the sea begins to cut another erosional niche that will ultimately lead to the block collapse occurring on 03 August 2009. This large block (measuring 6m x 10m x 2m) is then degraded within five days. Removal of this block allows for the development of another niche and block collapse episode. An increase in the number of these events per year is likely responsible for the increase in land loss along this Arctic coastline. Beaufort Sea Coast Erosion (video)

USGS provides high resolution images of Arctic sea ice sites


The USGS recently made available high resolution images of Arctic sea ice sites. Some 700 images show swatches of sea ice from six sites around the Arctic Ocean can be found at http://gfl.usgs.gov/ArcticSeaIce.shtml, with an additional 500 images of 22 sites in the United States. These images are part of long-term archive of images from U.S. National Imagery Systems called the Global Fiducials Library.

Current Highlights

lite taupe colored square New Publication on Modeling Lakes in the Climate System

lite taupe colored square Alaska Phenology Network Workshop

lite taupe colored square USGS Polar Bear Research on a US Coast Guard Icebreaker Polar Sea

Alaska Science Portal

Alaska Science PortalThe portal is a searchable, web map-based tool to facilitate public and partner access to information on over 160 subjects under USGS study in the Nation’s largest State.

Science Features

USGS Factsheet: Pacific Walrus Response to Arctic Sea Ice Losses
Polar Bear Research
USGS Alaska Avian Influenza Studies

Highlighted Publications

Modeling haul-out behavior of walruses in Bering Sea iceModeling haul-out behavior of walruses in Bering Sea ice

Modeling Lakes and Reservoirs in the Climate SystemModeling Lakes and Reservoirs in the Climate System

Alaska Interagency Ecosystem Health Work GroupAlaska Interagency Ecosystem Health Work Group

Fifty-Year Record of Glacier Change Reveals Shifting Climate in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, USAFifty-Year Record of Glacier Change Reveals Shifting Climate in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, USA

Thumbnail of Catalog of Earthquake Hypocenters at Alaskan Volcanoes: January 1 through December 31, 2008Catalog of Earthquake Hypocenters at Alaskan Volcanoes: January 1 through December 31, 2008

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Region: Alaska Coastal and Ocean ScienceU.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Western Region: Alaska Coastal and Ocean Science

Fire Behavior, Weather, and Burn Severity of the 2007 Anaktuvuk River Tundra Fire, North Slope, AlaskaFire Behavior, Weather, and Burn Severity of the 2007 Anaktuvuk River Tundra Fire, North Slope, Alaska

Thumbnail of The January 2006 Volcanic-Tectonic Earthquake Swarm at Mount Martin, Alaska.The January 2006 Volcanic-Tectonic Earthquake Swarm at Mount Martin, Alaska

An improved procedure for detection and enumeration of walrus signatures in airborne thermal imageryAn improved procedure for detection and enumeration of walrus signatures in airborne thermal imagery

Preliminary Geologic Map of the Cook Inlet Region, AlaskaPreliminary Geologic Map of the Cook Inlet Region, Alaska

Geoscience for Alaska’s D-1 Lands: A Preliminary ReportCircum-Arctic Resource Appraisal: Estimates of Undiscovered Oil and Gas North of the Arctic Circle

Model-based predictions of the effects of harvest mortality on population size and trend of Yellow-billed LoonsModel-Based Predictions of the Effects of Harvest Mortality on Population Size and Trend of Yellow-Billed Loons

Geography of Alaska Lake Districts: Identification, Description, and Analysis of Lake-Rich Regions of a Diverse and Dynamic StateGeography of Alaska Lake Districts: Identification, Description, and Analysis of Lake-Rich Regions of a Diverse and Dynamic State

Increase in the rate and uniformity of coastline erosion in Arctic AlaskaIncrease in the rate and uniformity of coastline erosion in Arctic Alaska

Trends in streamflow in the Yukon River Basin from 1944 to 2005 and the influence of the Pacific Decadal OscillationTrends in streamflow in the Yukon River Basin from 1944 to 2005 and the influence of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation

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Page Last Modified: June 17, 2009