Relationships between the health of Alaska Native communities and our environment -- phase 1, exploring and communicating
Durelle Smith
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3066
Alaska Natives depend on local natural resources for nutritional and, for many, spiritual health. As a result, public health in Alaska is strongly influenced by the relationship between people and their surrounding physical, chemical, and biological environments. Alaska is vast with diverse wildlife and plant communities that are valued as...
Predicting the planform configuration of the braided Toklat River, AK with a suite of rule-based models
Charles J. Podolak
2013, Journal of the American Water Resources Association (49) 390-401
An ensemble of rule-based models was constructed to assess possible future braided river planform configurations for the Toklat River in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska. This approach combined an analysis of large-scale influences on stability with several reduced-complexity models to produce the predictions at a practical level for managers...
Environmental and physical controls on northern terrestrial methane emissions across permafrost zones
David Olefeldt, Merritt R. Turetsky, Patrick M. Crill, A. David McGuire
2013, Global Change Biology (19) 589-603
Methane (CH4) emissions from the northern high-latitude region represent potentially significant biogeochemical feedbacks to the climate system. We compiled a database of growing-season CH4 emissions from terrestrial ecosystems located across permafrost zones, including 303 sites described in 65 studies. Data on environmental and physical variables, including permafrost conditions, were used...
Mapping wildfire burn severity in the Arctic Tundra from downsampled MODIS data
Crystal A. Kolden, John Rogan
2013, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (45) 64-76
Wildfires are historically infrequent in the arctic tundra, but are projected to increase with climate warming. Fire effects on tundra ecosystems are poorly understood and difficult to quantify in a remote region where a short growing season severely limits ground data collection. Remote sensing has been widely utilized to characterize...
Intercontinental migratory connectivity and population structuring of Dunlins from western Alaska
Robert E. Gill Jr., Colleen M. Handel, Daniel R. Ruthrauff
2013, The Condor (115) 525-534
The Dunlin (Calidris alpina) is a polytypic shorebird with complex patterns of distribution and migration throughout its holarctic range. We analyzed mark-re sighting data obtained between 1977 and 2010 from birds captured at two major staging areas in western Alaska to test the hypothesis that the migration patterns of Alaskan...
Pb-Sr-Nd isotopes in surficial materials at the Pebble Porphyry Cu-Au-Mo Deposit, Southwestern Alaska: can the mineralizing fingerprint be detected through cover?
Robert A. Ayuso, Karen D. Kelley, Robert G. Eppinger, Francesca Forni
2013, Economic Geology (108) 543-563
The Cretaceous Pebble porphyry Cu-Au-Mo deposit is covered by tundra and glacigenic sediments. Pb-Sr-Nd measurements were done on sediments and soils to establish baseline conditions prior to the onset of mining operations and contribute to the development of exploration methods for concealed base metal deposits of this type. Pebble rocks...
A quantitative X-ray diffraction inventory of the tephra and volcanic glass inputs into the Holocene marine sediment archives off Iceland: A contribution to V.A.S.T.
John T. Andrews, Greta B. Kristjansdottir, Dennis D. Eberl, Anne E. Jennings
2013, Polar Research (32) 11130
This paper re-evaluates how well quantitative x-ray diffraction (qXRD) can be used as an exploratory method of the weight percentage (wt%) of volcaniclastic sediment, and to identify tephra events in marine cores. In the widely used RockJock v6 software programme, qXRD tephra and glass standards include the rhyodacite White River...
Strongly gliding harmonic tremor during the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano
Alicia J. Hotovec, Stephanie G. Prejean, John E. Vidale, Joan S. Gomberg
2013, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (259) 89-99
During the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, gliding harmonic tremor occurred prominently before six nearly consecutive explosions during the second half of the eruptive sequence. The fundamental frequency repeatedly glided upward from < 1 Hz to as high as 30 Hz in less than 10 min, followed by a...
Seismic observations of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska - 1989-2010 and a conceptual model of the Redoubt magmatic system
John A. Power, Scott D. Stihler, Bernard A. Chouet, Matthew M. Haney, D.M. Ketner
2013, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (259) 31-44
Seismic activity at Redoubt Volcano, Alaska, has been closely monitored since 1989 by a network of five to ten seismometers within 22 km of the volcano's summit. Major eruptions occurred in 1989-1990 and 2009 and were characterized by large volcanic explosions, episodes of lava dome growth and failure, pyroclastic flows,...
Publications of the Volcano Hazards Program 2011
Manuel Nathenson
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1164
The Volcano Hazards Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is part of the Geologic Hazards Assessments subactivity, as funded by Congressional appropriation. Investigations are carried out by the USGS and with cooperators at the Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, University of...
Introduction to the fifth Mars Polar Science special issue: key questions, needed observations, and recommended investigations
Stephen M. Clifford, Kenji Yoshikawa, Shane Byrne, William Durham, David Fisher, Francois Forget, Michael Hecht, Peter Smith, Leslie Tamppari, Timothy Titus, Richard Zurek
2013, Icarus (225) 864-868
The Fifth International Conference on Mars Polar Science and Exploration – which was held from September 12–16, 2011, at the Pike’s Waterfront Lodge in Fairbanks, Alaska – is the latest in a continuing series of meetings that are intended to promote the exchange of knowledge and ideas between planetary and...
Thermokarst and thaw-related landscape dynamics -- an annotated bibliography with an emphasis on potential effects on habitat and wildlife
Benjamin M. Jones, Courtney L. Amundson, Joshua C. Koch, Guido Grosse
2013, Open-File Report 2013-1161
Permafrost has warmed throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere since the 1980s, with colder permafrost sites warming more rapidly (Romanovsky and others, 2010; Smith and others, 2010). Warming of the near-surface permafrost may lead to widespread terrain instability in ice-rich permafrost in the Arctic and the Subarctic, and may result...
Reconnaissance geologic map of the Kuskokwim Bay region, southwest Alaska
Frederic H. Wilson, Chad P. Hults, Solmaz Mohadjer, Warren L. Coonrad
2013, Scientific Investigations Map 3100
The rocks of the map area range from Proterozoic age metamorphic rocks of the Kanektok metamorphic complex (Kilbuck terrane) to Quaternary age mafic volcanic rocks of Nunivak Island. The map area encompasses much of the type area of the Togiak-Tikchik Complex. The geologic maps used to construct this compilation were,...
Molecular detection and genotyping of Japanese Encephalitis Virus in mosquitoes during a 2010 outbreak in the Republic of Korea
Hyun-Ji Seo, Heung Chul Kim, Terry A. Klein, Andrew M. Ramey, Ji-Hyee Lee, Soon-Goo Kyung, Jee-Yong Park, In-Soo Cho, Jung-Yong Yeh
2013, PLoS ONE (8)
Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a mosquito-borne zoonotic pathogen, is one of the major causes of viral encephalitis. To reduce the impact of Japanese encephalitis among children in the Republic of Korea (ROK), the government established a mandatory vaccination program in 1967. Through the efforts of this program only 0-7 (mean...
Predicting breeding shorebird distributions on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska
Sarah T. Saalfeld, Richard B. Lanctot, Stephen C. Brown, David T. Saalfeld, James A. Johnson, Brad A. Andres, Jonathan R. Bart
2013, Ecosphere (4)
The Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of Alaska is an important region for millions of migrating and nesting shorebirds. However, this region is threatened by climate change and increased human development (e.g., oil and gas production) that have the potential to greatly impact shorebird populations and breeding habitat in the...
Changing Arctic ecosystems--the role of ecosystem changes across the Boreal-Arctic transition zone on the distribution and abundance of wildlife populations
Lance McNew, Colleen M. Handel, John M. Pearce, Anthony R. DeGange, Leslie Holland-Bartels, Mary E. Whalen
2013, Fact Sheet 2013-3054
Arctic and boreal ecosystems provide important breeding habitat for more than half of North America’s migratory birds as well as many resident species. Northern landscapes are projected to experience more pronounced climate-related changes in habitat than most other regions. These changes include increases in shrub growth, conversion of tundra to...
Controls on recent Alaskan lake changes identified from water isotopes and remote sensing
Lesleigh Anderson, Jean Birks, Jennifer R. Rover, Nikki Guldager
2013, Geophysical Research Letters (40) 3413-3418
High-latitude lakes are important for terrestrial carbon dynamics and waterfowl habitat driving a need to better understand controls on lake area changes. To identify the existence and cause of recent lake area changes in the Yukon Flats, a region of discontinuous permafrost in north central Alaska, we evaluate remotely sensed imagery with lake water isotope compositions...
Phylogeography and population genetic structure of double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus)
Dacey Mercer, Susan M. Haig, Daniel D. Roby
2013, Conservation Genetics (14) 823-836
We examined the genetic structure of doublecrested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) across their range in the United States and Canada. Sequences of the mitochondrial control region were analyzed for 248 cormorants from 23 breeding sites. Variation was also examined at eight microsatellite loci for 409 cormorants from the same sites. The mitochondrial...
Reorganization of vegetation, hydrology and soil carbon after permafrost degradation across heterogeneous boreal landscapes
M.T. Jorgenson, Jennifer W. Harden, M. Kanevskiy, J.A. O'Donnell, Kimberly Wickland, S. Ewing, Kristen L. Manies, Q. Zhuang, Y. Shur, Robert G. Striegl, Joshua C. Koch
2013, Enivronmental Research Letters (8)
The diversity of ecosystems across boreal landscapes, successional changes after disturbance and complicated permafrost histories, present enormous challenges for assessing how vegetation, water and soil carbon may respond to climate change in boreal regions. To address this complexity, we used a chronosequence approach to assess changes in vegetation composition, water...
Peat
L.E. Apodaca
2013, Mining Engineering (2013) 71-71
In 2012, domestic production of peat, excluding Alaska, was estimated to be 560 kt (617,000 st), compared with 568 kt (626,000 st) in 2011. In 2012, imports decreased to 940 kt (1 million st) compared with 982 kt (1.1 million st) in 2011, and exports were estimated to have increased...
Linkages between lake shrinkage/expansion and sublacustrine permafrost distribution determined from remote sensing of interior Alaska, USA
Steven M. Jepsen, Clifford I. Voss, Michelle Ann Walvoord, Burke J. Minsley, Jennifer Rover
2013, Geophysical Research Letters (40) 882-887
[1] Linkages between permafrost distribution and lake surface-area changes in cold regions have not been previously examined over a large scale because of the paucity of subsurface permafrost information. Here, a first large-scale examination of these linkages is made over a 5150 km2 area of Yukon Flats, Alaska, USA, by...
Marine benthic habitat mapping of the West Arm, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Timothy O. Hodson, Guy R. Cochrane, Ross D. Powell
2013, Scientific Investigations Map 3253
Seafloor geology and potential benthic habitats were mapped in West Arm, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, using multibeam sonar, groundtruthed observations, and geological interpretations. The West Arm of Glacier Bay is a recently deglaciated fjord system under the influence of glacial and paraglacial marine processes. High glacially derived...
Field calibration and validation of remote-sensing surveys
Shachak Pe’eri, Andy McLeod, Paul Lavoie, Seth D. Ackerman, James Gardner, Christopher Parrish
2013, International Journal of Remote Sensing (34) 6423-6436
The Optical Collection Suite (OCS) is a ground-truth sampling system designed to perform in situ measurements that help calibrate and validate optical remote-sensing and swath-sonar surveys for mapping and monitoring coastal ecosystems and ocean planning. The OCS system enables researchers to collect underwater imagery with real-time feedback, measure the spectral...
Modeled distribution and abundance of a pelagic seabird reveal trends in relation to fisheries
Martin Renner, Julia K. Parrish, John F. Piatt, Kathy J. Kuletz, Ann E. Edwards, George L. Hunt Jr.
2013, Marine Ecology Progress Series (484) 259-277
The northern fulmar Fulmarus glacialis is one of the most visible and widespread seabirds in the eastern Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. However, relatively little is known about its abundance, trends, or the factors that shape its distribution. We used a long-term pelagic dataset to model changes in fulmar at-sea...
Integrating satellite observations and modern climate measurements with the recent sedimentary record: An example from Southeast Alaska
Jason A. Addison, Bruce P. Finney, John M. Jaeger, Joseph S. Stoner, Richard D. Norris, Alexandra Hangsterfer
2013, Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans (118) 3444-3461
Assessments of climate change over time scales that exceed the last 100 years require robust integration of high-quality instrument records with high-resolution paleoclimate proxy data. In this study, we show that the recent biogenic sediments accumulating in two temperate ice-free fjords in Southeast Alaska preserve evidence of North Pacific Ocean...
