Published Nov 27, 2023 by Undark Magazine

Alaska is uniquely vulnerable to two types of tsunamis. The first, tectonic tsunamis, are linked to the long string of volcanic islands that curves like a tail from the state’s southern tip; these islands mark the northern edge of the Ring of Fire, a geologically active zone that generates approximately 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes. Tracing those islands, deep under water, is the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone, a trench where vast plates of hard rock overlap and friction slowly builds. Once or twice a year, the subduction zone generates earthquakes strong enough to trigger tsunami alerts; every 300 to 600 years or so, it ruptures in a megaquake that sends devastating tectonic tsunamis to Alaska’s shores.

The state’s 34,000 miles of wild shoreline make a second, lesser-known type possible, too: landslide tsunamis. Alaska’s southern coast is lined with active volcanos and hundreds of fjords ringed by unstable cliffs and, in the deep water below, a thick layer of silty sediment. Relatively small earthquakes, common in Alaska, shake that unstable landscape, causing landslides above and below sea level that displace massive volumes of water. The resulting tsunamis may hit coastal communities within minutes. And as climate change accelerates glacier melt and the subsequent erosion in those regions, those landslide tsunamis are increasingly likely.

It’s hard to plan for a tsunami. Tsunami science is practically in its infancy, having only emerged as computer modeling became possible in the 1980s. Scientists in Alaska lack the technology required to forecast tsunamis before they hit the state because they simply happen too quickly. For many Alaskans, the state’s last major tsunami, which hit in 1964, is a distant memory. False alarms cause evacuations at least once a year, leaving people to wonder why they must leave without any waves to show for it. Those challenges are compounded by a culture that can be wary of outside experts.

INSIDE TRIBAL HEADQUARTERS in downtown Seldovia, at the meeting with community leaders, the Alaska tsunami team huddles over a glossy town map. A jagged red line circles the town’s inundation zone. City and tribal officials lean over for a closer look at their community underwater. Today’s goal is to create a second, yellow line to define an evacuation zone. The state experts guide the process, but, mindful of the delicate politics, they start the meeting by emphasizing that this map, and this process, belong to the community leaders.

The yellow evacuation line is based on the red line — the initial inundation map, which Suleimani generated using a supercomputer at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The computer crunches numbers on hypothetical tsunami sources and the resulting waves to determine worst-case scenarios. But tsunamis don’t map neatly to streets or property lines.

Published Nov 27, 2023 by Staff report

The University of Alaska Museum of the North is focusing on the theme of celebrations during family programs in December.

Families with children ages 5 and younger are invited to drop in at Early Explorers from 10 a.m. to noon Dec. 8. Guests can create and discover with hands-on activities in the Creativity Lab and explore the galleries.

Junior Curators, designed for children ages 6 and older with an adult, is 2-4 p.m. Dec. 9. Drop in anytime to create firework spin art, explore different ways people celebrate in the winter, see and touch museum objects, and try your hand at a scavenger hunt.

Published Nov 27, 2023 by Cheryl Santa Maria

Seismometers—devices that detect ground motions caused by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and explosions—are also sensitive to magnetic fluctuations in the atmosphere.

While some scientists are trying to prevent magnetic influence from entering seismic data, a team at the University of Alaska Fairbanks has found a use for it.

In their research paper, they say seismometers can detect magnetic signals from aurora borealis.

The findings offer an example of how magnetic fluctuation sensitivity in seismometers may have a practical application and demonstrate how the devices could be paired with other technologies to study auroras.

Researchers say it's possible to match the lights to seismic signals, allowing experts to observe and study the phenomenon in new ways.

Published Nov 27, 2023 by Anchorage Daily News

University of Alaska Anchorage sophomore goalie Jared Whale made 41 saves and the Seawolves got a timely goal to stun No. 6-ranked Wisconsin 1-0 on Friday, earning a split of the weekend series with the Big 10 powerhouse.

Wisconsin bounced back to win 5-0 on Saturday, but the star of the Seawolves’ Friday triumph was Whale, who earned his fifth victory of the season in net.

It was the second win of the season for UAA against a ranked opponent in the Big 10. The Seawolves topped No. 14 Penn State 6-5 on Oct. 27 and are now 2-2 against Big 10 opponents on the year.

UAA (6-9-1) returns home next weekend to host UAF in the Governor’s Cup. The first game of the two-game series is at 7:07 p.m. Friday at the Avis Alaska Sports Complex.

Published Nov 25, 2023 by Alex DeMarban

Anchorage store owners said they’re hoping this weekend’s Small Business Saturday has kicked off a strong holiday shopping frenzy, helping sales recover from a challenging year of big snowstorms, high inflation and other factors.

The Alaska Small Business Development Center said in a statement this week that shopping locally can make a big difference in the state’s economy, leading to higher wages and more jobs.

If every household shifted $1,000 in spending from non-local to local businesses, it would add an estimated $103 million to the state’s economy and create 5,850 additional jobs, the center said, citing a 2021 report from the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development.

The Small Business Development Center created a BuyAlaska Holiday Gift Guide online, consisting of more than 75 businesses selling a variety of arts, food, clothing and other items.

Published Nov 25, 2023 by Caleb Jones

After a winless start to the season on an eight-game road trip, the University of Alaska Fairbanks women’s basketball team had an opportunity to turn fortunes around on their home court as they hosted the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational.

UAF took on California State University San Bernardino in their first home game of the season on Friday, hoping to end an eight-game losing streak. Four double-digit scorers led the way to a 70-62 victory for the Nanooks, giving them their first win of the season.

UAF won their second straight home game after taking down the Covenant College Scots on Saturday, prevailing in a tightly contested affair by a score of 59-55.

Throughout the invitational, Donovan consistently used one word to describe her squad — “gritty.” The term has often been attributed to the rough, hard-nosed aspects of the game, which Fairbanks exemplified to push past the Scots. Their success mainly came from rebounds, defensive stops, and forced turnovers, putting their performance hand-in-hand with the identity the team associates itself with.

UAF sits at 2-8 on the year following the wins. Next up are their first two GNAC games of the season as they hit the road to play Seattle Pacific and No. 10 Montana State University Billings on Nov. 30 and Dec. 2.



Published Nov 23, 2023 by Brooklyn Draisey

University of Northern Iowa researchers are collaborating with universities across the U.S. and Indigenous communities to better understand how Arctic populations are adapting to climate change and develop solutions in collaboration with them.

The university’s Arctic, Remote and Cold Territories Interdisciplinary Center, also known as the ARCTICenter, is partnering with University of Alaska Fairbanks, Arizona State University and the University of Texas El Paso. The project will identify the most pressing issues faced by communities in Alaska, Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea and Canada, with people from the areas’ direct involvement.

Established in 2015 by center director Andrey Petrov, the ARCTICenter researches Arctic change with a focus on the perspectives of those who live in the Arctic. Petrov said those in the center have always tried to work with the communities they’re researching, and this project will help create a formal process that they can hopefully apply to other programs.

The four-year project, called AC³TION, is being led by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, with $13.9 million in grant funding from the National Science Foundation going to the university’s Alaska Coastal Cooperative.

UNI researchers will work with four communities in Western Alaska and Aleutian Islands to document impacts of changing climate on household health and wellbeing, identify place-specific priorities and needs in the face of coastal hazards and develop forecasts for coastal change, community impact and ways to adapt.

They will also put efforts toward increasing knowledge exchanges between local groups and scientists to facilitate co-production of knowledge, Petrov said.

“This is an amazing opportunity for Western science and Indigenous knowledge bearers to exchange knowledge, create relationships and work toward a healthier future for all the lands, waters and personnel involved,” said Casey Ferguson, the Alaska Coastal Cooperative’s Indigenous community coordinator.

Published Nov 22, 2023

Anchorage broke its November snowfall record halfway through the month after repeated storms. Climatologists say the city could see more heavy snowfall like this in the future.

As human-caused climate change progresses, driven by fossil fuel combustion, the oceans and atmosphere will continue to warm, said climate specialist Rick Thoman with the International Arctic Research Center. Warmer oceans means there’s more water evaporating into the atmosphere.

And for Alaska, that translates to more precipitation. That could mean winters with a lot of rain and no snow, but it could also mean winters with a lot of snow, all at once.

“As long as it remains cold enough for there to be snow, we can expect more of these kinds of events in Anchorage,” Thoman said. “Just on the general principle that extreme precipitation events are increasing.”

This is the second time Anchorage has broken a monthly precipitation record in less than a year. Parts of the city saw well over three feet of snow last December.

Climatologists also note that in warmer temperatures, snowfall tends to be dense and wet — and harder to plow.

Published Nov 22, 2023 by Sophie Eydis

Kylli Anderson, a fourth-year student who participated in NSE in fall 2022 at the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS), studied fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology with a minor in horticulture.

“The program really deepened my connection to nature and to place,” Anderson said. “Everyone there is super outdoor-focused, and so we were always climbing mountains and jumping in the Pacific.”

According to Anderson, there was an outdoor studies program at UAS where she was able to do backpacking and backcountry navigation. As a part of a class, Anderson went on a three-day backpacking trip where she was given a map and a compass to get to a cabin four miles away in the woods.

“Everyone there pushed me to be more adventurous and not to be scared of the wild, which was super cool,” Anderson said.

Anderson added after she finishes college, she wants to go back to Alaska and work there for the rest of her life.