Environment

Study Finds - In a concerning development, researchers recently documented 75 streams across Alaska’s remote Brooks Range that have abruptly turned from clear to an alarming orange color over the past decade. This phenomenon, indicative of increased iron and toxic metal concentrations in the water, is likely linked to the rapid warming and snowfall in the region, which is causing permafrost thaw and altering the hydrology and biogeochemistry of these pristine Arctic watersheds. Permafrost, or permanently frozen ground, acts as a natural barrier, preventing water from infiltrating deeply into the soil and keeping groundwater flow confined to shallow layers. However, as the Arctic continues to warm at an unprecedented rate, this frozen barrier is beginning to thaw, allowing water to penetrate deeper into the ground and altering the flow paths and chemistry of the water that eventually makes its way into streams and rivers.

Vox -  According to a preliminary count from the National Centers for Environmental Information, there have been 547 tornadoes documented from January through April 2024. That figure is higher than the year-to-date average — 338 — the organization calculated between 1991 and 2020 but in line with the number observed in 2022 and 2023 in the same time frame. And even as the number of tornadoes has stayed relatively consistent in the last few years, experts say there have been key changes in their behavior over time that could have major consequences. More tornadoes are now concentrated in fewer days, meaning they are less spread out and there’s a higher number occurring on the same day, according to a 2019 study published in Theoretical and Applied Climatology. A growing number of tornadoes are also occurring in the southeastern part of the US in addition to the Great Plains, where they have been historically most common.