Alaska Park Science
Learn about collaborative research between USGS and the National Park Service
Learn about collaborative research between USGS and the National Park Service
Rusting Rivers: Heavy Metals and Visible Color Changes
Geochemical Data Portal of the United States and Territories
Q&A: USGS Ecosystems Provides Objective Science to Manage Lands, Fish, and Wildlife
Alaska Critical Mineral Resource Assessments
Alaska has potential for a wide range of critical minerals including, but not limited to, graphite, lithium, tin, tungsten, rare earth elements, and platinum-group elements.
Alaska has potential for a wide range of critical minerals including, but not limited to, graphite, lithium, tin, tungsten, rare earth elements, and platinum-group elements.
Alaska Science Center
The mission of the Alaska Science Center (ASC) is to provide objective and timely data, information, and research findings about the earth and its flora and fauna to Federal, State, and local resource managers and the public to support sound decisions regarding natural resources, natural hazards, and ecosystems in Alaska and circumpolar regions. We have offices in Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks.
Science Spotlight
Science Spotlight
Glaciers and Landscape Change
The USGS Benchmark Glacier Project is aimed at solving complex scientific problems in snow and ice across North America to promote enhanced monitoring, analysis, and prediction of mountain glacier change.
News
A Tale of Two Islands and the Future of an Ocean Sentinel Seabird
A Tale of Two Islands and the Future of an Ocean Sentinel Seabird
Tree rings provide an important multi-century context for the current wildfire crisis
Tree rings provide an important multi-century context for the current wildfire crisis
Amphibian Week with USGS: Science for Healthy Habitats
Amphibian Week with USGS: Science for Healthy Habitats
Publications
Indicators of mercury concentration in Lake Trout: Can fish location and appearance provide information to anglers to reduce their exposure? Indicators of mercury concentration in Lake Trout: Can fish location and appearance provide information to anglers to reduce their exposure?
Objective People are exposed to mercury (Hg) through the consumption of fish. State and federal governments provide broad, often-generalized food safety guidance to reduce exposure; however, numerous rural fishing areas lack testing and location- or species-specific guidance. The aim of this study was to provide tangible, visible, or easily measured characteristics of Lake Trout...
Tringa flavipes (Lesser Yellowlegs) from separate breeding sites subdivides the Prairie Pothole Region in space and time during southbound migration Tringa flavipes (Lesser Yellowlegs) from separate breeding sites subdivides the Prairie Pothole Region in space and time during southbound migration
Some staging regions support multiple groups of the same migratory species, each of which may use the region differently. Characterizing the ways, in which separate groups use such regions can therefore help to identify vulnerabilities during this sensitive period of the annual cycle. The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) is a massive wetland complex in the northern Great Plains of North...
Refinement of a framework for Moving Aircraft River Velocimetry (MARV) and application to particle tracking along Alaskan rivers Refinement of a framework for Moving Aircraft River Velocimetry (MARV) and application to particle tracking along Alaskan rivers
Information on river velocities enhances understanding flood hazards, evaluating habitat conditions, and predicting the transport of floating materials. In this follow-up study, we used data from two new sites, one with a more complex morphology and the other with a lower suspended sediment concentration, to provide further evidence that Moving Aircraft River Velocimetry (MARV) can yield...
Science
Tracing Mercury Through Lake Food Webs
Mercury concentrations in fish likely reflect different energy sources in lake food webs. Species, populations, or individuals may contain higher and variable concentrations of mercury, which may relate directly to prey mercury content, diets of fish, and fish foraging strategies.
Streambed Scour at Bridges in Alaska
Streambed scour is the leading cause of bridge failure in the United States resulting in over 60 percent of all failures. The Alaska Science Center, in cooperation with the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities and the Alaska Railroad, is researching streambed scour through scour monitoring, hydraulic modeling, and data collection during high flows.
Alaska Streamflow Statistics
The USGS conducts various studies of streamflow statistics for data collected at streamflow-gaging stations. Streamflow statistics for gaged streams and methods for estimating those statistics for ungaged streams are used by water resource planners and managers for designing infrastructure, managing floodplains, and protecting life, property, and aquatic resources. The most recent USGS studies of...
