Rivers Displaying Unusual Hue of Orange Causing Severe Damage
In the remote wilderness of the Arctic, the pristine waters of the Brooks Range in northern Alaska are turning orange, a stark reminder of the far-reaching effects of global warming. According to a study published in the journal PNAS, this transformation is caused by the melting permafrost and the subsequent release of sulfuric acid and harmful metals into the rivers.
Tim Lyons, senior author of the study and a researcher from the University of California, Riverside, compares the current situation to acid mine drainage, but emphasizes that there is no mine involved. Instead, the permafrost thawing is altering the landscape's chemistry.
The melting permafrost is causing serious ecological damage. The toxic water, which leaches metals such as iron, cadmium, and aluminum into the rivers, poses a threat to organisms higher up the food chain due to the imperiled fish. The orange coloration of the rivers obstructs light from reaching the river bed, affecting salmon spawning areas and lowering insect larvae numbers.
Bears and birds that rely on fish as a food source are also at risk. The toxic water imperils fish within the river, endangers insect larvae along the riverbed, and causes increased food stress for animals living along the river.
The process involves melting permafrost allowing water and oxygen to interact with sulfide-rich rocks like pyrite, creating sulfuric acid. The authors of the study note that a mining disaster can be addressed at the source by installing containment systems, but the source of this pollution coming from the ground itself makes it difficult to contain.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks led the research team that studied changes in the Salmon River in the Brooks Mountains, Alaska, uncovering the link between permafrost warming and river contamination by acid and metals. Darren Orf, the writer/editor of the article, resides in Portland and has a cat.
It's important to note that the cause of the orange rivers is not direct human activity, but anthropogenic climate change. The permafrost underlies upwards of 85 percent of Alaska's landmass, and its melting is another irreversible shift driven by a warming planet. As Lyons states, once the process starts, it cannot be reversed.
This research serves as a stark reminder of the far-reaching effects of climate change, even in the most remote areas of the world. It's a call to action for all of us to take steps to mitigate our impact on the environment and slow the pace of global warming.
Orf's previous work can be found at Gizmodo and Paste.
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