Alaska's melting permafrost turns rivers into toxic orange

Dozens of rivers and streams in Alaska are changing color. The once crystal-clear blue water is becoming rusty and sometimes even orange. Scientists are doing everything they can to find out what is causing these troubling changes. They suspect that the problem is the release of elements from the soil.

Disturbing news is reaching us from Alaska. More often, the once crystal-clear blue water in rivers and streams is taking on rusty and sometimes even orange hues. This information has alarmed scientists and specialists who wanted to uncover the cause of this phenomenon. It seems they have managed to establish the most probable scenario. Unfortunately, they don't have good news.

A team of specialists from the United States Geological Survey, the University of California, Davis, and many other centres has done everything to discover the cause of Alaska's rusty rivers and streams. To find out exactly what is happening, they examined the orange water. They collected 75 samples from an area the size of British Columbia. They blame the troubling changes on substances released by the melting permafrost.

Studies conducted by specialists left no doubt. Substances formed due to melting permafrost are the cause of the murky and orange water. Let's remember that the Arctic is the fastest-warming region in the world. This means that its minerals flow into the water when the frozen ground thaws. Scientists are concerned that this could affect drinking water and fisheries in watersheds.

- The more we flew, the more we started noticing orange rivers and streams. Certain places look almost like milky orange juice. These orange streams can be problematic both because of their toxicity and because they can also prevent fish from migrating to spawning grounds, - said in a media interview Jon O'Donnell, lead author of the study and ecologist from the Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network NPS.

Scientists emphasize that the frozen soil contains many elements. Due to the warming climate, various types of metals that were previously inaccessible are now exposed to both water and oxygen. This means that different chemical reactions have begun to occur. Unfortunately, the problem is truly troubling and serious. Researchers have discovered elevated levels of iron, zinc, nickel, copper, and cadmium in the waters. Rivers and streams need to be additionally treated.