Alaska's rivers are turning bright orange and as acidic as vinegar as toxic metal escapes from melting permafrost

image via Space.com

June 12, 2024, 3:00 PM

• •Dozens of Alaskan rivers have turned bright orange in recent years because melting permafrost has released high levels of toxic metals into the waterways, a worrying new study reveals.
• •The colorful contamination, which can be seen from space, is a potential ecological nightmare — and is likely to get even worse in the coming years, researchers say.
• •The high metal concentration and acidity of the water can both be tied to melting permafrost — a permanently frozen layer of Earth's surface that covers large swaths of the Arctic.

Dozens of Alaskan rivers have turned bright orange in recent years because melting permafrost has released high levels of toxic metals into the waterways, a worrying new study reveals. The colorful contamination, which can be seen from space, is a potential ecological nightmare — and is likely to get even worse in the coming years, researchers say.

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