Rivers and streams in Alaska turn bright orange, experts blame climate change

The otherwise crystal-clear rivers and streams of Arctic Alaska are turning bright orange and cloudy.

Experts say that these bodies of water appear as if they have been contaminated by an industrial mine. However, the region does not have any such mines so they have come up with multiple hypotheses to find the reason behind the change.

Some of these streams have even turned acidic, even though they look crystal clear to the naked eye. The changes were first noticed in 2020 when a team of researchers went to Alaska for some fieldwork.

Most of these orange-hued waterways are located in protected lands such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, the Kobuk Valley National Park, and the Selawik Wildlife Refuge.

A report in Wired magazine said that climate change could be causing the degradation of the underlying permafrost layer in the region. Permafrost is a permanently frozen layer below some parts of the Earth's surface consisting of soil, gravel, and sand.

Global warming is causing permafrost to release iron-rich sediment, which oxidises in the open air and water, turning the water orange.

The rusting of these water bodies can have a potentially harmful impact on local communities as some of them serve as their main source of drinking water. It could also affect local species, which are the main source of food for Alaskan natives.

Climate change and global warming continue to be the biggest threats to the planet. Globally, the decade to 2019 was the hottest ever recorded, and the five hottest years have all occurred within the last five years.

Climate change has already started to affect people and their sources of livelihood. Forest fires, droughts, flash floods, and heat waves have become more frequent.

Last year, UN secretary general António Guterres warned governments around the world against the threat posed by climate change, stating that extreme weather events have put half of humanity in the danger zone.

Guterres went to the extent of saying that the world is left with no option but to do something immediately. "We have a choice. Collective action or collective suicide. It is in our hands," he added.