Banana Slugs Ooze Over Coastal Alaska
Pacific banana slugs live on the floor of coastal rain forests all the way south to California. Down there, where frosts are rare as 90 degree days here, the slugs grow long as pencils.
Author: Ned Rozell
Earthquake Adds Missing Piece to Puzzle
Late in the evening of July 21, State Seismologist Michael West heard a text alarm. His phone informed him of a large earthquake beneath the ocean, just south of the Alaska Peninsula, about 60 miles southeast of the village of Sand Point. His first thought was that this—the biggest earthquake on the planet so far in 2020—would cause a devastating tsunami. His second thought was that a longstanding earthquake mystery may have just been solved.
Granite Tors Evidence of Ice-Free Alaska
Twenty-thousand years ago, at the height of the last ice age, Alaska was connected to Siberia in a wide, grassy plain, the home of horses and bison.
Long-distance Champions of Alaska
A scientist recently wondered which animal travels farthest across the landscape in one year. In doing his research, he found a few Alaska creatures near the top of the list.
Rain Falls, as It Always Has
Rain is, after all, the free distribution of a substance more valuable than gold.
World Traveler Visits South Fairbanks
Blackpoll warblers are a bird you would expect to hear in South Fairbanks. But this one grabbed one’s attention.
A Tale of Glacier Mice and Young Love
Green and spongy, glacier mice are not really rodents at all. They consist mostly of moss, and are the subject of a recent published study. Two of its authors are former Alaska graduate students, who met and fell in love in the company of the little green pincushions.
A COVID-19 Story from a Rugged Alaskan
Despite being prepared to run the Boston Marathon, when Finstad was infected with the COVID-19 virus, it knocked him down and almost took him out.
One Building Remains Busy During Quiet Time
Inside the Alaska State Virology Laboratory, people are busy testing swabs for COVID-19, the unseen entity that has taken over 2020.
The Secret Life of a Red Fox Family
At the beginning, in late March of 2019, there were two characters in the drama: the dark-eyed female, smaller of body, her sides black as well as orange; and the dashing male. He was larger, his coat a brilliant orange, with black highlights on his flowing tail, feet and ears.