For the past several years, Dr. Roman Dial has researched tree line in northern Alaska. His undergraduate students may spend 99 days straight in the backcountry, gathering data by foot and by packraft from Canada to Kotzebue. That hands-on research has now produced an open-access publication in Nature, one of the world’s most renowned, most…
Earth Science
National honor for APU-sponsored program that equips Alaskans with earthquake education
Seismic events — earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanic eruptions — are a part of life in Alaska. But not every community faces the same dangers or prepares in the same way. EarthScope ANGLE, a project led by Alaska Pacific University (APU) Research Associate Dr. Jennifer Witter, aims to help Alaska communities become more resilient to these…
Alaska Pacific University Eklutna research published in Journal of Hydrology
Three APU researchers from the Institute of Culture and Environment – Associate Professor of Geology Amanda King, Emeritus Professor Jim Brown, and MSES graduate James Meyers – recently published their work on the hydrogeology of Eklutna Basin in the Journal of Hydrology. Eklutna Lake is the primary water supply for the city of Anchorage. With…
Honors Assembly Shines Light on Exemplary Students, Staff, Faculty
With the school year winding down, Alaska Pacific University took time last week to recognize it’s exemplary students, staff, and faculty members during the Annual Honors Assembly. Here are the highlights from the April 20th event. Faculty Merit Awards: It is one of the longstanding traditions at APU, that faculty would recommend one another for…
APU on the Web: Candela explains icefield study for LinkTV viewers
Glacier science undertaken by double-major Sal Candela is showcased in a short film that takes viewers to one of the world’s largest non-polar masses of snow and ice. Candela, ’15, is completing bachelor’s degrees in Outdoor Studies and Earth Science and was selected for summer 2013 fieldwork by the Juneau Icefield Research Program. It recruits…
APU’s climate change research attracts national interest
A team of APU students led by Earth Sciences Professor Michael G. Loso is featured in a report June 25 on National Public Radio. NPR focuses on Loso’s grant-funded study of Eklutna Glacier, source of water and power for Anchorage, the state’s largest city. As reporter Annie Feidt explains, APU’s field work investigates how climate…
CO2 exchange along a hydrologic gradient in the Kenai Lowlands, AK: feedback implications of wetland drying and vegetation succession
CO2 exchange along a hydrologic gradient in the Kenai Lowlands, AK: feedback implications of wetland drying and vegetation succession, Published in Ecohydrology, Dec. 13, 2011 Susan L. Ives, MSES, 2010 Boreal wetlands hold vast stocks of soil carbon (C), which may be vulnerable to changes in climate. In Southcentral Alaska, wetlands of the Kenai Lowlands…
Characterizing Eklutna Glacier’s Response to Climate Through Measurements of Mass Balance, Geometry, and Motion
Submitted to Journal of Glaciology Louis Sass, MSES, 2011 This work examined enhanced thinning in and near the accumulation zone on the main branch of Eklutna Glacier, Alaska. Measurements of surface mass balance and surface elevation document enhanced thinning and implications for stability in the present climate. Radar and GPS surveys were used to characterize…
Survival rate of fecal coliforms in a glacial environment: Implications for human waste management on Mount McKinley, Alaska
In review at Arctic Antarctic and Alpine Research Katie Goodwin, MSES, 2011 Short- and longterm effects of crevassing human waste in a glacial environment are poorly understood despite their implications for human health and water quality. Using field observations and lab experiments, this thesis investigated the microbiological fate of human feces deposited in a variety…
Glacier science gets a thumbs-up from users of social media
Alaska Pacific University took part in a National Park Service experiment aimed at using social media to field questions about glaciers submitted by Facebook and Twitter. Representing APU was Earth Science Associate Professor Michael Loso, who publishes frequently in peer-reviewed publications devoted to glaciology, alpine research and climate change, among other topics. Loso was part…
