Alpine glaciers, wild coastlines, temperate rainforests and deep river valleys coexist on the Olympic Peninsula, in the northwest corner of Washington state. Surrounded by blue waters, peaceful islands and bustling population centres, its rugged interior remains a relatively remote bastion of nature. The stunning terrain of the Olympic Mountains comes into focus in this oblique
Editor’s Note: Today’s story is the answer to the July Puzzle. Call it an alluvial showdown. At the southern tip of Severny Island in the Russian Arctic, rivers descend from rugged terrain flanking a wide valley. Upon reaching flatter terrain, the waters slow down and distribute the sediments in the shape of cones called alluvial
From declining annual sea ice extent to greening tundra, environmental change has been gradually unfolding in the Arctic for decades. However, some changes have come more abruptly. Satellite, aerial and ground surveys spanning more than 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) along Alaska’s Brooks Range have observed stream water changing from clear to orange in more than
The summers of 2021 and 2022 were difficult seasons for Colorado’s Blue Mesa Reservoir. A severe drought hit much of the western U.S., prompting emergency water releases that brought the reservoir to its lowest level since 1984. Marinas and boat ramps closed, the remains of a ghost town emerged from the mud, and parts of
Scientists estimate that Earth is home to more than 100 million lakes. Among the most unusual is Lake Unter-See, one of Antarctica’s largest and deepest surface lakes, known for its distinctive water chemistry. Its ice-covered waters have exceptionally high levels of dissolved oxygen, low dissolved carbon dioxide, and a strongly alkaline (basic) pH. The OLI