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  • A bicyclist rides a snowmachine trail as it winds through wind-sculpted snowdrifts on a frozen river on a sunny day. On the left, deciduous trees rise above a cutbank. On the right, farther away, a rocky bluff topped with spruce trees towers above the river. In the distance, a line of mixed forest marks a far bank.

    Bishop Rock's oversized effect on breakup

    April 24, 2026

    A few weeks ago, as my friend Forest and I rode our bikes on the vast white sheet of the frozen Yukon River downstream of Galena, the river forced us into a 90-degree hard left. There, the channel suddenly necked down from being almost a mile wide to just a quarter mile.

  • A woman, Georgia Houde, stands in front of a woodshed half-full of firewood.

    Webinar to discuss ways to reduce firewood drying time

    April 22, 2026

    It can take significant time and effort to turn an Interior ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ spruce or birch tree into dry firewood, but a recent study demonstrates ways to shorten and improve the efficiency of the process. Georgia Houde will discuss the findings of the study conducted by ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ researchers Jessie Young-Robertson and Matt Robertson in a free webinar from noon-1 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29.

  • A round outdoor thermometer mounted on a snow-covered tree reads about minus 45 degrees Fahrenheit in a quiet, snow-blanketed forest of tall birch and spruce trees. Long blue shadows stretch across the deep snow under a clear sky. The image shows extreme cold conditions at a home in Two Rivers, ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥, on March 11, 2026.

    ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ climate report: March 2026 saw dangerous weather

    April 21, 2026

    March brought a series of dangerous and disruptive weather events across ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥. Severe cold combined with powerful storms to affect communities statewide, according to the monthly summary from the ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ Climate Research Center.

  • A composite image made of photos of Jim Vinyard standing in a field holding a baby goat and Amy Good wearing a wetsuit and standing on a boat, arms outstretched.

    Seminar explores ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥'s agriculture and mariculture connections

    April 21, 2026

    A discussion between a ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ mariculture specialist and a UAF livestock nutritionist will dive into how the mariculture industry can support ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ agriculture.

  • Cover of a science-themed coloring book titled “Journey Through the Heliosphere: The Sun–Earth System in Color,†featuring a detailed, symmetrical illustration of the sun in warm reds, oranges, and yellows against a dark background, with NASA and UAF logos at the top. The image shows the cover of a new sun-based, science-focused coloring book produced by the ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ in collaboration with NASA.

    UAF, NASA produced fact-filled coloring book about the sun

    April 20, 2026

    A new sun-based and science-focused coloring book produced by the ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ in collaboration with NASA is now available.

  • A person rides a bicycle down a straight snowmachine trail across an open plain of snow, with a thin line of spruce trees on the horizon. Tripod trail markers poke out of the snow to the right of the trail.

    Biking trail ends at the western coast

    April 17, 2026

    Winter finally ran out on us. After 515 miles and more than three weeks of pedaling and pushing our fat bikes, we decided to fly home to Fairbanks.

  • On snowy ground, two helmeted men stand over fat-tired bikes laden with camping gear while snow falls around them. Behind them is a grove of willows, beyond which a few small buildings are visible.

    Up a ramp, finally off the big river

    April 10, 2026

    A few hours ago, Forest Wagner and I shoved our loaded bikes up a ramp of snow and onto Front Street. After nine days and 265 miles, we are off ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥'s largest frozen river.

  • A wide view of Columbia Glacier in ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ shows a broad river of ice flowing between dark, rocky mountains, with snow-covered peaks in the distance and floating ice in the water at the glacier’s front. Columbia Glacier, shown here in 2016, is about 20 miles west of Valdez and has been retreating since the early 1980s after roughly 200 years of stability.

    Seismic record analysis can reveal a glacier's past

    April 10, 2026

    The history of earthquake-like signals created by the crashing of glacial ice into the ocean can reveal how a glacier has changed over time, according to research by a ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ team.

  • A small quadcopter unmanned aircraft system hovers above an M2 Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle on a dirt training range at Fort Hood, Texas, with trees in the background. The scene, captured Aug. 27, 2025, during Operation Return of the Condor, shows the drone positioned overhead as part of testing for drone detection and counter–small UAS tactics.

    Project will use air pressure waves to remotely detect vehicles, aircraft

    April 09, 2026

    Researchers at the ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ have launched a three-year effort to develop a new system to remotely detect and assess ground vehicles and low-flying aircraft, including drones.

  • A scientist, Caley Gasch, tests the soil in a field in ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥.

    Researcher digs into soils of the circumpolar North

    April 07, 2026

    A ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ professor will dig into the importance of agricultural soils in ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ and the circumpolar North in a webinar. The presentation by Caley Gasch, research assistant professor of soil science with the UAF Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension, is part of the seminar series "Circumpolar Connections: A Dialogue on Arctic Food Systems."

  • A person in a blue helmet and an orange windbreaker rides a fat-tired bike on a ice road plowed on a river, with drifted snow to the left and a snow berm to the right. Tall evergreens line the riverbank to the left, and hills rise in the distance.

    Rolling through a blank spot on the map

    April 04, 2026

    Beneath a bulbous waxing moon, we roll along on a ribbon of packed snow. The clear river ice beneath our tires is four feet thick.

  • A person holding a ventilation hood in front of a building

    Arctic Dual Hood simplifies energy-efficient ventilation

    April 01, 2026

    A new ventilation system component developed by engineers at the ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ and the Cold Climate Housing Research Center is helping indoor air quality in cold climates while saving energy.

  • In a laboratory setting, a smiling man in a lab coat holds a beaker full of liquid and gas. He is directing some of the gas into the mouth of a child, while another child looks on, smiling.

    UAF's Science Potpourri offers fun activity medley

    March 30, 2026

    The annual Science Potpourri returns on Saturday, April 11. Designed to spark children's curiosity about science, the free all-ages event will take place from noon-3 p.m. in the Reichardt Building on the ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥â€™ Troth Yeddha’ Campus. 

  • In a snowy field studded with the tops of small spruce trees, a man wearing a hooded parka pushes a bicycle on a trail drifted in with snow. Taller spruce edge the field in the background.

    ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ bike journey rolls along

    March 27, 2026

    It's so quiet in these spruce hills and tamarack swamps that 27 hours and 50 miles passed between when Forest Wagner and I said goodbye to one human being at Old Minto and hello to the next near Baker.

  • A person holds up a sheet of nearly transparent, tea-colored seaweed.

    Webinar focuses on ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥'s growing mariculture industry

    March 27, 2026

    In a free online presentation at noon on Wednesday, April 15, Melissa "Missy" Good with the ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ Sea Grant will review how ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥'s mariculture industry strengthens coastal economies and food security. The webinar is hosted by the UAF Cooperative Extension Service.

  • Peter Elstner, left, and Brendan Lahr stand on a snowy ridge discussing the payload section of a two-stage NASA Black Brant IX sounding rocket, which lies partially buried in snow. A vast Arctic landscape stretches behind them, with rolling, snow-covered terrain and distant mountains under clear winter light.

    Poker Flat Research Range cleans up what comes down

    March 25, 2026

    For Poker Flat, Peter Elstner leads the rocket mission cleanup team, which is supported by several contractors and NASA. The rocket recovery program retrieves the payloads and rocket parts -- or as many as can be found.

  • New funding advances earthquake early warning for ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥

    March 24, 2026

    Federal funding approved earlier this year will allow for the first implementation steps of the ShakeAlert earthquake early warning system to begin in ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥, though its operation is not expected for several years and is contingent on continued financial support. The system can provide several seconds to a minute or more of warning and is being used in California, Oregon and Washington.

  • A woman in a red sweater, Jessie Young-Robertson, stands in a birch forest

    Seminar explores food, fiber and more from boreal forest

    March 23, 2026

    A ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ researcher will share how differences in the boreal forest across the global North affect the way people use it and which plants and animals live there. The presentation by Jessie Young-Robertson, research associate professor of forest ecology with the UAF Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension, is part of the series "Circumpolar Connections: A Dialogue on Arctic Food Systems."

  • Researchers begin 1,600-mile journey across ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥

    March 20, 2026

    ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ researchers will launch a 1,600-mile snowmachine expedition along ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥â€™s western and northern coasts Saturday, March 21, to exchange information about the evolving environment with communities en route.

  • Aerial view of UtqiaÄ¡vik, ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥, showing a snow-covered coastal town bordered by sea ice. A long, narrow strip of open water called an open flaw lead cuts across the frozen ocean, separating the solid landfast ice attached to shore from the drifting pack ice farther offshore.

    New analysis shows continued loss of Arctic landfast sea ice

    March 20, 2026

    Sea ice is sticking to ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥'s northern coast for less time each year, according to 27 years of data analyzed by ÀÖ»¢Ö±²¥ scientists.

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