Earth
Photos of a rusting Alaskan river win New Scientist Editors Award
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![Taylor Roades: Rust River Earth Photo 2024 Shortlisted Entry 2023 was the hottest year on global record and the Arctic is disproportionately affected by these elevated temperatures. The remote Western Brooks Range of North West Alaska has recorded a 2.4 degree increase in temperature since 2006. Permafrost, the layer of soil that remains frozen throughout the year is thawing at an unprecedented rate, exposing the bedrock and all metals that have been frozen within it, to the elements. Tukpahlearick Creek and its tributaries are now flowing bright orange with oxidized iron and sulphuric acid. The change to water quality, and risks associated with metals in the water pose dire threats to ecosystems downstream that rely on these waters, and are symbolic of the far reaching consequences of climate change.](https://images.newscientist.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/18103911/SEI_208408609.jpg)
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