Research news
New lidar advances atmospheric science at UAF research site
November 14, 2025
A new science tool at the University of Alaska Fairbanks research center in Gakona will advance understanding of Earth's middle and upper atmosphere regions.
November 14, 2025
Charles Deehr will never forget his first red aurora. On Feb. 11, 1958, Deehr was a student at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. He asked a Fulbright student from Norway named Tone to the Portland Symphony that night.
UAF study links beaver expansion to faster Arctic thaw
November 13, 2025
The climate-driven spread of beaver ponds in Alaska's Arctic accelerates the effects of a warming environment by causing pond-adjacent permafrost to thaw and by increasing the amount of liquid water present during winter.
2025 Delta Harvest Wrap-Up highlights the year in agriculture
November 12, 2025
An update on the 2025 year in Alaska agriculture and summaries of research progress on soils, grains and weeds will highlight the annual Delta Harvest Wrap-Up in Delta Junction. The free annual wrap-up brings together Alaska's agricultural researchers with local farmers to provide updates on their various projects.
Triple solar blast sets stage for active aurora show
November 12, 2025
An unusual triple whammy of solar outbursts, including one scientists call a cannibal, began hitting Earth this afternoon and is likely to bring the curtain up on spectacular aurora performances starting tonight.
Interactive map models Fairbanks borough energy costs
November 07, 2025
A new interactive web map developed by researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks gives policymakers and residents a clearer picture of how energy costs affect households across the Fairbanks North Star Borough.
November 07, 2025
I once asked a snowmachiner heading out on a trail from Nome where he was going. "Boston," he said before speeding off.
Study and report offer insights into ice conditions
November 05, 2025
As Alaska's rivers begin serving as winter roads and trails, a new study from the University of Alaska Fairbanks helps explain why certain stretches of water never seem to freeze.
Researcher to discuss putting local food in local hands
November 04, 2025
A University of Alaska Fairbanks professor will discuss putting local food in local hands during an ongoing seminar series. The presentation by Glenna Gannon, assistant professor of sustainable food systems with the UAF Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension, is part of "Circumpolar Connections: A Dialogue on Arctic Food Systems."
Faces on a beach in Southwest Alaska
October 30, 2025
Walking a storm-scoured Alaska beach, archaeologist Rick Knecht knelt to pick up a wooden figurine the size of his palm.
Hair ice enlivens an extended fall
October 24, 2025
Just when you thought you'd seen everything in the boreal forest, a reader points out white whiskers sprouting from the ground.
2025 growing season one of the longest in Fairbanks history
October 18, 2025
The 2025 Fairbanks growing season officially ended on Sept. 24, according to measurements taken at the Fairbanks Experiment Farm on the University of Alaska Fairbanks Troth Yeddha' Campus. The freeze on Sept. 24 ended a 129-day growing season, defined as the number of days between freezing temperatures, said Rick Thoman, a climate specialist with the UAF Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness.
Researcher helps examine puzzling Arctic Ocean ice fog
October 17, 2025
A type of cloud that forms low near Alaska's northern coast and over the Arctic Ocean lasts far longer than scientific understanding says it should. Associate research professor Carl Schmitt is helping a federally funded research team figure out why it's happening.
Mountain glaciers will lose their insulating air layer
October 17, 2025
A natural cooling mechanism has been shielding the world's mountain glaciers from increasingly warm summer melt seasons, but new research by an international science team says the protective process will break down by mid-century.
Alaska volcano as climate disrupter
October 17, 2025
A circular scar on Alaska's face speaks to an event that may have contributed to the fall of societies on the far side of the world.
Researcher to discuss benefits of using kelp as fertilizer
October 15, 2025
Kelp shows great promise for improving soil health and crop production in Alaska. In a free webinar, Erin Oliver, a postdoctoral researcher with Washington State University, will discuss the lab and field studies conducted at the Matanuska Experiment Farm to investigate the effects of kelp on soil health and crop production.
Acoustic tagging seeks answers to king salmon decline
October 14, 2025
An ambitious new research project is aiming to better understand the lives of king salmon by focusing on their difficult journey from freshwater habitat to the ocean. The project, a collaboration between the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska Department of Fish and Game, is using hundreds of acoustic tags and an array of underwater hydrophones to track young salmon as they navigate the Kenai River to Cook Inlet.
ACUASI adds new drones for cargo trials
October 14, 2025
Two large-payload unmanned aircraft have joined the fleet of the University of Alaska Fairbanks' drone industry development program. They will be used to test cargo deliveries and emergency responses.
Mendenhall Glacier to pull toe from lake
October 09, 2025
In the near future, Juneau's Mendenhall Glacier will withdraw its icy toe from the lake of its making, scientists say.
UAF receives $3.26 million grant for tribal heart health research
October 09, 2025
The National Institutes of Health has awarded the University of Alaska Fairbanks a $3.26 million grant for a new research project to address coronary heart disease among Yup'ik Alaska Native people in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region.
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