Geological hazards (or geohazards) are the results of natural, active geologic processes. They can be hazardous to people or infrastructure, or they may be occurring naturally in remote areas with no hazardous impact. Geohazards include: volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, mudslides or landslides, avalanches, glacial surges and outburst floods, tsunamis, and other land collapses due to thawing permafrost.
Often, geohazards occur rapidly and without much warning, which increases the need for and importance of long-term monitoring of high-risk areas such as volcanoes, active landslides or debris flows, or areas where permafrost is known to be thawing.
Often, geohazards occur rapidly and without much warning, which increases the need for and importance of long-term monitoring of high-risk areas such as volcanoes, active landslides or debris flows, or areas where permafrost is known to be thawing.
Understanding & Preparing for Geohazards
Learn more about geohazards in Alaska national parks.
Geohazard Terminology
Landslidea geologic feature where a mass of earth or rock moves down a slope or separates from a rock face. Landslides can occur over time or all at once and if the earth slides into the ocean can result in a tsunami.
Debris Flow
a moving mass of earth (mud, soil, sand, rock, water) that travels down a slope. Debris flows often coincide with heavy rain and flash flooding.
Outburst Flood
an event where a glacially dammed lake breaks through the blockage and results in a sudden and massive flood as the lake drains
Learn more about geohazards
Showing results 1-10 of 49
- Offices: Arctic Inventory & Monitoring Network, Central Alaska Inventory & Monitoring Network
Read the abstract and get the link to an article published in Environmental Research Letters that connects vegetation shift to warming Arctic and Boreal soils under vegetation. Kropp, H., M. M. Loranty, S. M. Natali, A. L. Kholodov, A. V. Rocha, … J. A. O’Donnell … et al. 2020. Shallow soils are warmer under trees and tall shrubs across Arctic and Boreal ecosystems. Environmental Research Letters.
- Offices: Arctic Inventory & Monitoring Network, Central Alaska Inventory & Monitoring Network
Read the abstract and link to a paper that describes increasing temperatures and their effects on permafrost in northern parks: Swanson, D. K., P. J. Sousanes, and K. Hill. 2021. Increased mean annual temperatures in 2014-2019 indicate permafrost thaw in Alaskan national parks. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 53(1): 1-19.
- Arctic Inventory & Monitoring Network
The role of old carbon in aquatic food webs
- Offices: Arctic Inventory & Monitoring Network
Read a summary and get the link to this article that looks at the use of old carbon in Arctic fish food webs and potential impacts of climate change: Stanek, A.E., Carey, M.P., O'Donnell, J.A., Laske, S.M., Xu, X., Dunton, K.H., von Biela, V.R. 2024. Arctic fishes reveal a gradient in radiocarbon content and use. Limnology and Oceanography Letters.
- Locations: Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park, Noatak National Preserve
- Offices: Arctic Inventory & Monitoring Network
Read the abstract and get the link to a published paper on how permafrost thaw is releasing metals into streams and turning them orange: O'Donnell, J. A., M. P. Carey, J. C. Koch, C. Baughman, K. Hill, C. E. Zimmerman, P. F. Sullivan, R. Dial, T. Lyons, D. J. Cooper, and B. A. Poulin. 2024. Metal mobilization from thawing permafrost to aquatic ecosystems is driving rusting of Arctic streams. Communications Earth & Environment 5: 268.
Read the abstract and link to the article about how stream flow is changing in ALaska due to warming temperatures: Blaskey, D., J. C. Koch, M. N. Gooseff, A. J. Newman, Y. Cheng, J. A. O'Donnell, and K. N. Musselman. 2023. Increasing Alaskan river discharge during the cold season is driven by recent warming. Environmental Research Letters 18(2): 024042.
- Locations: Noatak National Preserve
- Offices: Arctic Inventory & Monitoring Network
Read the abstract and link to a peer reviewed science article on methane emmissions in beaver ponds and streams in the Arctic: Clark, J. A., K. D. Tape, L. Baskaran, C. Elder, C. Miller, K. Miner, J. A. O'Donnell, and B. M. Jones. 2023. Do beaver ponds increase methane emissions along Arctic tundra streams? Environmental Research Letters 18: 075004.
- Locations: Yukon - Charley Rivers National Preserve
- Offices: Central Alaska Inventory & Monitoring Network
Read the abstract and get the link to an article that shows the relationship between warming climate, thawing permafrost, fire, and lake chemistry: Larsen, A. S., D. L. Rupp, D. K. Swanson, and K. R. Hill. 2023. Cascading effects of climate change and wildfire on a subarctic lake: A 20-year case study of watershed change. Ecosphere 14(7): e4558.
- Locations: Denali National Park & Preserve, Gates Of The Arctic National Park & Preserve, Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve
Read the abstract and get the link to an article on how climate change is impacting park roads in Alaska: Lader, R., P. Sousanes, U. S. Bhatt, J. E. Walsh, and P. A. Bieniek. 2023. Climate indicators of landslide risks on Alaska national park road corridors. Atmosphere 14(1): 34.
In northern latitudes, permafrost has provided important carbon storage for thousands of years. But as rising temperatures warm the soil, carbon is rapidly released. The Arctic is a key location to investigate the impact on global climate change and carbon cycles related to thawing permafrost. Read more from Stolpman et al. 2021. First pan-Arctic assessment of dissolved organic carbon in lakes of the permafrost region. Biogeosciences 18: 3917-3936.
- Bering Land Bridge National Preserve
Loons without lakes
- Locations: Bering Land Bridge National Preserve
Over a decade of loon population survey data combined with satellite imagery of lakes in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve dating back to the mid-1980s indicate remarkable changes in the nesting lakes of loons are underway. Lake drying in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and consequences for loons. How will loons cope with the widespread draining of lakes?
Last updated: December 18, 2019