Scientists at NASA have spotted a brand-new island on Alaska’s remote Alsek Lake as water rapidly replaces ice, with glaciers thinning and new lakes forming.
What’s happening?
According to images released by NASA, a new landmass has appeared in a lake in southeastern Alaska within a remote corner of the St. Elias Mountains, more than 60 miles from the nearest human settlement. The glacier ice that once surrounded the island has melted away over decades of global warming, revealing Prow Knob Island.
NASA’s Earth Observatory released images showing how the Alsek Glacier has shrunk since 1984, using Landsat 5 through Landsat 9 satellites. In older images, the small mountain jutted into the lake but was connected by the surrounding glacier; now, the melting ice has turned it into an island.
Technically, Prow Knob is now considered a nunatak, a rocky peak above flowing glacier ice, with the glacier reduced to just a stub.
Why is this new island concerning?
The new island is a clear sign of significant ice melt along the southeastern Alaskan coast, with new lakes emerging across the region, highlighting the larger dangers of melting glaciers.
As glaciers shrink and lakes expand, more freshwater flows into oceans, driving up sea levels. Higher tides and storm surges put coastal homes and infrastructure at risk, while communities far from the coast experience downstream effects through disrupted food systems, damaged fisheries, and the spread of diseases carried by shifting ecosystem dynamics.
The ice’s melting separation from the mountain will continue in a process known as calving. Alsek Lake will keep growing, having expanded by 11 square miles since 1984. The expanding waters serve as a reminder of the cost of human-made warming that is wreaking havoc on known and unknown corners of the globe.
NASA researchers have warned that this pattern is accelerating worldwide, with Arctic ice loss linked to extreme weather that supercharges storms, floods, and heat waves globally.
What’s being done about melting glaciers?
The new island may be remote, but it’s a visible sign of the global warming crisis affecting communities worldwide.
Communities, scientists, and policymakers are working on solutions to this melting issue. Coastal cities are investing in resilient infrastructure, such as seawalls and terraforming, while international agreements aim to reduce the pollution driving global warming. You can also help by making changes at home, from switching to clean energy to reducing waste and rethinking travel habits.
From advances in flood-resistant architecture to smarter farming methods that protect food supplies, science and technology are making strides to help protect us and the planet, but larger changes need to be made to reduce reliance on dirty energy and other climate-heating human activities.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.