Nearly 20 feet below the ground of a field of open tundra in the nation’s northernmost community, an icy world gives a picture of the ancient past and the future of this part of the Arctic.

Embedded in the walls of a tunnel is frozen peat, its features perfectly preserved from 10,000 years ago.

“It’s quite fresh, and it keeps the shape of the moss,” said Go Iwahana, a University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist who descended down a metal ladder to reach a low, 10-meter (32-foot) long tunnel built into the permafrost in the 1960s.

Sloshing below the floor are mobile pools of super-salty and bacteria-packed brine, the remnants of an ancient lagoon that dates back at least 40,000 years and is completely cut off from the Arctic Ocean.

Within the soil, though, the modern world is making its mark. Iwahana, crawling around along the low tunnel, sent probes 1.5 to 2 meters down boreholes to see how the modern world has made its mark. “Three,” he called out after reading a thermometer.

The soil here has warmed over the past decade from minus-6 degrees Celsius to minus-3 , or from 21.6 degrees to 26.6 degrees Fahrenheit, said Iwahana, who works at UAF’s International Arctic Research Center.

“That’s a lot,” he said.

Findings at the tunnel are consistent with those elsewhere on the North Slope. As air temperatures rise, the soils as deep as 20 meters below the surface are warming at a rate of up to 4 degrees Celsius per decade, according to long-term measurements by UAF scientists.

For Utqiagvik, the North Slope’s biggest community and home to nearly half of the North Slope Borough’s residents, the unrelenting warming means trouble.

The most obvious is seen at the places where ice-rich permafrost is closest to the surface: the coastline at Utqiagvik’s downtown core, where a bluff has cleaved dangerously close to the edge of houses. Beneath one abandoned house is a gaping hole where the bluff has completely eroded away. Another house, owned by Doreen Fogg-Leavitt’s mother-in-law, is teetering on the edge.

“I remember 20 years ago, when her backyard to the edge was a good 30 feet, 40 feet. Now it’s about three,” said Fogg-Leavitt, natural resources manager for the Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope, the local tribal government.

The North Slope has some of the fastest erosion measured in the nation, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, and rates have accelerated. The coastline is losing as much as 9.5 meters a month, according to findings by Williams College researchers presented in mid-December at the annual conference of the American Geophysical Union.

The long-term warming of frozen soil that Iwahana and his UAF colleagues are measuring in the tunnel is just one of the factors that work in combination to erode the coastline.

Another is sea ice loss. More open water – persisting this year into late November – means more opportunities throughout the year for waves to hit the beach and make contact with permafrost bluffs. That causes “niche-erosion block collapse,” said Tom Ravens, a University of Alaska Anchorage civil engineering professor.

There are more subtle factors, too, which Ravens listed at a permafrost workshop held in Anchorage in November. A change in precipitation patterns from snow to rain sends heat from the surface into the soil. The ocean water, aside from bringing soils in contact with heat, also contains salt, another thaw factor. Long-term thawing is causing vast stretches of land to sink, pulling down the coastline along with the rest of the landscape. Measured sinking across the North Slope from 2017 to 2022 averaged 3 centimeters to 5.8 centimeters, depending on location, according to UAF research to be presented at this month’s AGU annual meeting.

Sophisticated revetment to replace sand-filled bags and sand piles

At Utqiagvik, erosion is especially worrisome because of the large size of the community – about 4,500 people – and the large concentration of important infrastructure, including buildings, roads, utilities and, right next to the beach, a landfill.

The North Slope Borough in recent years has piled up masses of sand-filled Supersacks, delivered by barge each summer, to keep the sea’s water away from the most vulnerable resources. Beyond the walls of Supersacks, the borough uses heavy equipment to pile up beach sand into a makeshift barrier.

A more durable fix is on the way.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is putting the final touches on the design for five miles of what’s known as a “revetment” to protect the shoreline. It is a massive project that has been several years in the planning and is expected to take at least six years to complete, said Bruce Sexauer, chief of civil works project management for the Corps of Engineers’ Alaska district.

In the past, Utiqagvik has been able to do a little mix of “managed retreat,” moving some buildings and property away from the disappearing shoreline. But the region is fairly flat, and those options are largely exhausted.

“Now they are at a place where the important infrastructure is right up next to the edge. Their water supply and sewage lagoon are right up against the edge,” Sexauer said. The revetment project is seen as the most practical long-term solution, and Utqiagvik’s position as a service and business hub gives all North Slope communities a stake in it.

“If Utqiagvik suddenly had a catastrophic issue, that would have an effect on the other communities in the area,” Sexauer said.

The full cost of the revetment project is yet to be determined. The 2022 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act included a provision that puts $364.3 million into the project.

The Corps expects to formally seek bids this coming summer for the first phase of the project, the 0.75-mile section right at the central bluff, Sexauer said. A request for bids for the rest of the project is expected about a year later. The full project also incorporated a rebuild of Stevenson Street to raise the elevation of the oft-flooded roadway leading north of town toward Point Barrow.

Site-preparation work for the erosion-control project is expected to start in 2024, Sexauer said. 

The revetment design plan is for multiple layers of different material with varying porosity, from industrial fabric to large boulders, to preserve the ground’s cold temperatures, Sexauer said. That type of multilayer technology has proved to be successful, so far, for a much-smaller revetment at the erosion-threatened village of Shishmaref farther south in the Bering Strait region, according to Corps of Engineers’ reports.

It is important that the revetment be more than a simple rock wall, said one expert.

“Even if you build a rock revetment very strong, the permafrost below can degrade,” said Ming Xiao, a Pennsylvania State University civil engineering professor. “You can’t just build on the existing permafrost.”

Xiao is leading a project, with collaborators from UAF and Virginia Tech University, that uses a buried fiber-optic cable to measure the minute movements within the soil of Utqiagvik’s warming permafrost. The hope is that the underground vibrations, when correlated with temperature measurements, can forecast conditions in decades to come. “Then we can predict in the future, say 50 years, what the ground temperature is going to be,” he said. And that, in turn, will give information about whether the ground is too weak to support any structures atop it, he said.

The Supersacks are certainly not up to the erosion-control task, Xiao said. For one thing, he said, they are made of material that degrades when exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet light, something that is unrelenting in summer. For another, the sacks can be punctured in rough weather, “and the wave is going to pick up the Supersasck and put it into the ocean,” he said.

Below-ground threats to pipelines and cellars

Beyond the eroding shoreline, a less-visible thaw problem lies beneath the surface: threats to underground pipes for water and utilities.

About a third of Utqiagvik’s water, wastewater and electrical lines run through a protected, temperature-controlled tunnel called the “Utilidor.” Built in the oil-money heyday of the 1980s, the Utilidor was too expensive to extend beyond its initial 3 miles. That leaves most of the rest of the system with underground piping, and thaw risks lurk even 12 feet below the ground’s surface.

That danger materialized in a different North Slope community in the spring of 2021. In Point Lay, 180 miles southwest of Utqiagvik, a sudden thaw collapse in the permafrost severed a main water line, temporarily cutting off flow of water to the village clinic and to several houses. It was a particularly ill-timed event, as it came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when clean water became a critical need.

Protected as it is, the Utilidor is not impenetrable. Storms in 2015 and 2017 came close to sending water flooding into it, according to the Corps of Engineers. With waves breaking up the seasonally maintained beach berms, seawater also came close to contaminating the freshwater lagoon, the Corps reported. In October, Utqiagvik was slammed by a storm that, though not as serious as the 2015 and 2017 events, pushed saltwater from the sea again over barriers to flood Stevenson Street and enter the lower lagoon; one more breach and seawater would have hit the city’s upper-lagoon drinking water supply.

Permafrost thaw, in combination with storm flooding, is encroaching on some cultural practices, too.

Many of the community’s traditional Inupiat permafrost cellars, known as sigluaqs, have been damaged by flooding or other incursions.

That happened in 2015 to the sigluaq maintained by Fogg-Leavitt’s family. While there was no pooled water in it, the temperatures rose high enough to thaw the meat. It remained edible, she said, but the taste was compromised; the blood ran out during the thaw, meaning it was impossible to create the traditional fermented product.

The thaw threats have prompted some changes in practices, she said. “Some younger crews are using walk-in freezers exclusively,” she said. But others are passionate about keeping their sigluaqs intact and functional. To that end, ICAS is experimenting this winter with technology: installation of thermosyphons, devices that pull heat out of the ground passively. Only a few cellars are to be included in the first phase of the project, but it could be expanded in the future, she said.

“This is what we’re going to do to sustain our culture,” Fogg-Leavitt said. “We’ll see if it works.”

Gravesites and archaeological resources at risk

Thaw effects extend even to the dead.

That is seen at the modern cemetery, where grave markers have tilted as the ground below warmed. It is also seen at the central bluff in town, where remnants of historic homes made of sod and driftwood are crumbling away, and at more remote sites, to more remote coastal area, where sometimes-ancient artifacts and even gravesites are being lost.

Rescuing those sites has been the mission of archaeologist Anne Jensen. Now with Bryn Mawr College, Jensen lived for decades in Utqiagvik and previously worked for the Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corp.’s science department.

When the 800-year-old remains of a young girl were uncovered by erosion in 1994, Jensen was on the case; the girl was determined to have been a victim of starvation and numerous chronic diseases. She was named Anaiyaaq, meaning “young girl,” and her body was reburied.

When accelerating erosion was exposing gravesites at Nuvuk, an ancient settlement at Point Barrow, Jensen was also at work to rescue remains; the sites were from a cemetery area with use stretching back about 1,000 years. She has done other work at a well-known archaeological site about 18 miles down the Chukchi Sea coast called Walakpa, which was thought to be stable until about a decade ago, when a fall storm began carving off the once-frozen bluff.

The vulnerable archaeological sites are not just about culture, Jensen said. “Sites are not just culture. They are a frozen tissue archive. Everything in it is preserved.” That includes ancient DNA in both tissues and sediments, stable isotopes and other pieces of information that can be used to reconstruct past conditions, she said.

The places where Jensen has worked represent only a small fraction of the archaeological and cultural sites packed along the coastlines at Utqiagvik and elsewhere on the North Slope. Several have already been lost, such as the 100-year-old Esook Trading Post that was swallowed by the Beaufort Sea in the early 2000s. Many more are likely to wash away before anyone knows what they held, Jensen said.

“There’s not enough money on the planet. It’s either excavate them or write them off,” she said.

This story was first published by Alaska Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons license. You can read the original here.

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Para-athlete and GSK spokesperson Jamie Schanbaum understands struggle.
She knows what it’s like to train for the Paralympic Games and channel her pain into perserverance—winning a gold medal at the U.S. Paralympic cycling games. Years before her games, Jamie went through another battle— fighting for her life after contracting meningococcal disease, also known as meningitis.

Jamie was a college sophomore when, in 24 hours, she went from feeling completely healthy to feeling like she had the flu, to being rushed to the emergency room where she found out she had contracted meningitis. Jamie spent seven months in the hospital, ultimately losing both of her legs below the knees, and all of her fingers due to the disease. Although uncommon, meningitis can be a serious illness that can cause life-threatening complications, or even death.[i] Jamie’s athletic fortitude was born out of her fight against meningitis.
Jamie is sharing her story as an advocate for GSK’s public health campaign, “Ask2Bsure” to educate and empower parents of teens and young adults ages 16-23 to start the conversation with their child’s doctor and “Ask2Bsure” they have received vaccination for meningitis B. There are two different types of vaccinations that can help protect against the 5 vaccine-preventable groups of meningitis, and while many colleges require meningitis ACWY vaccination, meningitis B vaccination has only been available since 2014, and most colleges still do not require it.[ii],[iii]

ASK2BSURE.COM

DID YOU KNOW?
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends a meningitis B vaccination series for teens and young adults ages 16-23 years (preferred age 16-18 years) on the basis of shared clinical decision making- to help protect against meningitis B.[iv] • Meningitis is an uncommon, but serious illness that can cause life-threatening complications, or even death.1 Early symptoms of meningitis may be similar to those of the flu, but can progress quickly and can be fatal.[v],[vi] • Up to 1 in 5 meningitis survivors suffer long-term consequences, such as brain damage, amputations, hearing loss and nervous system problems.[vii] Among those who contract meningitis, 1 in 10 will die, despite treatment, sometimes in as little as 24 hours.2
• Teens and young adults are at an increased risk for contracting meningitis because it can spread through certain common behaviors such as living in close quarters like college dorms, kissing, and sharing drinks or utensils.1
• From 2011 through March 2019, meningitis B caused all US college meningococcal outbreaks, which involved 13 campuses, 50 cases, and 2 deaths among an at-risk population of approximately 253,000 students.[viii] Although vaccination may not protect all recipients, it is the best way to help prevent meningitis B according to CDC.[ix]

She’ll be join by Dr. Iriny Mary Salib, Pharm D (doctorate in Pharmacy), medical science liaison at GSK.
Interview courtesy: GSK

#para-athlete #cyclist #battle #health #jamie #schanbaum #gave #mission #education #meningitis #vaccination #para #athlete #paralympic #disease #ask2bsure #iriny #mary #salib #gsk

The post PARA-ATHLETE CYCLIST SHARES HOW SHE FOUND HERSELF BATTLING FOR HER LIFE appeared first on Good News!.

Exactly a year to the date he learned he had tested positive for the then-new COVID-19, Eric Yaverbaum found out he contracted the disease again – this time the B.1.1.7 variant. In March 2020, when the pandemic was just beginning and we still weren’t sure what we were grappling with, Eric began what would be a grueling 90 day battle with Covid-19. Confined to a bed for the first month, and then dealing with long-haul symptoms, lung damage, and requiring an oxygen tank for another two months, Eric found himself running his company while fighting for his next breath. So when the unthinkable happened and he got COVID-19 a second time, Eric knew the fight he had ahead of him and resolved himself to once again, keep breathing and get his company through to the other side. Two weeks ago, he began stringent quarantine, informed his clients, updated and reassured his team, and hunkered down to face the disease that a year ago had knocked him down for three straight months.

“Everything is more intense this time around. All of the symptoms came back faster and harder than before, but I know I’m going to get through this,” said Yaverbaum.

He is still managing his agency from his bed, responding to emails, swapping zooms for calls, and continuing to write his next book, The Audacity of Silver Linings, inspired by the hope that got him through his first round of COVID-19 and his company through the darkest days of the pandemic (with the wish that he can share that hope with others).
Already an expert on leadership and crisis communications – and author of industry-standard Public Relations for Dummies and bestseller Leadership Secrets of the World’s Most Successful CEOs – Eric learned a lot in real-time about leadership, managing a business through a crisis, and above all, the power of hope.
The disease has reinforced his belief that compassion and transparent and frequent communication are key aspects of crisis leadership. Being open about your own struggles and setbacks as a leader is vital when trying to stay connected in a world where we are actively reconfiguring how we connect and interact with each other.

New York Times bestselling author of seven books and CEO of Ericho Communications, Yaverbaum has been asked to speak on his experience leading a company while overcoming COVID-19 in Entrepreneur, PR Week, NY1, and more. Consistently, he cited hope as the only force willing him to feel better each day. Yaverbaum will be recounting his lifelong ability to look towards the bright side and his coronavirus recovery for his upcoming book The Audacity of Silver Linings, set to release in 2022.

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“NOSEWORTHY” IS NEWSWORTHY!

Announcing the publication of Noseworthy, byHilltop30 Publication Group

For author, Barbara Caplan-Bennett, the appearance of a spot on her nosebegan as a mere annoyance, but quickly escalated into a full-out battle with melanoma.Barbara was given a choice, give up her entire nose or risk losing her life.

Barbara relays her story with unusual frankness – sharing both her fearsand her hope as she is faced with decisions that will determine her fate. JoinBarbara on her journey of big challenges and small victories that ultimatelylead her to a “new normal” – facing the world without her nose.

Whatthey’re saying about “Noseworthy”

Barbara Caplan-Bennett is a brilliant writer whohas written a personal, compelling, and ultimately uplifting tale about thingslost (her nose) and gained (badass optimistic attitude) during her victoriousfight over cancer. I promise you will love this book!

~Seth Davis, CBS Sports college basketball analyst and author of Wooden:A Coach’s Life

“Brave, honest and very funny. Barbara Caplan-Bennett found herself in acage fight not only with cancer but with fear, vanity, and self-worth. What shecame out with is more than an inspirational survival story—it reads like thejournal of a trusted friend”

~Cynthia Carle, co-writer THESIXTH MAN, Humanitas Finalist YOU WISH

Contact Barbara Caplan-Bennett for Information& Interviews

Email: Noseworthy2020@gmail.com

What Does Peace Mean to Barbara Caplan-Bennett: http://goodnewsplanet.com/what-does-peace-mean-to-barbara-caplan-bennett/

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“The spirit of One Brooklyn, along with the support and solidarity of its residents, was carried into battle through the flag that now stands proudly in Brooklyn Borough Hall as a tribute to the bravery of those men and women who brought it safely home,” said Borough President Adams. “Now, it will once more be carried into service, this time by veterans who have bravely served our nation and are justly honored for their service and their sacrifice. I am honored to take part in this small gesture of our borough’s everlasting appreciation for our veteran community, and I am committed to using my role as Borough President to advance their general welfare with the support and resources they deserve.”

The flag was given by then-Brooklyn Borough President Howard Golden in 1990 to the 102 Maintenance Company, 244th Nation Guard Division when the unit was assigned to the Persian Gulf in Operation Desert Storm. It was scorched by burning fragments from an enemy Scud missile, which was shot down by a U.S. Patriot missile during an attack near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The flag was returned to Brooklyn at homecoming ceremonies for the 102nd Maintenance Company on September 15th, 1991.

“I was born and raised in Brooklyn, and went onto serve in the US Army in Vietnam War,” said Patrick Gualtieri, executive director of the United War Veterans Council. “I am honored to be here today with Borough President Adams, and those proud veterans joining us who represent the more than 52,000 Brooklyn veterans from all eras living in our great borough. As the executive director of the United War Veterans Council, producers of the now-televised America’s Parade – Veterans Day, NYC on November 11^th – I assure you that this flag will be respected and featured during the parade.”

“As a proud Marine, OIF veteran, and as someone who grew up in Brooklyn, I am truly honored to participate in the flag ceremony with Borough President Adams and the distinguished veterans groups listed,” said Sergeant Shamar Thomas, U.S. Marine Corps veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). “Like this flag, our nations’ veterans and their families wear the scars of war, prompting us to never forget. As we walk down 5th avenue for the Veterans Day Parade, we must never forget those who have come before us, who have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that freedom persists. Semper Fi.”

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