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Atmospheric Sciences
The Atmospheric Sciences group studies the physical, chemical and dynamical processes
of the atmosphere from the unique vantage point of the polar region. The group strives to understand
the polar atmosphere and its role within the Earth system. Many topics bear directly on societal issues
related to climate variability and change.
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Space Physics and Aeronomy
The Space Physics & Aeronomy research group studies Earth's geospace environment,
which extends from the surface of the sun to Earth's atmosphere. The group uses
ground-based observations of magnetic fluctuations, infrasound, light from
auroral emissions, and radio signals reflected from ionospheric irregularities.
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Snow, Ice and Permafrost
The Snow, Ice & Permafrost research group seeks to understand the properties of Earth's
icy regions, known as the cryosphere, and the physical processes that occur within them.
Scientists study the role of snow, ice and permafrost in shaping the landscape, and the
changes that occur as the Arctic climate warms.
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Seismology and Geodesy
The Seismology group conducts research and monitors Alaska's earthquakes and tsunamis. The group
includes the State Seismology Lab. Alaska lies in a tectonically complex region bounded by a major
subduction zone. The group carries out high-resolution seismic recordings and studies the motion
and configuration of tectonic plates.
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Tectonics and Sedimentation
The Tectonics & Sedimentation research group strives to reconstruct the processes of Earth's
history over a variety of timescales. Alaska and the adjacent regions of the circumpolar north
provide a rich environment for such research. The Pacific North American and Eurasian plates
meet in Alaska, creating a natural laboratory for research in this area.
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Remote Sensing
The Remote Sensing group develops and uses data from satellite, ground-based and
airborne sources to address Earth and planetary science topics. The group studies
volcanology, sea ice, permafrost, crustal deformation, impact craters, land use and
hazard monitoring.
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Volcanology
Alaska is the nation's most volcanically active state, with eruptions of broad impact. The Volcanology
group studies volcanoes and eruptions using remote sensing, infrasound, chemical analyses,
and special instrumentation. The group also studies volcanoes throughout the world and maintains
active collaborations with Alaska Volcano Observatory partners and with other universities worldwide.
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K-12 planetarium show | Jan. 28

Local flash talk night | Jan. 30

Full science talks, in-person and virtually | Feb. 4, 11, 18, 25

Don't miss these opportunities to learn about exciting Alaska science from University of Alaska Fairbanks experts! Visit the Science for Alaska page for more information or for virtual options.

a rocket in front of uaf geophysical institute building

Multiple glacial streams carry turbid glacial runoff into Kachemak Bay in this aerial view looking southwest from the head of the bay toward Homer on June 30, 2021. Photo by Martin Stuefer

Research reveals extent of Kachemak Bay’s surface cloudiness

Geophysical Institute

January 30, 2025

Scientists have produced the first remote sensing analysis of how water clouded by sediment in glacier meltwater moves on the surface of Kachemak...

This image is from a video that accompanies the unmanned aircraft systems courses and includes the history of drone flight.

UAF offers free online courses about unmanned aircraft systems

Geophysical Institute

January 28, 2025

The public can learn the history, basics and engineering of unmanned aircraft systems through two free online courses offered by the University...

Thaw-driven subsidence can lead to thermokarst and formation of thermokarst ponds and thaw ponds. UAF Ph.D. student Nick Hasson looks at a thaw pond just north of the University of Alaska Fairbanks main campus. It is forming in an area underlain by massive ice wedges. Photo by Louise Farquharson

Thawing permafrost causes ground to sink in cold regions; scientists urge action

Geophysical Institute

January 24, 2025

More needs to be done to better understand rapidly changing Arctic landscapes that are sinking as climate-driven permafrost thaw penetrates...

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Ned Rozell sits at the edge of the volcanic crater on Mount Katmai during a trip to the Valley of 10,000 Smokes in 2001. Photo by John Eichelberger.

Thirty years of writing about Alaska science

When I was drinking coffee with a cab-driving-author friend of the same vintage last week, he said of my occupation: “It’s the best job in Alaska.”

The Dalton Highway winds through the Jim River and Prospect Creek valleys in northern Alaska, where an official thermometer registered Alaska’s all-time low of minus 80 degrees F on Jan. 23, 1971. Photo by Ned Rozell.

Dangerous cold across the land

In late January 2025, meteorologists from the National Weather Service Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland, are predicting “dangerously cold temperatures and wind chill values for much of t

President Jimmy Carter signs the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act on Dec. 2, 1980. Photo courtesy of the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library.

The man who preserved Alaska

Right about now, within a shrub in southern Texas, a ruby-crowned kinglet twitches to face northward.

Neve Baker stands beside her poster on discovering ancient evidence of beavers in Grand Tetons National Park while she was at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union in Washington, D.C. in December 2024. Photo by Ned Rozell.

Ancient beavers, sea floor bumps, thick air

It’s time to start emptying the notebook following the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, which happened from Dec. 9-13, 2024 in Washington, D.C.