Thawing permafrost is turning Arctic rivers orange—spelling trouble for fish

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By Warren Cornwall, Science. 

Excerpt: The Salmon River, in remote northwestern Alaska, ...has become a symbol of Arctic climate change—and its waters are no longer clear or pure. Beginning in 2019, the river turned orange and yellow, reminiscent of acidic runoff from mining waste. It’s not just the color that’s troubling. The river and many of its tributaries are now laced with toxic metals, leached from thawing permafrost, at levels that can harm aquatic life, scientists report today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.... 

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