Illustrated for a collaborative USGS & NPS research project published in Nature Communications, May 2024.

Rapid permafrost thaw can release minerals into waterways that cause them to turn orange, which is occurring in the Arctic at an increasing rate. This infographic depicts the causes and implications of rusting rivers, including the impacts on the aquatic ecosystem and the human communities that rely on water and subsistence fishing.

Learn more about this phenomenon in this video by UC Davis.

8.5 x 11 in

Watercolor & digital, 2023