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Kenneth R. Hill

Publications and source records attributed to Kenneth R. Hill.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
USGS2026

Abrupt onset and persistent downstream effects of acid rock drainage on rivers across northwest Arctic Alaska

Arctic streams and rivers are increasingly vulnerable to degradation from permafrost thaw that releases toxic elements via natural acid rock drainage. However, the spatial and temporal evolution of acid rock drainage on river chemistry across diverse mineral settings remain poorly constrained. Here, water chemistry in six watersheds across Alaska's Brooks Range (2022–2024) quantified the effects of acid rock drainage on river chemistry. Point-source acid rock drainage inputs (seeps and impaired tributaries) exhibited lower pH (median; pH: 3.2 and 6.9, respectively), higher sulfate (SO 4 2− : 3,025 and 390 mg L −1 , respectively), and elevated major and trace element concentrations (sum of 23 metals: 451 and 9.2 mg L −1 , respectively), compared to upstream unimpaired mainstem rivers (pH = 8.3, SO 4 2− = 68 mg L −1 ; metals = 0.1 mg L −1 ). Across watersheds, these inputs increased mainstem concentrations of major and trace elements (e.g., Fe, Al, Mn, Zn, Ni, Cd, and rare earth elements) and SO 4 2− ; however, mainstem river pH remained stable due to sufficient buffering. Within the Salmon River, concentrations of filter-passing and particulate fractions of constituents (SO 4 2− , Fe, Zn, Ni, and Cd) were elevated ≤70-fold at >100 km downstream of acidic inputs, documenting long-range transport. Temporal analyses of SO 4 2− and Zn concentration (2015–2024) revealed abrupt increases (≤263%) in two watersheds between 2019 and 2020, aligning with antecedent record warm and snowy winter conditions. Collectively, our results document the abrupt onset of acid rock drainage across Arctic rivers with potential for long-range downstream transport and implications for biogeochemical cycles and ecological and human health.

Alaska↗
USGS2026

Permafrost thaw controls iron flux from wetlands and sulfide-bearing rocks to Arctic rivers and streams

Recent warming has caused widespread iron mobilization into Arctic waterbodies that degrades ecosystems and threatens natural resources. Yet, understanding where and when iron flux occurs remains limited. Here, we investigate iron loading across regional to local scales in Arctic Alaska using climate, water chemistry, and borehole data together with mapped geology and permafrost presence. We show that both anoxic microbial iron reduction and acid rock drainage from iron-sulfide oxidation mobilize iron. Iron influx is strongly associated with lowland wetlands, sulfide-rich upland bedrock, and near-surface permafrost. Acid rock drainage chemistry correlates very strongly with the depth of seasonal thaw above permafrost from the previous year, indicating a one-year lag. These findings clarify the spatial and temporal dynamics of Arctic river rusting, provide a mechanistic understanding of the phenomenon, and may allow anticipation of its occurrence and assessment of its implications for aquatic ecosystem health and subsistence resources under ongoing climate change.

Alaska↗
USGS2024

Metal mobilization from thawing permafrost to aquatic ecosystems is driving rusting of Arctic streams

Climate change in the Arctic is altering watershed hydrologic processes and biogeochemistry. Here, we present an emergent threat to Arctic watersheds based on observations from 75 streams in Alaska’s Brooks Range that recently turned orange, reflecting increased loading of iron and toxic metals. Using remote sensing, we constrain the timing of stream discoloration to the last 10 years, a period of rapid warming and snowfall, suggesting impairment is likely due to permafrost thaw. Thawing permafrost can foster chemical weathering of minerals, microbial reduction of soil iron, and groundwater transport of metals to streams. Compared to clear reference streams, orange streams have lower pH, higher turbidity, and higher sulfate, iron, and trace metal concentrations, supporting sulfide mineral weathering as a primary mobilization process. Stream discoloration was associated with dramatic declines in macroinvertebrate diversity and fish abundance. These findings have considerable implications for drinking water supplies and subsistence fisheries in rural Alaska.

Alaska↗