'Rusting rivers' and other alarming signs of Arctic warming
The Arctic is warming way faster than the global average, according to NOAA's latest report.
One wild example? Rivers in northern Alaska are turning bright orange—dubbed "rusting rivers"—because thawing permafrost is releasing iron and heavy metals into the water.
Meanwhile, Greenland's ice sheet lost a massive 129 billion tons of ice in 2025 alone.
Other details:
Sea ice hit its lowest point in nearly 50 years this March, partly due to warmer, saltier water entering the Arctic Ocean—a process scientists call "Atlantification."
This rapid warming is also shaking up marine life in places like the Bering Sea, making it tougher for local fisheries and communities that depend on them.
The big takeaway: what happens in the Arctic doesn't stay there, so keeping tabs on these changes matters for everyone.