
The Unknown Legacy of Alaska's Atomic Tests
Jan 18, 2001 · They chose Amchitka Island, vacated by Native people more than 100 years earlier and used as a military base in World War II. In 1965, the Department of Defense drilled a deep hole in the island and set off an 80-kiloton nuclear blast to determine American seismologists' ability to detect bombs other countries might be setting off underground.
Diving for signs of nuclear contamination | Geophysical Institute
They chose vacant Amchitka Island, about 1,400 miles west of Anchorage. In 1965, the Department of Defense drilled a deep hole in the island and set off an 80-kiloton nuclear blast. Four years later, the Atomic Energy Commission workers drilled a 4,000-foot hole and detonated the second explosion underneath Amchitka.
Raccoons, wild pigs and other bad ideas - Geophysical Institute
Sep 27, 2019 · Amchitka Island in the central Aleutians was the site of three underground nuclear blasts in 1965, 1969 and 1971. Alaska biologists convinced officials with the Atomic Energy Commission that moving sea otters from around the island beforehand would be a good idea. Biologist Jerry Deppa was head of the Amchitka project for a time.
The Aleutians, 1942--Revisited - Geophysical Institute
News of the war in the Falkland Islands must surely bring back memories to veterans of the struggle for the Aleutians in World War II.
Arctic foxes made Aleutians less green - Geophysical Institute
May 12, 2005 · Now a senior biologist with the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge in Homer, Byrd in 1972 noticed round green spots on the island where fertilizer had leaked from bags. From that, he reckoned that Amchitka, which had foxes for decades, was a nutrient-starved place.
Steller sea lions and mercury | Geophysical Institute
Oct 30, 2020 · They also found mercury levels in Pacific cod and arrowtooth flounder were much higher in the western Aleutians than the same fish sampled in the central Aleutians, around Adak and Amchitka. Sea lions, which can hold their breath and dive for more than 15 minutes, eat any fish they can catch, and also squid and octopus.
Scientists Show Kelp Helps--with a Little Help from their Friends
Oct 31, 2024 · Breadcrumb. Home / ; Alaska Science Forum / ; Scientists Show Kelp Helps--with a Little Help from their Friends
Aleutian Canada goose comeback continues - Geophysical Institute
Jul 8, 2004 · Jones, then manager of the Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, began trapping and killing foxes on Aleutian islands, starting with Amchitka. The staff of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge has continued the job, eliminating foxes on up to 40 other islands, including Nizki in 1976.
Giant storms, big waves and chilly winds - Geophysical Institute
Jan 7, 2021 · Winds on the island registered more than 80 miles per hour. A buoy in the ocean south of Amchitka Island — farther east than Shemya in the middle of the Aleutian chain — rode up and over a 58-foot wave. If you weren’t white-knuckling through waves and troughs in the western Aleutians, you probably didn’t notice the New Year’s superstorm.
Glacier Bay hot real estate for sea otters - Geophysical Institute
Feb 27, 2025 · Sea otters have had a rough time since Vitus Bering’s journey to Alaska: They were hunted almost to extinction in the 1700s and 1800s, made a comeback in the 1900s, then decli