New Ground Rising from First Lake

Observation by Jeffrey Luther:

After the spring thaw I noticed some new ground has risen in what we call "1st Lake" at Noatak. It is a pond located between 'Downtown & 16-unit.' I texted heavy equipment operators to ask if they pushed snow onto the lake, if they would have then we all would have remembered, we were using that area with 4-wheelers & snowmachines as a winter trail, because ponds always provide a smoother trail than the potholes on our roads.

Vladimir Romanovsky, Professor of Geophysics at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, writes:

Thank you for sending me this information. It is difficult to say exactly what it is, but it may be seasonal frost mounds if they will disappear by the end of this summer, or it could be multi-year frost mounds also called "palsas" if they will stay for more than one year. Of course I would have a much better idea if I see them in person.

Comments from LEO Editors:

This observation has been shared with the ANTHC Department of Environmental Health and Engineering.