Massive Amounts of Fresh Water are Pouring into the Gulf of Alaska

Fresh water is pouring into the Gulf of Alaska and could create the sixth largest coastal river in the world, according to new research. Scientists have found that incessant mountain rain, snow and melting glaciers in the comparatively small region of land that hugs the southern Alaska coast could create the river if it emerged as a single stream.

The totality of this runoff is broken down into literally thousands of small drainages pouring off mountains that rise quickly from the sea level over a short distance. However, the collective fresh water discharge of this region is more than four times greater than the Yukon River of Alaska and Canada, and half again as much as the Mississippi River.

"Freshwater runoff of this magnitude can influence marine biology, nearshore oceanographic studies of temperature and salinity, ocean currents, sea level and other issues," said David Hill, lead author of the new study, in a news release. "This is an area of considerable interest, with its many retreating glaciers, and with this data as a baseline we'll now be able to better monitor how it changes in the future."

The researchers combined satellite technology with on-the-ground hydraulic measurements and modeling. Examining data from a six-year period from 2003 to 2009, scientists found that the runoff averages about six feet per year for the entire area, and more than 30 feet in some areas.

That said, the findings don't predict future trends in runoff. Yet it does show that this region does have quite a bit of runoff in general. This, in turn, reveals a bit more about how much fresh water the region can generally expect to receive.

The findings are published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans.

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