A May Landslide in Alaska

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Warm spring weather may have helped trigger a landslide on Yudi Peak. 

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Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach in collaboration with the NASA Earth Observatory: https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

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[AWE-INSPIRING MUSIC]
 
(DESCRIPTION)
Text, Earth Watch, Exploring the Blue Planet by Satellite. Earth Observatory. Earth observatory dot nasa dot gov. Operational Land Imager, Landsat 8. A May Landslide in Alaska.
 
May 6, 2020. After a cold winter, a shift in weather patterns unleashed a blast of early summer heat across Alaska. An aerial shot of snow-covered mountains.
 
Text, On May 9, 2020, temperatures in Anchorage hit 69 degrees Fahrenheit, just one degree shy of the record.
 
With mountains, glaciers and permafrost, spring and summer heat can thaw soils and cause landslides.
 
This is probably what happened on Yudi Peak, a mountain near Anchorage. An arrow points to a mountain peak near the top of the photo and labels it Yudi Peak.
 
Text, In early May, a landslide sent rocky debris sliding down the snow-topped mountain. An arrow points to a dark slope down the mountain and labels it Landslide.
 
Text, Large landslides are common during the spring in Alaska.
 
We travel to the right of the landslide. Text, Scientists think that climate change is driving an increase in both the size and frequency of landslides.
 
To learn more, go to earthobservatory dot nasa dot gov.