Central Alaska Research Articles

THE MICROBLADE INDUSTRY FROM SWAN POINT CULTURAL ZONE 4b: TECHNOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL IMPLICATIONS FROM THE EARLIEST HUMAN OCCUPATION IN ALASKA

Swan Point in central Alaska contains the oldest recognized human occupation in Alaska (Cultural Zone 4b [CZ4b]), dating to circa 14,000 cal BP. This component consists of a microblade and burin industry with clear technological ties to the Siberian Upper Paleolithic Diuktai Culture. Through the systematic use of the Yubetsu method for the production of microblades, Swan Point is technologically more similar to Siberian microblade sites than to later-age (Denali complex) microblade sites in Alaska. The Yubetsu method is the hallmark of the Diuktai Culture, and in Alaska, Swan Point CZ4b is the only component with systematic production of microblades using the Yubetsu method. Other late Pleistocene and Holocene microblade sites in Alaska have an industry based on Campus-style, conical, or tabular microblade cores. Analysis of the collection furthers our understanding of how CZ4b relates to previous Siberian Diuktai-related assemblages and to later Alaskan Denali-related sites. We interpret the CZ4b component as representing a brief single event that has major cultural and technological implications for the early colonization process of North America.

An unusual association of hadrosaur and therizinosaur tracks within Late Cretaceous rocks of Denali National Park, Alaska

We report details of a unique association of hadrosaur and therizinosaur tracks found in the Late Cretaceous lower Cantwell Formation, Denali National Park, central Alaska Range, Alaska. This rock unit is now well-documented as a source of thousands of fossil footprints of vertebrates such as fishes, pterosaurs, and avialan and non-avialan dinosaurs. The lower Cantwell Formation in this area consists of numerous fining-upward successions of conglomerates and pebbly sandstones, cross-stratified and massive sandstones, interbedded sandstones and siltstones, organic-rich siltstones and shales, and rare, thin, bentonites, typically bounded by thin coal seams, and it contains a diverse fossil flora. We report the first North American co-occurrence of tracks attributable to hadrosaurs and therizinosaurs in the lower Cantwell Formation. Although previously un-reported in North America, this association of hadrosaur and therizinosaur tracks is more characteristic of the correlative Nemegt Formation in central Asia, perhaps suggesting that parameters defining the continental ecosystem of central Asia were also present in this part of Alaska during the Latest Cretaceous.

Varying Rossby Wave Trains from the Developing to Decaying Period of the Upper Atmospheric Heat Source over the Tibetan Plateau in Boreal Summer

This study demonstrates the two different Rossby wave train (RWT) patterns related to the developing/decaying upper atmospheric heat source over the Tibetan Plateau (TPUHS) in boreal summer. The results show that the summer TPUHS is dominated by quasi-biweekly variability, particularly from late July to mid-August when the subtropical jet steadily stays to the north of the TP. During the developing period of TPUHS events, the intensifying TPUHS corresponds to an anomalous upper-tropospheric high over the TP, which acts as the main source of a RWT that extends northeastward, via North China, the central Pacific and Alaska, to the northeastern Pacific region. This RWT breaks up while the anomalous high is temporarily replaced by an anomalous low due to the further deepened convective heating around the TPUHS peak. However, this anomalous low, though existing for only three to four days due to the counteracting dynamical effects of the persisting upper/lower divergence/convergence over the TP, acts as a new wave source to connect to an anomalous dynamical high over the Baikal region. Whilst the anomalous low is diminishing rapidly, this Baikal high becomes the main source of a new RWT, which develops eastward over the North Pacific region till around eight days after the TPUHS peak. Nevertheless, the anomaly centers along this decaying-TPUHS-related RWT mostly appear much weaker than those along the previous RWT. Therefore, their impacts on circulation and weather differ considerably from the developing to the decaying period of TPUHS events.

Seasonal Propagation Characteristics of MSTIDs Observed at High Latitudes Over Central Alaska Using the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar

AbstractNear‐continuous electron density measurements obtained over a ∼3 year period, 2010–2013, using the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR) in central Alaska (69°N, 147°W) have been analyzed to quantify the properties of over 650 high‐latitude medium‐scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs). Our analysis focused on the altitude range 100–300 km encompassing the lower ionosphere/thermosphere and yielded first full seasonal day/night distributions of MSTIDs at high northern latitudes with mean values: horizontal wavelength 446 km, horizontal phase speed 187 m/s, and period 41 min. These year‐round measurements fill an important summertime gap in existing MSTID measurements revealing predominantly eastward wave propagation during the summer, while continued winter season observations agree well with previous reports of near southward propagating MSTIDs. Our 3 years of results suggest a cyclic change in the seasonal horizontal propagation directions that was found to be quantitatively consistent with critical level wind and dissipative filtering. Concurrent measurements of the vertical wavelength spectrum as a function of altitude also compared favorably in shape with that calculated using a theoretical dispersion relation (Vadas & Fritts, 2005, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004JD005574) for the thermosphere, but with a higher mean value. Evidence supporting the systematic broadening and shrinking in the azimuthal distributions of the MSTIDs during the course of the year was also found, as well as an unexpected correlation between the MSTID propagation directions and the AE index, both of which are under further investigation.

Author Correction: Earthquake nucleation and fault slip complexity in the lower crust of central Alaska

In the version of this Article originally published, the ‘Data availability’ section contained an incorrect DOI for data from the FLATS (XV) seismic network ( https://doi.org/10.7914/SN/ZE_2015 ); the correct DOI is: https://doi.org/10.7914/SN/XV_2014 . This has now been corrected in the online versions.

Earthquake nucleation and fault slip complexity in the lower crust of central Alaska

Earthquakes start under conditions that are largely unknown. In laboratory analogue experiments and continuum models, earthquakes transition from slow-slipping, growing nucleation to fast-slipping rupture. In nature, earthquakes generally start abruptly, with no evidence for a nucleation process. Here we report evidence from a strike-slip fault zone in central Alaska of extended earthquake nucleation and of very-low-frequency earthquakes (VLFEs), a phenomenon previously reported only in subduction zone environments. In 2016, a VLFE transitioned into an earthquake of magnitude 3.7 and was preceded by a 12-hour-long accelerating foreshock sequence. Benefiting from 12 seismic stations deployed within 30 km of the epicentre, we identify coincident radiation of distinct high-frequency and low-frequency waves during 22 s of nucleation. The power-law temporal growth of the nucleation signal is quantitatively predicted by a model in which high-frequency waves are radiated from the vicinity of an expanding slow slip front. The observations reveal the continuity and complexity of slip processes near the bottom of the seismogenic zone of a strike-slip fault system in central Alaska. A strike-slip fault zone in central Alaska exhibits a range of earthquake slip processes, including very-low-frequency earthquakes, some of which transition into regular, fast earthquakes.

Homologous series of n-alkanes (C19-C35), fatty acids (C12-C32) and n-alcohols (C8-C30) in atmospheric aerosols from central Alaska: Molecular distributions, seasonality and source indices

To better understand the molecular distributions, seasonality and source indices of organic aerosols in central Alaska, we measured homologous series of n-alkanes (C19-C35), fatty acids (C12-C32) and n-alcohols (C8-C30) in total suspended aerosols collected during June 2008 to 2009 using a gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The whole sampling period was divided as warm (early May to late September; summer) and cold (late September to early May; winter) periods. Molecular distribution was characterized in both periods by the predominance of C25 for n-alkanes and C24:0 for fatty acids. However, we noticed a difference in molecular distribution of n-alcohols between warm and cold periods, which was characterized by the predominance of C22 in warm season while C26 in cold period. Except for fatty acids, n-alkanes and n-alcohols showed higher concentrations in warm period than in cold period. We found significantly higher ratios of C18:1/C18:0 in warm period than those in cold period, suggesting the fresh biogenic and aged anthropogenic aerosols in warm and cold periods, respectively. This inference was consistent with significantly higher ratios of WSOC/OC, a proxy for photochemical aging, in cold period. Based on the carbon preference index (CPI), average chain length (ACL), low-to-high molecular weight (LMW/HMW) ratios, wax n-alkanes (%WNA) and estimated fossil fuel concentrations, we demonstrate that higher plant waxes, biomass burning from wildfires are two important sources in warm period while combustion derived anthropogenic emissions are major sources in cold period in central Alaska. This finding was further supported by higher ratios of nss-K+/elemental carbon (EC) and methanesulfonate (MSA−)/EC ratios in warm period.

A 400‐Year Ice Core Melt Layer Record of Summertime Warming in the Alaska Range

AbstractWarming in high‐elevation regions has societally important impacts on glacier mass balance, water resources, and sensitive alpine ecosystems, yet very few high‐elevation temperature records exist from the middle or high latitudes. While a variety of paleoproxy records provide critical temperature records from low elevations over recent centuries, melt layers preserved in alpine glaciers present an opportunity to develop calibrated, annually resolved temperature records from high elevations. Here we present a 400‐year temperature proxy record based on the melt layer stratigraphy of two ice cores collected from Mt. Hunter in Denali National Park in the central Alaska Range. The ice core record shows a sixtyfold increase in water equivalent total annual melt between the preindustrial period (before 1850 Common Era) and present day. We calibrate the melt record to summer temperatures based on weather station data from the ice core drill site and find that the increase in melt production represents a summer warming rate of at least 1.92 ± 0.31°C per century during the last 100 years, exceeding rates of temperature increase at most low‐elevation sites in Alaska. The Mt. Hunter melt layer record is significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with surface temperatures in the central tropical Pacific through a Rossby wave‐like pattern that enhances high temperatures over Alaska. Our results show that rapid alpine warming has taken place in the Alaska Range for at least a century and that conditions in the tropical oceans contribute to this warming.

Origin of last-glacial loess in the western Yukon-Tanana Upland, central Alaska, USA

AbstractLoess is widespread over Alaska, and its accumulation has traditionally been associated with glacial periods. Surprisingly, loess deposits securely dated to the last glacial period are rare in Alaska, and paleowind reconstructions for this time period are limited to inferences from dune orientations. We report a rare occurrence of loess deposits dating to the last glacial period, ~19 ka to ~12 ka, in the Yukon-Tanana Upland. Loess in this area is very coarse grained (abundant coarse silt), with decreases in particle size moving south of the Yukon River, implying that the drainage basin of this river was the main source. Geochemical data show, however, that the Tanana River valley to the south is also a likely distal source. The occurrence of last-glacial loess with sources to both the south and north is explained by both regional, synoptic-scale winds from the northeast and opposing katabatic winds that could have developed from expanded glaciers in both the Brooks Range to the north and the Alaska Range to the south. Based on a comparison with recent climate modeling for the last glacial period, seasonality of dust transport may also have played a role in bringing about contributions from both northern and southern sources.

The Keystone Dune Site: A Bølling-Allerød Hunting Camp in Eastern Beringia

ABSTRACTThe Keystone Dune site, in central Alaska, contains a well-preserved archaeological occupation that dates to 13,430–13,230 cal yr BP. Archaeological excavations resulted in the recovery of features, and materials include hearths, faunal and lithic specimens, macrobotanical remains, and ocher. These were analyzed and interpreted to reconstruct past activities conducted at the site. Keystone Dune was most likely used for a short time, in the context of a wapiti hunt, and can be placed within a larger economic and mobility system of eastern Beringian people during the Bølling-Allerød chronozone. By continuing to document the archaeological and paleoenvironmental records of the early Beringians, we contribute to a refinement of the models and ideas of human dispersal during the Pleistocene.

Holocene Human Occupation of the Central Alaska Peninsula

ABSTRACTThe Alaska Peninsula is a landscape defined by volcanic, tectonic, and glacial processes, and life throughout is conditioned on the interactions among them. During the middle Holocene (ca. 4100–3600 yr ago), intense caldera-forming eruptions of the Aniakchak and Veniaminof volcanoes changed the shape of the central portion of the Peninsula dramatically, and had significant and perhaps devastating impacts on both terrestrial and marine biota. Here we evaluate the severity of these impacts by tracking human settlement patterns using 75 unique radiocarbon (14C) age determinations on buried cultural features from the central Alaska Peninsula. Coastal regions were re-colonized within a few hundred years while river systems most proximate to the volcanoes were uninhabited for up to 1500 years following the most severe eruptions. Patterns of human settlement may also document previously unrecorded landscape change throughout the region, and further contribute to our understanding of post-volcanic ecological succession.

Detrital Zircon Record of a Mesozoic Collisional Forearc Basin in South Central Alaska: The Tectonic Transition From an Oceanic to Continental Arc

AbstractThe collision of oceanic arcs with continental margins is an important mechanism for the growth of continents. Ancient forearc basin strata in collisional orogens provide a record of the upper crustal response to this tectonic process. In south central Alaska, Mesozoic forearc basin strata are exposed in a complete crustal section. U‐Pb detrital zircon geochronology from the forearc basin strata was analyzed within a ~107 Ma stratigraphic framework. The Jurassic strata contain unimodal detrital zircon populations that become progressively younger upsection and range from 175 to 151 Ma. These strata are derived from the active oceanic Talkeetna arc. The Cretaceous strata were deposited above multiple unconformities that collectively represent as much as ~30 Ma of nondeposition and/or erosion in the forearc basin. Erosion in the forearc basin and a general absence of detrital zircon ages between 140 and 120 Ma are interpreted as a hiatus of magmatism triggered by collision of the oceanic arc with the former continental margin. The Cretaceous strata have two main detrital zircon populations: a Cretaceous population ranging from 90 to 68 Ma that becomes progressively younger upsection and a Jurassic population with a broad range of peak ages from 194 to 144 Ma. The Cretaceous population marks the establishment of an active Cretaceous continental arc following the collisional event, and the older population reflects continued erosion of the remnant Jurassic oceanic arc plutons. Our results show that detrital zircon geochronology provides a powerful approach for delineating stages of forearc basin collision and the erosion of multiple magmatic arcs.

Field‐Aligned GPS Scintillation: Multisensor Data Fusion

AbstractThe Mahali Global Positioning System (GPS) array (9 receivers, 15–30 km baseline distance) in central Alaska has probed auroral structures in a field‐aligned direction during a geomagnetic substorm on 7 October 2015. We present results from a collaborative study of GPS phase scintillation, optical emission brightness, and ionospheric density perturbations, by virtue of data fusion procedure from the Mahali GPS array, all‐sky imager (ASI), and the Poker Flat Incoherent Scatter Radar (PFISR). First, we present observations in a traditional way using colocated GPS‐ASI sensors, giving us a principal pattern of the phase scintillation with respect to auroral brightness, free of any mapping ambiguities. Next, we use an assumption that the plasma irregularities are located at an altitude of 120 km, we map the optical data to this altitude, and we extend the GPS‐ASI study over the entire field of view of the GPS receiver array. We obtain a repeatable and persuasive pattern, revealing that GPS phase scintillation is clustered at the auroral edges. Moreover, investigation of the colinear ISR observations supports the altitude assumption of scintillation producing irregularities, and PFISR‐derived electric field estimates suggest that the source for irregularities is gradient drift instability. The phase scintillation was observed on all GPS receivers, phase scintillation exceeded once cycle during several electrojet intensifications, and several events lasted for more than a minute. Finally, phase scintillation was observed during all surge events, independent of the particular auroral morphology.

Arc crust formation and differentiation constrained by experimental petrology

We review igneous experimental data designed to understand fractionation processes in the roots of magmatic arcs, focusing on fractional crystallization experiments in dry and hydrous basalts to andesites to simulate the liquid and cumulate lines of descent of primary mantle derived magmas. An evaluation of the major element composition indicates that the cumulate line of descent (CLD) of hydrous systems is fundamentally different from dry systems. Cumulates derived from hydrous experiments display elevated Al2O3 and CaO contents at low SiO2, producing voluminous andesitic to rhyolitic liquids that closely overlap with compositions of natural systems. The mineralogical and chemical composition of cumulates converges for very different hydrous primary mantle magmas, indicating that fundamental phase equilibria under the conditions prevailing in the roots of magmatic arcs exert a strong control on the compositions of derivative andesitic to rhyolitic liquids. Melting experiments on amphibolite or basaltic to andesitic compositions equally produce granitic – rhyolitic liquids of similar composition yet their restites do not present the same variability of the CLD of hydrous fractional crystallization experiments. The comparison of our experimentally produced cumulates with natural rock suites from the Jurassic Talkeetna arc (South Central Alaska) and the Cretaceous Kohistan arc (Pakistan) show that fractionation experiments closely reproduce the natural rock compositions and in particular the cumulate sequences exposed in the roots of island arcs. Both dry and hydrous fractionation series are preserved yet only the hydrous fractionation series produces voluminous ultramafic cumulates (50–70%) that are negatively buoyant with respect to mantle peridotite. Delamination of dense ultramafic roots can explain the andesitic composition of continental crust. Our fractionation experiments show that generation of granites is a natural consequence of fractional crystallization of primary basaltic magmas. Discrepancies of liquid compositions produced in the lower crust and the arc volcanic record can readily be explained by further differentiation, partial assimilation and mingling and mixing processes during ascent and decompression in transcrustal magmatic systems. We therefore favor the interpretation that Earth-like continental crust is primarily produced by fractional crystallization in the lower crust and upper mantle, and that magma mixing, assimilation, metamorphism and crustal melting are important secondary processes that refine and amplify the difference and stratification between mafic lower crust and a granitic upper crust.

Segmentation of Slow Slip Events in South Central Alaska Possibly Controlled by a Subducted Oceanic Plateau

AbstractRecent GPS observations show that slow slip events in south central Alaska are segmented along strike. Here we review several mechanisms that might contribute to this segmentation and focus on two: along‐strike variation of slab geometry and effective normal stress. We then test them by running numerical simulations in the framework of rate‐and‐state friction with a nonplanar fault geometry. Results show that the segmentation is most likely related to the along‐strike variation of the effective normal stress on the fault plane caused by the Yakutat Plateau. The Yakutat Plateau could affect the effective normal stress by either lowering the pore pressure in Upper Cook Inlet due to less fluids release or increasing the normal stress due to the extra buoyancy caused by the subducted Yakutat Plateau. We prefer the latter explanation because it is consistent with the relative amplitudes of the effective normal stress in Upper and Lower Cook Inlet and there is very little along‐strike variation in Vp/Vs ratio in the fault zone from receiver function analysis. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that the difference in effective normal stress results from along‐strike variation of pore pressure due to the uncertainties in the Vp/Vs estimates. Our work implies that a structural anomaly can have a long‐lived effect on the subduction zone slip behavior and might be a driving factor on along‐strike segmentation of slow slip events.

Tracking Dynamic Northern Surface Water Changes with High-Frequency Planet CubeSat Imagery

Recent deployments of CubeSat imagers by companies such as Planet may advance hydrological remote sensing by providing an unprecedented combination of high temporal and high spatial resolution imagery at the global scale. With approximately 170 CubeSats orbiting at full operational capacity, the Planet CubeSat constellation currently offers an average revisit time of <1 day for the Arctic and near-daily revisit time globally at 3 m spatial resolution. Such data have numerous potential applications for water resource monitoring, hydrologic modeling and hydrologic research. Here we evaluate Planet CubeSat imaging capabilities and potential scientific utility for surface water studies in the Yukon Flats, a large sub-Arctic wetland in north central Alaska. We find that surface water areas delineated from Planet imagery have a normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) of <11% and geolocation accuracy of <10 m as compared with manual delineations from high resolution (0.3–0.5 m) WorldView-2/3 panchromatic satellite imagery. For a 625 km2 subarea of the Yukon Flats, our time series analysis reveals that roughly one quarter of 268 lakes analyzed responded to changes in Yukon River discharge over the period 23 June–1 October 2016, one half steadily contracted, and one quarter remained unchanged. The spatial pattern of observed lake changes is heterogeneous. While connections to Yukon River control the hydrologically connected lakes, the behavior of other lakes is complex, likely driven by a combination of intricate flow paths, underlying geology and permafrost. Limitations of Planet CubeSat imagery include a lack of an automated cloud mask, geolocation inaccuracies, and inconsistent radiometric calibration across multiple platforms. Although these challenges must be addressed before Planet CubeSat imagery can achieve its full potential for large-scale hydrologic research, we conclude that CubeSat imagery offers a powerful new tool for the study and monitoring of dynamic surface water bodies.

Task-Specific Sites and Paleoindian Landscape Use in the Shaw Creek Flats, Alaska

The Shaw Creek Flats and nearby middle Tanana river, in central Alaska, constitute one of the areas in the Americas with the densest known distribution of Late Glacial (about 14,500–11,700 cal. B.P.) archaeological sites. Local high rates of sediment deposition and low post-depositional disturbance allow for the interpretation of the function of archaeological occupations within larger economic and mobility strategies. Residential sites used over the long term seem to be located near critical but immovable resources such as clear water and vegetation. The spatial association of artifacts and faunal remains at other sites in the Flats suggest that they were specialized, short-lived locations dedicated to a single or few activities. For instance, the site of Swan Point Cultural Zone 4b is interpreted as a workshop related to the production of composite tools, particularly on mammoth ivory, and the site of Keystone Dune is interpreted as a camp related to wapiti (Cervus elaphus) hunting. These task-specific sites and others were probably used as part of a predominantly logistical mobility and economy strategy, which maximized efficiency in harvesting and processing resources that were distributed heterogeneously on the landscape.

Topography of the Mantle Transition Zone Discontinuities Beneath Alaska and Its Geodynamic Implications: Constraints From Receiver Function Stacking

AbstractThe 410 and 660 km discontinuities (d410 and d660, respectively) beneath Alaska and adjacent areas are imaged by stacking 75,296 radial receiver functions recorded by 438 broadband seismic stations with up to 30 years of recording period. When the 1‐D IASP91 Earth model is used for moveout correction and time depth conversion, significant and spatially systematic variations in the apparent depths of the d410 and d660 are observed. The mean apparent depth of the d410 and d660 for the entire study area is 417 ± 12 km and 665 ± 12 km, respectively, and the mean mantle transition zone (MTZ) thickness is 248 ± 8 km which is statistically identical to the global average. For most of the areas, the undulations of the apparent depths of the d410 and d660 are highly correlated, indicating that lateral velocity variations in the upper mantle above the d410 contribute to the bulk of the observed apparent depth variations by affecting the traveltimes of the P‐to‐S converted phases from both discontinuities. Beneath central Alaska, a broad zone with greater than normal MTZ thicknesses and shallower than normal d410 is imaged, implying that the subducting Pacific slab has reached the MTZ and is fragmented or significantly thickened. Within the proposed Northern Cordilleran slab window, an overall thinner than normal MTZ is observed and is most likely the result of a depressed d410. This observation, when combined with results from seismic tomography investigations, may indicate advective thermal upwelling from the upper MTZ through the slab window.

Dicarboxylic acids, oxocarboxylic acids and α-dicarbonyls in fine aerosols over central Alaska: Implications for sources and atmospheric processes

The presence of water-soluble dicarboxylic acids in atmospheric aerosols has a significant influence on the regional radiative forcing through direct aerosol effect and cloud formation process. Fine aerosol (PM2.5) samples collected in central Alaska (Fairbanks: 64.51°N and 147.51°W) during summer of 2009 were measured for water-soluble diacids (C2–C12), oxoacids (C2–C9) and α-dicarbonyls (C2–C3) as well as elemental carbon (EC), organic carbon (OC) and water-soluble OC (WSOC) to assess their sources and formation processes. We found the predominance of oxalic acid (C2) followed by malonic (C3) and succinic acid (C4) in Alaskan aerosols. Higher C3/C4 diacid ratios (ave. 1.2) in Alaskan aerosols than those reported for fresh aerosols emitted from fossil fuel combustion (ave. 0.35) and biomass burning (0.51–0.66) suggest that organic aerosols in central Alaska were photochemically processed. The relatively high correlations of major diacids and related compounds with levoglucosan (r=0.80–0.99) than those with 2-methylglyceric acid (r=0.59–0.98) suggest that they were significantly produced from biomass burning emission. Strong correlations of C2 with normal-chain saturated diacids (C3-C9: r=0.80–0.98), glyoxylic acid (ωC2: r=0.95) and methylglyoxal (MeGly: r=0.88), together with strong correlations of solar radiation with ratio of C2 to C2–C12 diacids (r=0.83), ωC2 (r=0.80) and MeGly (r=0.82) suggest that oxalic acid in PM2.5 aerosol was produced by the photooxidation of higher homologous diacids, glyoxylic acid and methylglyoxal in the atmosphere of central Alaska. These results reveal that photochemical processing of organic precursors mainly produced from biomass burning control the water-soluble organic chemical composition of fine aerosols in central Alaska.

Self-Determination in Health Research: An Alaska Native Example of Tribal Ownership and Research Regulation.

Alaska Native (AN) and American Indian (AI) people are underrepresented in health research, yet many decline to participate in studies due to past researcher misconduct. Southcentral Foundation (SCF), an Alaska Native-owned and operated health care organization, is transforming the relationship between researchers and the tribal community by making trust and accountability required features of health research in AN/AI communities. In 1998, SCF assumed ownership from the federal government of health services for AN/AI people in south central Alaska and transformed the health system into a relationship-based model of care. This change reimagines how researchers interact with tribal communities and established community oversight of all health research conducted with AN/AI people in the region. We describe the SCF research review process, which requires tribal approval of the research concept, full proposal, and dissemination products, as well as local institutional review board approval, and a researcher-signed contract. This review evaluates research through the lens of tribal principles, practices, and priorities. The SCF example provides a framework for other tribes and organizations seeking to reshape the future of health research in AN/AI communities.