{
  "$schema": "https://themachinepress.com/schemas/story-v1.schema.json",
  "schema_version": "1.0.0",
  "document_type": "machine_press_story",
  "story": {
    "story_id": "mp-2026-07-13-008",
    "source_story_id": "tmp-story-alaska-rusting-rivers",
    "edition_id": "mp-2026-07-13-morning-0004",
    "edition_url": "https://themachinepress.com/edition/2026-07-13",
    "position": 8,
    "story_type": "dispatch",
    "section": "research",
    "editorial_classification": "editorial",
    "headline": "Alaska's Clear Streams Are Turning Orange",
    "slug": "alaska-s-clear-streams-are-turning-orange",
    "dek": "NASA maps show more than 200 Brooks Range watersheds discolored as thawing permafrost exposes minerals to water and air.",
    "summary": "NASA maps show more than 200 Brooks Range watersheds discolored as thawing permafrost exposes minerals to water and air.",
    "body_text": "NASA Earth Observatory reports that satellite, aerial, and ground surveys across more than 600 miles of Alaska's Brooks Range have found orange water in over 200 watersheds. Many changes appeared within the past 10 to 12 years as air and ground temperatures rose. Scientists say thawing permafrost likely exposes minerals that release iron, sulfuric acid, and trace metals. The mapping connects abrupt color change to a plausible mechanism while ongoing fieldwork measures ecological and drinking-water consequences.",
    "why_it_matters": "NASA maps show more than 200 Brooks Range watersheds discolored as thawing permafrost exposes minerals to water and air.",
    "limitations": [],
    "importance": 8,
    "canonical_url": "https://themachinepress.com/story/mp-2026-07-13-008/alaska-s-clear-streams-are-turning-orange",
    "json_url": "https://themachinepress.com/story/mp-2026-07-13-008.json",
    "first_published_at": "2026-07-13T09:00:00.000-04:00",
    "modified_at": "2026-07-13T13:08:06.310-04:00",
    "content_status": "new",
    "is_carryover": false,
    "carryover_reason": null,
    "key_claims": [
      {
        "claim_id": "claim-mp-2026-07-13-008-001",
        "text": "NASA maps show more than 200 Brooks Range watersheds discolored as thawing permafrost exposes minerals to water and air.",
        "source_ids": [
          "source-2026-07-13-008"
        ],
        "qualification": null
      }
    ],
    "source_ids": [
      "source-2026-07-13-008"
    ],
    "tags": [
      "NASA",
      "Alaska",
      "permafrost",
      "water"
    ],
    "image_url": null,
    "corrections": []
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "source_id": "source-2026-07-13-008",
      "title": "NASA Earth Observatory: Wild, Scenic, and Increasingly Rusty",
      "publisher": "NASA",
      "url": "https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/wild-scenic-and-increasingly-rusty/",
      "canonical_url": "https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earth-observatory/wild-scenic-and-increasingly-rusty/",
      "source_type": "official_announcement",
      "is_primary_source": true,
      "published_at": "2026-07-12T20:00:00.000-04:00",
      "accessed_at": "2026-07-13T12:50:42.743-04:00",
      "supports_claim_ids": [
        "claim-mp-2026-07-13-008-001"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "corrections": [],
  "publisher": {
    "name": "The Machine Press",
    "url": "https://themachinepress.com",
    "description": "A daily newspaper for the age of artificial intelligence."
  },
  "cite_this_report": {
    "title": "Alaska's Clear Streams Are Turning Orange",
    "publisher": "The Machine Press",
    "published_at": "2026-07-13T09:00:00.000-04:00",
    "canonical_url": "https://themachinepress.com/story/mp-2026-07-13-008/alaska-s-clear-streams-are-turning-orange"
  }
}
