You are browsing the archive for alaska glacier retreat Archives - From a Glacier's Perspective.
August 26, 2023
Allen Glacier, Alaska Terminus Tongue Breakoff 8-21-2023
Allen Glacier terminus in Landsat image from 8-21-2023 indicating the three new icebergs with an area of 1.5 km² that calved. Lake area is now 14 km². Allen Glacier drains east from the Chugach Mountains terminating in an expanding proglacial lake adjacent to the Copper River. In 1987 the terminus filled most of the proglacial with only the northeast corner open, lake area 2 km². A landslide is also evident …
July 9, 2023
Baird Glacier, Alaska Retreat Generates Proglacial Lake
Baird Glacier on 8-11-1990 and 7-6-2023 Landsat images indicating initiaton of retreat and formation of proglacial lake (PGL). The lake is now 3.25 km², retreat has been 2600 m since 1990-yellow dots indicate margin. Baird Glacier drains the west side of the Stikine Icefield in southeast Alaska. It is the only glacier of the Stikine Iceifield that did not retreat significantly from 1960-2010. Pelto et al (2013) predicted the onset …
June 21, 2023
Rodman Glacier, Alaska Retreat Expands Lake Ustay
Rodman Glacier in Landsat images from 1987 to 2021 indicating 1987 terminus=red arrow, A=Akwe Lake, U=Ustay Lake, B=glacier base exposed, C=expanding nunatak Rodman Glacier flows south from the Brabazon Range ending in Ustay Lake at the margin of the Yakutat Foreland. In the 1906 International Boundary Commission survey of the region Ustay Lake does not yet exist, Akwe Lake has just started to form with the terminus ending in it …
May 25, 2023
Sawyer Glacier, Tracy Arm Alaska Retreats from Tidewater
Sawyer Glacier Alaska in False Color Sentinel images from Sept. 12, 2022 and May 23, 2023. Note the the calving face in 2022 between the yellows arrows has become bare ground by May 23, 2023. TA=Tracy Arm Sawyer Glacier in May 19, 2023, taken by Steve Backus (Lindblad Expeditions Naturalist), not touching tidewater. Sawyer Glacier, is an Alaskan glacier where the retreat has long been viewed by many visitors. It …
February 2, 2023
Burroughs Glacier, Alaska Down to Last 1%
Burroughs Glacier in 1986 and 2022 Landsat images. The red arrow marks the west margin and the yellow arrow the east margin in 1986. Yellow dots mark the outline of the glacier in 2022. Glacier area declined from 12.5 km² to 1.5 km² during this 36 year period. Burroughs Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska has been retreating without pause since 1892 when it was part of the Muir …
October 12, 2022
Brady Glacier Retreat Causes Ice Dammed Spur and Trick Lake Drawdown
Brady Glacier terminus region in September 28, 2022 Sentinel image. Red dots indicate the 2016 margin. Point A marks the new isthmus exposed by falling lake water level. Point B-D are the expanded drainage channels. Brady Glacier is a large Alaskan tidewater glacier in the Glacier Bay region that is beginning phase of substantial retreat that was forecast by Pelto et al (2013). The glacier has seven secondary termini in marginal …
September 27, 2022
Tebenkof Glacier, Alaska Snowcover Loss Exposes Century of Annual Layers
Tebenkof Glacier in 2018 ESRI World Image with annual layers numbered. from near the divide to near the terminus. A couple of layers of layers buried near top of glacier by snowcover. This indicates 90-100 annual layers exposed at the surface as they emerge at the surface. Tebenkof Glacier is a land terminating glacier on the Kenai Peninsula just west of Blackstone Bay. WGMS (2021) documented the retreat rate from …
August 21, 2022
Speel Glacier Retreats out of Alaska
Speel Glacier in 1984 and 2022 Landsat images illustrating lake expansion and detachment of tributaries A-C. Red arrow is 1984 terminus location and yellow arrow is 2022 terminus location. In 1984 I observed Speel Glacier while flying into Juneau, AK to work with the Juneau Icefield Research Program. Speel Glacier is south of the Taku Inlet and the Juneau Icefield draining west from a shared accumulation area with Wright Glacier. …
July 6, 2022
Alsek Glacier, Alaska Releases its own Fireworks-Iceberg Discharge July 2022
Alsek Glacier, Alaska in a Sentinel Image from July 1, 2022 indicating an area of rapid recent calving, red dots. The northern tongue has accelerated in the last six year (NASA ITS_Live). Alsek Glacier descends from the Fairweather Range terminating in Alsek Lake on the coastal plain. The glacier terminated at Gateway Knob (G) near the outlet of Alsek River from Alsek Lake in the early part of the 20th …
June 2, 2022
Grand Pacific Glacier Losing its Grand and Pacific Connection
Grand Pacific Glacier in 1984 and 1999 Landsat images. Red arrow indicates the front of the clean ice flow of the Grand Pacific that also marks its lateral boundary with Ferris Glacier. B and C indicate locations where tributary tongues have been retreating from the main glacier. M is the Margerie Glacier. Grand Pacific Glacier in 2015 and 2021 Landsat images. Red arrow indicates the front of the clean ice …
Dean of Academic Affairs at Nichols College and Professor of Environmental Science at Nichols College in Massachusetts since 1989. Glaciologist directing the North Cascade Glacier Climate Project since 1984. This project monitors the mass balance and behavior of more glaciers than any other in North America.