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23 March 2020
Yalik Glacier, Alaska Retreat and Lake Expansion 1986-2019
Yalik Glacier (Y) in 1986 and 2019 Landsat images. Red arrow is the 1986 terminus location and yellow arrow the 2019 terminus location. Petrof Glacier (P) is the western neighbor. Yalik Glacier drains an icefield on the Kenai Peninsula, glaciers draining east are in the Kenai Fjords National Park, which has a monitoring program. From 1950-2005 all 27 glaciers in the Kenai Icefield region examined retreated (Giffen et al 2014). Yalik Glacier …
27 May 2016
Eagle Glacier, Alaska Retreat Losing a Wing
Above is a paired Landsat image from 1984 left and 2013 right indicating the 1100 m retreat during this period of Eagle Glacier. My first visit to the Eagle Glacier was in 1982 with the, ongoing and important, Juneau Icefield Research Program, that summer I just skied on the glacier. In 1984 we put a test pit at 5000 feet near the crest of the Eagle Glacier to assess the …
28 February 2016
Shamrock Glacier, Alaska Loses Terminus Tongue
Shamrock Glacier comparison in 1987 and 2014 Landsat images. Red arrow 1987 terminus, yellow arrow 2014 terminus, purple arrows upglacier thinning and purple dots the snowline. The terminus tongues extending into the lake has been lost. Shamrock Glacier flows north from the Neacola Mountains into Chakachamna Lake in the Lake Clark National Park of Alaska. This lake is transited by several species of salmon, mainly sockeye, heading into spawning areas upriver. …
4 January 2015
Nizina Glacier Retreat, Lake Formation, Alaska
If you have heard of Nizina Glacier in the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska it is probably because you have contemplated a float trip down the Nizina River from Nizina Lake. In 1990 there was no lake, since 2000 the lake has provided a good location for float planes to land. In 2014 the lake has reached a new maximum in size and minimum in icebergs on its surface. Here we …
11 December 2014
Davidson Glacier Retreat, Alaska
Davidson Glacier is a large glacier that flows east from the Chilkat Range to the foreland along Chilkat Inlet and Lynn Canal in southeast Alaska. As a result it has a long history of observation of change. Molnia (2008) noted that from 1889 to 1946 the glacier retreated 400 m and a lake had developed at the terminus. By 1978 the glacier had retreated another 700 m with the proglacial …
7 December 2014
Sinclair Glacier Retreat, Alaska
Sinclair Mountain is on the east side of the Lynn Canal in southeast Alaska. The mountains hosts too substantial glacier, the south flowing unnamed glacier is referred to here as Sinclair Glacier. This glacier terminated in a lake in the 1982 map of the Skagway region. I observed this glacier from the air in 1982 and it was ending in this lake. Here we examine Landsat imagery from 1984 to …
28 November 2014
Sovereign Glacier Retreat, Talkeetna Mountains, Alaska
Sovereign Glacier is on the northeast side of the Talkeetna Mountains, Alaska and drains into the Talkeetna River. The Sovereign Glacier, red arrow, was joined by a tributary from the south in the map image, pink arrow. Molnia (2007) noted that all glaciers in the region have retreated since the early 1950’s when the area was mapped and that all the major termini were retreating and thinning in 2000. Here …
23 November 2014
South Sheep River Glacier Retreat, Alaska
South Sheep River Glacier is the informal name of the longest glacier in the Talkeetna Mountains of Alaska. This glacier is the headwaters of the Sheep River and is comprised of two major glacier branches from the east and west meeting and turning north down the Sheep River valley. Molnia (2007) noted that all glaciers in the region have retreated since the early 1950’s when the area was mapped. Molnia …
27 July 2014
Fourpeaked Glacier Retreat, Katmai area, Alaska
Fourpeaked Glacier drains east from the volcano of the same name in the Katmai region of southern Alaksa. The Park Service in a report (Giffen et al 2008) noted that the glacier retreated 3.4 km across a broad proglacial lake that the glacier terminates in from 1951-2986, a rate of 95 m/year. From 1986-2000 they noted a retreat of 163 m, or 13 m/year. In a more recent report with …
2 July 2014
Wright Glacier Retreat, Southeast Alaska
Wright Glacier is the main glacier draining a small icefield just south of the Taku River and the larger Juneau Icefield. Wright Glacier is 60 km east of Juneau and has ended in a lake since 1948. A picture of the glacier in 1948 from the NSIDC collection indicates the terminus mainly filling the lake, but breaking up. The glacier drains the same icefield as the retreating West Speel and …
30 June 2014
West Speel Glacier Retreat and Lake Formation, Southeast Alaska
West Speel Glacier is an unnamed glacier that drains the same icefield as the Wright and Speel Glacier 45 km southeast of Juneau, Alaska. Here we examine the changes in this glacier from 1984-2013 using Landsat imagery. Google Earth image In 1984 the glacier ended on an outwash plain at the head of a branch of Speel River. The red arrow indicates the 1984 terminus for each image, the purple …
9 February 2012
Speel Glacier Retreat, Coast Range Alaska
Speel Glacier a 3.2 km retreat from 1984-2013, lake expansion and tributary separation. In 1984 I had a good chance to observe Speel Glacier while flying into Juneau, AK to work with the Juneau Icefield Research Program on the Juneau Icefield. Speel Glacier is south of the Taku Inelt east of Juneau, Alaska. Unlike the map on my lap, there was now a big lake at the terminus of the …
22 November 2011
Field Glacier, Alaska Retreat, Lake expansion, tributary separation
Above is a paired Landsat image from 1984 left and 2013 right, indicating a 2300 m retreat in this period, below is further detailed examination. The Field Glacier flows from the northwest side of the Juneau Icefield, and is named for Alaskan glaciologist and American Geographical Society leader William O. Field. Bill also helped initiate the Juneau Icefield Research Program, which Maynard Miller then ably managed for more than 50 …
25 September 2011
Eagle Glacier Retreat, Juneau Icefield Alaska
Above is a paired Landsat image from 1984 left and 2013 right indicating the 1100 m retreat during this period of Eagle Glacier.My first visit to the Eagle Glacier was in 1982 with the, ongoing and important, Juneau Icefield Research Program, that summer I just skied on the glacier. In 1984 we put a test pit at 5000 feet near the crest of the Eagle Glacier to assess the snowpack …
27 June 2011
Brady Glacier Retreat Leads to Rapid Lake Expansion 2004-2010
This post details changes in Brady Glacier between the 2004 Google Earth imagery and a 2010 Landsat image and that are examined in more detail by (Pelto et al, 2013). A detailed look at retreat up to 2004 is detailed in a previous post on Brady Glacier.. Brady Glacier is a large glacier at the south end of the Glacier Bay region, Alaska. When first seen by George Vancouver it …
12 June 2011
Chickamin Glacier, Alaska Extensive Retreat
Chickamin Glacier in southeast Alaska has undergone a 3 kilometer retreat since 1955. The glacier drains south from an icefield near Portland Canal and straddling the border with British Columbia. The glacier ended on an outwash plain in 1955 at 250 meters. The Through Glacier at this time is a large tributary feeder joining Chickamin at the elbow where it turns west, (bottom image) Shortly thereafter a lake began to …
4 February 2011
Grand Plateau Glacier Retreat, Alaska
Grand Plateau Glacier in 1984 and 2015 Landsat images. Red arrow is the 1984 terminus location and yellow arrows the 2015 terminus locations. D=Distributary tongue, NF=North Fork, N=Nunatak, GP=Grand Plateau Grand Plateau Glacier drains southwest from Mount Fairweather in southeast Alaska. The glacier advanced during the Little Ice age to the Alaskan coastline. Early maps from 1908 show no lake at the terminus of the glacier. The 1948 map shows …
