You are browsing the archive for North Cascade Glaciers Archives - From a Glacier's Perspective.
December 29, 2022
Loss of Hinman Glacier, North Cascade Range 1958-2022
Himan Glacier in 1958 USGS map and in 2022 Sentinel 2 False Color image. The three ice masses with an area greater than 0.01 km² are indicated. Hinman Glacier had descended the northwest flank of Mount Hinman in the North Cascades, Washington and based on 1958 aerial photographs, Hinman Glacier the USGS had listed this as the largest glacier in the North Cascades south of Glacier Peak with an area …
October 28, 2022
Suiattle, White River, Whitechuck and Honeycomb Glaciers North Cascade Range Diminishing Rapidly
USGS Map of the four glacier from 1984, with none of the seven lakes existing. In 1988 we mapped four glaciers arrayed around the Kololo Peaks just south of Glacier Peak; Honeycomb and White River feeding into Wenatchee Lake watershed, while Whitechuck and Suiatlle fed into the Suiattle River watershed. They had a combined area of 9.2 km². The glaciers had not developed a series of proglacial terminus lakes at …
October 9, 2022
Lyman Glacier Lost Half its area from 1979-2022
Map illustrating changes in Lyman Glacier 1890-2017- losing 87% of its area. Lyman Glacier which feeds into Lyman Lake and then Railroad Creek in the Lake Chelan drainage of the North Cascade Range, Washington has retreated a total of 1330 m from the 1890 moraine. In 1929 year the terminus position was mapped by the Washington Water Power Company. The Washington Water Power Company emplaced a benchmark from which to …
September 7, 2022
North Cascade Glacier 2022 Initial Observations-39th Field Season
2022 North Cascade Glacier Climate Project Field Team Science Director: Mauri S. Pelto, [email protected] Art Director: Jill Pelto, [email protected] For the 39th consecutive summer we were in the field to measure and communicate the impact of climate change on North Cascade glaciers. We completed detailed measurements on 10 glaciers, three of which are part of the World Glacier Monitoring Service reference glacier network (42 glaciers globally), which have 30+ consecutive years of …
July 29, 2022
NORTH CASCADE GLACIER CLIMATE PROJECT 2022-39th Annual Field Program
Mount Baker camp for Rainbow and Sholes Glacier (Illustration by Megan Pelto) Science Director: Mauri S. Pelto, [email protected] Art Director: Jill Pelto, [email protected] 2022 Field Season: For the 39th consecutive summer we are heading into the field to measure and communicate the impact of climate change on North Cascade glaciers. We will complete detailed measurements on 10 glaciers, three of which are part of the World Glacier Monitoring Service reference glacier network …
July 26, 2022
Deming Glacier Icefall Deceleration 2017-2022 Driven by Mass Balance Loss
Deming Glacier velocity from NASA MEaSUREs ITS_Live at four locations from below icefall at blue X to above icefall at red X. There is not a significant change in velocity above the icefall (red X), but significant deceleration in the icefall and below the icefall. The Deming Glacier drains the southwest side of the summit of Mount Baker a stratovolcano in the North Cascades of Washington, with a massive icefall …
November 29, 2021
How A Glacier Disappears- Lewis, Milk Lake and Colonial Glacier North Cascade Range?
Colonial Glacier in late summer false color Sentinel 2 images from 2019, 2020 and 2021. Yellow arrow indicates step that calves in 2020. Notice the ~10% of snowcover (bright white) remaining on glacier surface with more melt to come. An alpine glacier disappears when it no longer has a persistent accumulation zone (Pelto, 2010). When this occurs the glacier is typically limited in size, but still can have significant ice …
October 12, 2021
Sholes Glacier, WA and a Cascade of Ologies
Watercolor painting of Sholes Glacier. The small figure is at the current terminus of the glacier, and the photo that inspired this painting was taken from where the glacier used to end about 35 years prior. By Jill Pelto Sholes Glacier is on the northeast flank of Mount Baker, WA. We have spent the last 32 years completing detailed measurments on this glacier that has revealed a story of glacier …
August 22, 2021
A Tale of Two Glaciers Columbia and Easton Glacier 2021
Terminus of Columbia Glacier on left with 1984 terminus location noted. Observe the avalanche fans (A) and the relatively high snowcover on 8-2-2021. At right is Easton Glacier on 8-11-2021 with the location of the 1990 terminus indicated, 440 m of retreat to the 2021 terminus position. The glacier has only 38% snowcover at this time, which is better illustrated below. Columbia and Easton Glacier in the North Cascade Range …
July 27, 2021
NORTH CASCADE GLACIER CLIMATE PROJECT 2021 -38th Annual Field Program
A few measures of what it takes to execute a field monitoring program of glaciers for 37 years, with no helicopter support (Illustration by Megan Pelto). 2021 Field Season: For the 38th consecutive summer we are heading into the field later this week to measure the impact of climate change on North Cascade glaciers. We will complete detailed measurements on 10 glaciers, three of which are part of the World …
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.