You are browsing the archive for alaska climate change Archives - From a Glacier's Perspective.
June 17, 2016
Brady Glacier, Alaska 2016 Early Melt Season & Lake Expansion
Comparison of Brady Glacier in 1986 and 2016 Landsat images. The snowline is similar in May 2016 and August 1986. Lakes noted are: A=Abyss, B=Bearhole, D=Dixon, N=North Deception, O=Oscar, Sd=South Dixon, Sp=Spur, T=Trick. Brady Glacier, is a large Alaskan tidewater glacier, in the Glacier Bay region that is beginning a period of substantial retreat Pelto et al (2013). In 2016 the melt season has been intense for the Brady Glacier in …
June 14, 2016
Harris Glacier Retreat, Kenai Fjords, Alaska
Landsat images of Harris Glacier from 1986 and 2015. The red arrow indicates 1986 terminus location, yellow arrow the 2015 terminus position. The orange arrow indicates a key eastern tributary and the pink arrow a smaller eastern tributary. Harris Glacier flows from the northwest corner of the Harding Icefield, Alaska and it drains into Skilak Lake. The glaciers that drain east toward are in the Kenai Fjords National Park, which has a monitoring program. Giffen et …
October 6, 2015
Fingers Glacier, Alaska loses a finger to melting
Landsat comparison of terminus area of Fingers Glacier 1986 and 2015 Fingers Glacier flows from the southern end of the Fairweather Range to the coastal plain, where is expands into a segmented piedmont lobe. The southernmost finger is heavily debris covered. In the Mount Fairweather B-4 quadrangle USGS map based on 1951 aerial photographs the glacier has four prominent fingers each eroding its own basin. Here we examine Landsat imagery to …
February 4, 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 …
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.