From a Glacier's Perspective

November 28, 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 …

February 7, 2013

Norris 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. Norris Glacier began retreating before 1890 and has continuously retreated 2050 m from its 19th-20th maximum achieved around 1915. The glacier ended in a lake referred to here as Norris Lake from 1948 until 2007. By 2010 the glacier had retreated from this lake. Here we examine images from fieldwork …

July 3, 2011

Spectacular Retreat of Melbern Glacier, British Columbia

The combined Melbern and Grand Pacific Glacier with a length of 55 km and width of 2-5 km, is a large valley glacier draining from the Saint Elias Mountains near the British Columbia-Alaska boundary. The glacier separates into two distinct glacier termini at Grand Pacific Pass. One of the tongues, Melbern Glacier, flows 20 km northwest ending in . Grand Pacific Glacier flows southeast to Tarr Inlet of Glacier Bay, …

June 12, 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 …