Research Projects
Glaciers of the American West
Inventory of Glaciers of the American West
The first comprehensive inventory of glaciers of the American West, exclusive of Alaska, was in 2007. But those data (locations, outlines, and areas) were based on the US Geological Survey 1:24,000 (7.5') topographic maps, which were derived from aerial photography flown in different regions over different times that spanned the 1940s to the 1980s. So at best, the data were often more than 40 years out of date. Time for an update. Funded by the US Forest Service, we are updating the locations, outlines, of all the glaciers and perennial snowfields in the American West using mostly 2015 aerial photography. Lots of changes are observed. We hope to use this information to quantify the contribution of glacial ice loss to streamflow and stream water temperatures. Stay tuned.
Patterns of Human Activity in the McMurdo Dry Valleys
Humans have been visiting the McMurdo Dry Valleys each summer since the 1950s. Yet the impact of this activity on its pristine environment is unknown. As a first step towards understanding the impact we are creating a digital archive of photographs, supported by archival records of visits, to document the history of human activity throughout the Valleys. The archive will be made available on the world-wide-web for use by scientists, historians, and environmental managers.
Project Members L-R: Andrew Fountain, Steve Chignell, Adrian Howkins; Cherished Antarctic Colleagues Greyed: Byron Adams, Micheal Gooseff, Krista Meyers
Paleohydrology of the Lakes in Taylor Valley, Antarctica
Relatively small, ice-covered lakes dot the floor of Taylor Valley, one of the McMurdo Dry Valleys. The presence of relict deltas perched high on the valley walls suggest that much larger lakes once covered the floor of Taylor Valley. But how is this possible considering that dating of the deltas indicate that these large lakes occurred when air temperatures were as much a 4oC colder than today? Our project has developed a hydrological model of glacial melt and lake sublimation to define the conditions required to form these lakes. The answers help us understand more about paleo climatic conditions in this part of Antarctica.
Project Members L-R Andrew Fountain, Julian Cross, Bryce Glenn, Maciek Obryk (not shown)
Cross, J. M., Fountain, A. G., Hoffman, M. J., & Obryk, M. K. (2022). Physical Controls on the Hydrology of Perennially Ice‐Covered Lakes, Taylor Valley, Antarctica (1996–2013). Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 127(12). https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JF006833
Relict wave-cut terraces from Pleistocene Lake Washburn in Taylor Two hypotheses of the size of Glacial Lake Washburn (GLW)
Valley. Dashed lines indicate terrace surfaces along the valley wall. in dark blue. Top minimum Ross Ice Shelf (RIS), bottom is
(From: Julian Cross) maximum intrusion
Community Dynamics of Cryoconite Holes
Cryoconite holes are water-filled holes that develop on the icy surfaces a of glaciers a result of the deposition of low albedo material. The holes provide a habitat for well-defined microbial communities featuring a complex array of primary producers and consumers. These unique systems offer an opportunity to test fundamental questions about microbial community assembly and its effects on biodiversity and ecosystem function in a real-world, contained ecosystem. Our role is to model the rate of formation and seasonal persistence of these holes.
L- R Dorota Porazinska, Lara Vimercati, Steve Schmidt, Adam Solon, Pacifica Sommers . Not present from PSU, Felix Zamora, Julian Cross, Andrew Fountain
Photo by Brendan Hodge
Team working on Taylor Glacier, note splotchy surface - cryoconite holes
Photo by Brendan Hodge
Glaciers of the Olympic Peninsula - the past and future 100 years.
We've inventoried the glaciers of the Olympic Mountains using 2015 aerial photography finding 255 glaciers and perennial snowfields totaling 25.34 ± 0.27 km2 and about 0.75 ± 0.19 km3 of ice. Since Rick Spicer's 1980 inventory, glaciers shrank at a rate of -0.59 km2 yr-1 during which time 35 glaciers and 16 perennial snowfields disappeared. Examining the area change of Blue Glacier, the largest glacier in the region (and the most well studied) and modeling its annual mass change, we find that like maritime glaciers generally, it is highly sensitive to changes in air temperature and less so to changes in precipitation. In addition to increasing summer melt, warmer winter temperatures changes the phase of precipitation from snow to rain, reducing snow accumulation, a double whammy to the glaciers. Because of their location next to the Pacific Ocean, changes in ocean surface temperature (PDO) and related changes in atmospheric circulation patterns trigger shifts in the trend of glacier mass balance. Over the past century the overall retreat is due to warming winter and summer air temperatures. Our modeling indicates the glaciers in the Olympic Mountains will largely disappear by 2070.