NCCN Monitoring Glaciers
Lofgren R. NCCN Monitoring Glaciers. 2009. National Park Service
Annual monitoring of the mass balance and volume of a few index glaciers and a 20 year inventory of all glaciers. Purpose: The sensitive and dynamic response of glaciers to variations in both temperature and precipitation makes them excellent indicators of regional and global climate change at multiple time scales. This feature of glaciers is particularly valuable at remote high elevation sites in the North Coast and Cascades Network (NCCN), where meteorological data are not available. Glaciers also provide valuable insight to climate change over longer time periods than most other climate measures (Paterson 1981). These data represent results from field observations of glaciers. There is annual monitoring of the mass balance and volume of a few index glaciers and a 20 year inventory of all glaciers. At NOCA, three field visits annually collect winter and summer balance data for the index glaciers. At MORA, generally two spring and fall visits, at differing altitudes, and one to two summer visits are made to collect data for the index glaciers. There are four NOCA index glaciers monitored annually: Silver Creek Glacier, Noisy Creek Glacier, North Klawatti Glacier, and Sandalee Glacier. At MORA, there are two MORA index glaciers monitored annually: the Nisqually and Emmons glaciers. Field visits are made to each index glacier per year to collect winter and summer balance data. In the spring, ablation stakes are placed and snow depth and density are measured. In the early to mid summer, ablation stakes are measured to determine melt and more extensive snow depth measurements are made. In the fall, the final measurements of the ablation stakes are made and any residual snow is probed. Precise dates are dictated by weather, staff availability, and by helicopter availability in the spring and fall.
- Type
- Project
- Authors
- Lofgren, Rebecca
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- MORA , NOCA
- Keywords
- ablation, Alpine, Climate, Climate Change, Geology, Glacier, Ice, Index glacier, Land Cover, Land Use, Landform, Landscape, Mass Balance, Melt, Monitoring, MORA, Mount Rainier National Park, NOCA, North Cascades National Park, OLYM, Olympic National Park, Physical, Precipitation, PWR-toolkit, Snow, snow depth, Temperature, Volume, Washington State, Water, Weather, Wilderness
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Glacial Features and Processes
Program
Products
- Glacier status and contribution to streamflow in the Olympic Mountains, Washington, USA
- Impact of Recent Glacial Recession on Summer Streamflow in the Skagit River
- Long Term Monitoring of Small Glaciers at North Cascades National Park : A Prototype Park Model for the North Coast and Cascades Network
- Long Term Monitoring of Glaciers at Mount Rainier National Park: Narrative and Standard Operating Procedures Version 1.0
- Long Term Monitoring of Glaciers at Mount Rainier National Park: Appendices Version 1.0
- North Cascades National Park Complex glacier mass balance monitoring annual report, water year 2009: North Coast and Cascades Network
- Mount Rainier National Park glacier mass balance monitoring annual report, water year 2009: North Coast and Cascades Network
- Mount Rainier National Park glacier mass balance monitoring annual report, water year 2010: North Coast and Cascades Network.
- North Cascades National Park Complex glacier mass balance monitoring annual report, water year 2010: North Coast and Cascades Network
- North Cascades National Park Complex glacier mass balance monitoring annual report, water year 2011: North Coast and Cascades Network
- Mount Rainier National Park glacier mass balance monitoring annual report, water year 2011: North Coast and Cascades Network
- North Cascades National Park Complex glacier mass balance monitoring annual report, water year 2012: North Coast and Cascades Network
- North Cascades National Park Complex glacier mass balance monitoring annual report, water year 2013: North Coast and Cascades Network