Annual report on vital signs monitoring of glaciers in the Central Alaska Network, 2011–2013

Burrows, Rob

Glaciers are a significant resource of mountain range ecosystems in Alaska and a fundamental resource of Alaska’s National Parks. The glacier covered area of Denali National Park (DENA) and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (WRST) are vast. Glaciers in DENA cover ~4,000 km2, approximately one sixth of the area of the park. Glaciers in WRST cover ~13,000 km2, approximately 25% of the park’s area. They are integral components of the region’s hydrologic, ecologic, and geologic systems. Glaciers continue to be monitored as a prominent and integral Vital Sign of the Central Alaska Network Inventory and Monitoring program (CAKN) in the landscapes and ecosystems of these parks. This report details results of monitoring efforts at DENA for the 2010/11, 2011/12, and 2012/13 balance years. A balance year extends from October 1 to September 30. No ground based monitoring has been done by the NPS at WRST to date.New glacier extent maps, glacier inventories, and volume change estimates for DENA and WRST were delivered in 2011-2014 via a cooperative agreement established with University of Alaska, Fairbanks (UAF) and Alaska Pacific University (APU) (Loso et al 2014). Results from this study indicate the area of glaciers in DENA decreased by 8% between 1952 and 2010, with most of this loss occurring on small to medium size glaciers at mid-elevations (1400-1800 meters elevation). A maximum estimate for volume change is a loss of 12%. A few glaciers increased in area during the same time period but this was due to surging, most notably Muldrow and Peters Glaciers. Area of glaciers in WRST decreased by 5% between ~1957 and ~2010. A maximum estimate for volume change in WRST is a loss of 20%. Several groups of citizen scientists contributed to the effort of tracking glacier change of five different glaciers using repeat photography and GPS mapping of terminus positions and surface elevation change. In 2011 Sam Hooper conducted repeat photography and took GPS points of the terminus of the west fork Cantwell glacier; Brian Schimdt and friends collected GPS points that mark the current terminus of the west Teklanika glacier; and in a larger repeat photography effort Ron Karpilo repeated several Stephen R. Capps photos of glaciers in Denali, originally taken in the early 20th century. These include the Polychrome glaciers and small glaciers in the Sanctuary River watershed. In 2012 seven participants joined the first Murie Science and Learning Center seminar, titled “Glaciology: Backcountry Citizen Science” to explore and map the middle fork Toklat glacier. In 2013 seven participants joined the seminar to explore and map the west fork Toklat glacier. The results from the mapping using survey-grade GPS are compared with a new digital terrain model mapped in 2010. Between 2010 and 2012 middle fork Toklat glacier on a glacier-wide average lost ice volume at 1.22+1.82 m w.e./yr and west fork Toklat lost 0.74+1.04 m w.e./yr between 2010 and 2013. Panoramic photos of multiple images stitched together were taken in 2011 and 2012 at the index glaciers and other select glacier-related sites. Many of these are being incorporated into DENA’s public website where they offer the opportunity for exploration and a virtual, nearly immersive experience (http://www.nps.gov/dena/photosmultimedia/360-panos.htm).

Annual report on vital signs monitoring of glaciers in the Central Alaska Network, 2011–2013

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