2008 Icefield and Glacier Monitoring, Research, and Management Strategy

Klasner, Fritz; Kurtz, Deborah

In 2008 Kenai Fjords National Park held a workshop to develop a glacier monitoring and research strategy to identify issues, management objectives, and priorities associated with the Harding Icefield and glaciers; to define a ‘core’ program for recurring work; and to prioritize additional projects which further the mission of Kenai Fjords National Park. This document summarizes the results of that workshop and outlines a structured glacier monitoring program for the park. The Harding Icefield and its outflowing glaciers are fundamental landscape components and ecosystem drivers on the southern Kenai Peninsula and are central to the mandates of Kenai Fjords National Park. In 2008, Kenai Fjords National Park held a glacier monitoring workshop to develop a strategy to address research and monitoring needs for the entire Harding Icefield, including inputs to the icefield (climate), the geometry of and changes to the ice itself, outputs (loss through melting and runoff [i.e. stream hydrology and oceanographic processes]), and influences on the terrestrial and marine environments created by the icefield and glaciers (landscape history, geomorphology, hydrology, etc.). They also sought to identify key links to other resources (e.g., fish, wildlife, and vegetation) that are dependent upon or influenced by the icefield. The resultant 2008 glacier monitoring strategy is divided into two main components, a core and an expanded program. The ‘core’ program identifies the minimum elements that the park strives to achieve including: • Weather and climate monitoring through establishment of weather stations • Mass balance measurements • Decadal icefield area and extent monitoring • Surface elevation profiling • Ice flow measurements • Repeat aerial photography of Exit Glacier • Repeat photography of coastal glaciers • Terminus mapping The ‘expanded’ program identifies the elements beyond the minimum that the park will strive to complete, both recurring and one-time efforts, including: • The installation of additional weather stations for a broader geographic distribution • Annual Equilibrium Line of Altitude mapping • Increased frequency and extent of elevation data collection • The installation of additional ablation stakes for a broader geographic distribution of mass balance and ice flow measurements • Opportunistic satellite imagery acquisition