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2009 Portland GSA Annual Meeting (18-21 October 2009)

Paper No. 2
Presentation Time: 9:00 AM-6:00 PM

MASS BALANCE, VELOCITY PROFILES AND EVALUATION OF METHODOLOGIES ON THE TAKU GLACIER, JUNEAU, ALASKA 2009


BURRILL, K., Earth and Ocean Sciences-Environmental Science, University British Columbia, Apt 121-10139 137A Street, Surrey, BC V3T 4J5, Canada, MCNEIL, C., Geography Department, Salem State University, 4 Northy Street Unit 3, Salem, MA 01970, DITTRICH, William A. (TOBY), Department of Physics, Portland Community College, P.O. Box 19000, Portland, OR 97280 and CONNOR, Cathy L., Natural Sciences, University Alaska Southeast, 11120 Glacier Highwy, Juneau, AK 99801, kburril@gmail.com

From 1946 –2009, the Taku Glacier located about 40 km northwest of Juneau, Alaska; has been monitored by the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP). Between 1946-1988 this glacier had a positive average mass balance of +0.42m a-1. From 1988-2006 the glacier showed a negative average trend in the mass balance of -0.14m a-1. For the 2009 JIRP record our snow pit data showed a continuing trend of negative mass balance and lower surface elevation.

2009 ice velocity transects were added to those that have been measured since 1993 using GPS. These measurements continue to show a consistent mean center of glacier velocity of 60cm/day. These measurements support a constant flow and suggest that the Taku Glacier is generally in an equilibrium state.

Future coupling of JIRP’s GPS ground survey data with remotely sensed imagery of the Taku Glacier surface will better refine JIRP mass balance program methodologies

Session No. 193--Booth# 380

T161. Monitoring Climate through Glacier Change Using Geoinformatics (Posters)
Tuesday, 20 October 2009: 9:00 AM-6:00 PM
Hall A (Oregon Convention Center)
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 41, No. 7, p.502
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