THE UAS-SEAMONSTER PROJECT: A GLACIER SENSOR NETWORK ON THE LEMON CREEK AND MENDENHALL GLACIERS INSPIRED BY THE 1958-59 INTERNATIONAL GEOPHYSICAL YEAR (IGY) AND THE JUNEAU ICEFIELD RESEARCH PROGRAM (JIRP)

The South East Alaska MOnitoring Network for Science, Telecommunications, Education, and Research (SEAMONSTER) is a collaborative environmental research program centered at the University of Alaska Southeast in Juneau. Begun in 2006 with inspiration from JIRP, 1958-59 IGY, and support from NASA, a sensor network was established on the Lemon Creek and Mendenhall Glaciers with weather stations on Douglas Island (Eaglecrest Ski Area) and atop Mt Roberts (Mt Roberts Tram). Glacier baseline data collected in 2007 from Lemon Creek Glacier watershed, was enhanced by high-precision GPS surveys of glacier motion in 2008. In 2009 and 2010 Lemon Creek glacier lake outburst events and their subglacial drainages were captured by this monitoring system. Additional funding from NSF and the NOAA-ISETCSC has enabled research expansion from studies of glacier mass balance and watershed hydrology to linkage with connecting estuarine and North Pacific marine nutrient cycling systems, allowing more undergraduate student involvement in the project. Monitoring of Mendenhall Glacier terminus retreat and proglacial lake expansion continues with cooperation from the USFS Juneau Ranger District and Mendenhall Glacier Visitor center. SEAMONSTER project involvement with the Juneau Icefield Research Program increased in 2010 with the installation of a met station, solar power system, and data modem for real-time data delivery. A rare mid-summer (July 18-21, 2011) jokulhlaup initiated from Suicide Basin was captured at Mendenhall Falls by SEAMONSTER remote cameras and USGS Mendendhall Lake and River gages, as it released up to ~453 cms meltwater, subglacially under Mendenhall Glacier and into Mendenhall Lake. Rise in lake level was 1.8m over the 3 day period and generated moderate flood stage conditions in residential areas of the upper Mendenhall Valley. This large volume event was only the second and most severe jokulhlaup measured by instruments in this glacierized watershed.