What is a Benchmark Glacier?
“Benchmark Glacier” refers to four North American glaciers that have been selected for long-term glacier monitoring that investigates climate, glacier geometry, glacier mass balance, glacier motion, and stream runoff. Benchmark glaciers monitored by the USGS are:
- Gulkana Glacier and Wolverine Glacier in Alaska
- South Cascade Glacier in Washington
- Sperry Glacier in Montana
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Glaciers Rapidly Shrinking and Disappearing: 50 Years of Glacier Change in Montana
The warming climate has dramatically reduced the size of 39 glaciers in Montana since 1966, some by as much as 85 percent, according to data released by the U.S. Geological Survey and Portland State University.
EarthView–As Glaciers Worldwide Are Retreating, One Defies the Trend
In this Landsat EarthView, one glacier in Chile bucks the global trend:
Fifty Years of Glacier Change Research in Alaska
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the longest continuous glacier research efforts in North America.
From Icefield to Ocean - What Glacier Change Might Mean for the Future of Alaska
Frozen bodies of ice cover nearly 10 percent of the state of Alaska, but the influence of glaciers on the environment, tourism, fisheries, hydropower, and other important Alaska resources is rarely discussed.
Melting Glaciers Increase the Flow of Carbon to Downstream Ecosystems
ANCHORAGE, Alaska Melting glaciers are not just impacting sea level, they are also affecting the flow of organic carbon to the world’s oceans, according to new research that provides the first ever global-scale estimates for the storage and release of organic carbon from glaciers.
Rare Insect Found Only in Glacier National Park Imperiled by Melting Glaciers
The persistence of an already rare aquatic insect, the western glacier stonefly, is being imperiled by the loss of glaciers and increased stream temperatures due to climate warming in mountain ecosystems, according to a new study released in Freshwater Science.
Washington’s Benchmark Glacier Still Shrinking
TACOMA, Wash. — Washington’s only “benchmark” glacier continues to lose mass as a result of changes in climate, according to a report by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Most Alaskan Glaciers Retreating, Thinning, and Stagnating, Says Major USGS Report
Most glaciers in every mountain range and island group in Alaska are experiencing significant retreat, thinning or stagnation, especially glaciers at lower elevations, according to a new book published by the U.S. Geological Survey. In places, these changes began as early as the middle of the 18th century.
Decline of World's Glaciers Expected to Have Global Impacts Over This Century
The great majority of the world’s glaciers appear to be declining at rates equal to or greater than long-established trends, according to early results from a joint NASA and United States Geological Survey (USGS) project designed to provide a global assessment of glaciers. At the same time, a small minority of glaciers are advancing.
Sperry Glacier perimeter: 1966,1998, 2005, 2015.
This image shows the perimeter of Sperry Glacier in Glacier National Park in 1966,1998, 2005, and 2015.
USGS Public Lecture: Warm Ice—Dynamics of Rapidly Changing Glaciers
- Glacier Numerology – The how big, how long, how thick, how much, how often, of glacier science.
- Glacier Photography – While a picture may be worth a thousand words, a collection of images may tell a complete forensic story.
- Glacier Geophysics – How new technologies are being introduced to reexamine and refine decades old glacier analyses.
Photograph of the Wolverine Glacier, Kenai Mountains, Alaska taken at sunrise in the fall of 2013.
Photograph of the Wolverine Glacier, Kenai Mountains, Alaska taken at sunrise in the fall of 2013.
Sperry Glacier margin map.
This is a map of the margin of Sperry Glacier in 1998 and 2005.
PubTalk 8/2011 — Through the Lens of Time
Repeat Photography in an Era of Global Change
by Robert Webb, Hydrologist
- Repeat photography remains an essential and cost-effective technique for scientists and researchers working to track and study changing environmental conditions
- Scientists worldwide are exploring methods to apply this technique in various
Repeat oblique photographs of Gulkana glaciers in Alaska.
Repeat oblique photographs of Gulkana glaciers in Alaska. 1967, Unknown USGS photographer. 2016, L. Sass, USGS.
Repeat oblique photographs of Wolverine glacier in Alaska.
Repeat oblique photographs of Wolverine glacier in Alaska. 1966 image by unknown USGS photographer; 2015 image by L. Sass, USGS.
2006 South Cascade Glacier
2006 black-and-white vertical aerial photo of South Cascade Glacier, northwestern Washington State. Top of photo is south.
2006 South Cascade Glacier
2006 oblique-angle aerial photo of South Cascade Glacier, northwestern Washington State, looking approximately south-southeast.