Nearly half of Kenai Fjords National Park is covered by glacial ice. Glaciers play an essential function in sculpting the parks landscape. Bear Glacier, revealed here in September 2019, has actually pulled away more than 5 kilometers (about 3 miles) from 1984 to 2021, according to the new research study. The lagoon at the glaciers base is growing as the glacier retreats. Credit: U.S. National Park Service/Deborah Kurtz
The data reveal that lake-terminating glaciers are retreating fastest. This kind of glacier includes the popular Bear Glacier and Pedersen Glacier. Bear Glacier pulled back by 5 kilometers (3 miles) between 1984 to 2021, and Pedersen Glacier pulled back by 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) throughout that exact same period.
” In Alaska, much glacier retreat is being driven by environment change,” stated Black. “These glaciers are at truly low elevation. Its perhaps causing them to get more rain in the winter season rather than snow in addition to warming temperature levels, which is consistent with other climate research studies in this region.”
One surprising finding was that Holgate Glacier, which as a tidewater glacier ends at the ocean, has advanced in current years. The brand-new analysis reveals that the total glacier has actually been advancing for about 5 years, and appears to go through routine cycles of advance and retreat.
These colored lays out show the edges mapped for each of the 19 glaciers that were studied in Kenai Fjords National Park. Color scale ranges from purple for 1984, the earliest year in the satellite images, to red for 2021, the most recent year. A few of the glaciers are Bear Glacier (a), Aialik Glacier (b), and Pedersen Glacier (c), all of which have actually pulled away. Holgate Glacier (d), on the other hand, has advanced in many locations. Thirteen of the 19 glaciers showed considerable retreat. Credit: Taryn Black/University of Washington
The 6 land-terminating glaciers all revealed intermediate reaction, with many pulling away, particularly in summer season months, however at a slower rate than the lake-terminating glaciers. The only other glacier that advanced throughout the research study duration was land-terminating Paguna Glacier, which is covered in rock particles from a landslide caused by the 1964 Alaska earthquake. This debris insulates the glacier surface area from melting.
To make the calculations, Black utilized 38 years of images recorded by satellites in fall and spring to trace details for each of the 19 glaciers– a total of about 600 describes. She visually examined each image to map the position of the glaciers edge. Black used a comparable method in current research study to compute the rate of retreat of marine-terminating glaciers in west Greenland.
The new data for Alaska supply a baseline to study how climate change– including warmer air temperatures, in addition to modifications in both the types and amount of rainfall– will continue to affect these glaciers. All the glaciers in the study are considered maritime glaciers since they undergo the warm, damp maritime climate.
The 19 glaciers included in the research study are shown as blue dots. While Alaska glaciers are simply a small fraction of the planets glacial ice, they are losing ice faster than any other glacierized region outside of Antarctica and Greenland.
Arise from the study have instant application for park managers. These numbers assist to quantify the modifications that have been taking place and will continue for the glaciers and their instant environments.
” We cant manage our lands well if we do not understand the habitats and processes taking place on them,” stated co-author Deborah Kurtz at the U.S. National Park Service in Seward, Alaska.
As the parks Physical Science Program Manager, Kurtz is also interested in the changes to the surrounding landscape, lake, and river communities, and how to communicate those modifications to the general public.
” Interpretation and education are also a fundamental part of the National Park Service mission,” Kurtz said. “These data will allow us to offer scientists and visitors with more details of the modifications happening at each particular glacier, helping everyone to much better comprehend and value the rate of landscape change we are experiencing in this region.”
Reference: “Maritime glacier retreat and terminus area change in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska, in between 1984 and 2021″ by Taryn Black and Deborah Kurtz, 5 August 2022, Journal of Glaciology.DOI: 10.1017/ jog.2022.55.
This research study was done as part of an internship originally intended to occur at Kenai Fjords National Park. Black instead did the research study from another location from Seattle and visited local glaciers at Mount Rainier. Part of this research was funded by the National Park Services Future Park Leaders program, a collaboration in between the Ecological Society of America and the U.S. National Park Service.
The lagoon at the glaciers base is growing as the glacier retreats. Bear Glacier pulled away by 5 kilometers (3 miles) between 1984 to 2021, and Pedersen Glacier pulled back by 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) during that very same duration.
A few of the glaciers are Bear Glacier (a), Aialik Glacier (b), and Pedersen Glacier (c), all of which have actually retreated. The 6 land-terminating glaciers all showed intermediate reaction, with most pulling back, particularly in summertime months, but at a slower rate than the lake-terminating glaciers. The only other glacier that advanced during the research study duration was land-terminating Paguna Glacier, which is covered in rock debris from a landslide caused by the 1964 Alaska earthquake.
Holgate Glacier, shown here in June 2009, terminates on the coast and is a popular kayaking destination, particularly in summertime when the ice is calving. Regional residents had just recently observed land exposed at its terminus, but the new analysis discovers that the glacier has actually been advancing over the past 5 years. Credit: U.S. National Park Service
As glaciers all over the world retreat due to climate change, supervisors of national parks need to know whats on the horizon to get ready for the future. A brand-new study measures 38 years of modification for glaciers in Kenai Fjords National Park, a sensational gem about 2 hours south of Anchorage.
The study finds that 13 of the 19 glaciers reveal substantial retreat, 4 are reasonably stable, and 2 have advanced. Findings likewise consist of trends in which glacier types are disappearing fastest. The nearly 670,000-acre nationwide park hosts various glaciers: some end in the ocean, others in lakes or on land. The research, from the University of Washington (UW) and the National Park Service, is published today (August 5) in The Journal of Glaciology.
” These glaciers are a huge draw for tourism in the park– theyre one of the primary things that people pertain to see,” stated lead author Taryn Black, a UW doctoral trainee in Earth and area sciences. “Park supervisors had some information from satellite images, aerial images, and repeat photography however they desired a more complete understanding of modifications in time.”
