Contemporary Glacier Processes and Global Change: Recent Observations from Kaskawulsh Glacier and the Donjek Range, St. Elias Mountains

Recent research in the St. Elias Mountains, including Kaskawulsh Glacier, reveals significant glacier changes that have measurable impacts on global sea levels. The study quantifies area and volume losses of Kaskawulsh Glacier, placing these changes in historical context, and explores regional variability in glacier response to climate, influenced by ice dynamics. It also investigates hydromechanical controls on glacier sliding, using a combination of ground-based manual measurements and space-based remote sensing. The findings indicate that glaciers in this region are out of equilibrium, with ongoing substantial changes to their area, volume, and dynamics. These observations, supported by computer models, highlight critical processes in the coupled glacier-climate system.

Flowers, G. E., Copland, L., & Schoof, C. G. (2014). Contemporary Glacier Processes and Global Change: Recent Observations from Kaskawulsh Glacier and the Donjek Range, St. Elias Mountains. Arctic, 67(5), 22. https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic4356