Theme Ia: PRESENT AND FORMER GLACIER EXTENT
Theme Leader: J. Clague
Investigators: S. Déry, B. Menounos, D. Moore, D. Smith, R. Wheate
Year 1 Milestones:
- Commence phase one of glacier mapping project:
comprehensive satellite and map inventory of western cordillera (1985-2005)
- Assemble all glacier extent vectors from NTDB and BC-TRIM I / II datasets
- Scan and digitize extents from outstanding (non-digital) NTS map sheets
- Acquire satellite image scenes for the western Cordillera 1985-2005: Landsat TM / ETM+,
SPOT 1-5, ASTER
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Collect all historic topographic maps and aerial
photographs for the seven geographic regions of interest (phase two)
Year 2 Milestones:
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Complete phase one of glacier mapping project: comprehensive satellite and
map inventory, through vector compilation and image processing (including
accumulation/ablation zones and meltwater)
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Produce decadal scale inventory
of western Canadian Glaciers in the seven geographic regions of interest (phase
two), from all available maps and photos.
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Determine morphometric relations of
glaciers (length, area, ELA, area-volume scaling, climate sensitivities) from
phases one and two and transfer and integrate these empiricallyderived relations
into modeling efforts of Themes II and III
Year 3 Milestones:
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Generate and compare
DEMs from historic (pre-1970), provincial (1980s) and satellite imagery (post
2000) for volume estimation and loss
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Derive total volume loss of glaciers
since Little Ice Age Maximum for glaciers in the regions of interest, and for
all the western Cordillera by area scaling
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Detail sub-regional variability
of glacier fluctuations and these relations to climate variability over the
last 400 years
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Produce “Glacierscapes” poster for public education and
outreach
Year 4 Milestones:
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Compare glacier volume loss by decade and the seven
geographic regions
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Analyze instrumental hydrometric and climate records to
identify the effects of glacier changes on late summer-early autumn streamflow
Year 5 Milestones:
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Assemble digital coverages with appropriate metadata and distribute
to provincial, national and international glaciological archives