Recent Alpine Glacier Variability: Wind River Range, Wyoming, USA

Abigail Maloof,Jesse Piburn,Glenn Tootle,Greg Kerr

doi:10.3390/geosciences4030191

Abigail Maloof, Jesse Piburn + Show 2 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences4030191

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Abstract

Glacier area and volume changes were quantified through the use of historical aerial photographs in the Wind River Range, Wyoming. Forty-four glaciers in the Wind River Range were analyzed using orthorectified aerial photography from 2012. This is an update to the work of Thompson et al. [1] in which the surface area changes of the 44 glaciers were estimated from 1966 to 2006. The total surface area of the glaciers was estimated to be 27.8 ± 0.8 km2, a decrease of 39% from 1966 and a decrease of 2% from 2006. The 2012 volume changes for the 44 glaciers were estimated using the Bahr et al. [2] volume-area scaling technique. The total glacier volume in 2012 was calculated to be 1.01 ± 0.21 km3, a decrease of 63% from 1966. These results, once compared to temperature and snowpack trends, suggest that the downward trend in snowpack as well as increasing temperatures seem to be the most likely driver of the glacier recessions. With Global Circulation Models (GCMs) forecasting higher temperatures and lower precipitation in the western U.S., it is likely that glaciers will continue to recede.Glacier area and volume changes were quantified through the use of historical aerial photographs in the Wind River Range, Wyoming. Forty-four glaciers in the Wind River Range were analyzed using orthorectified aerial photography from 2012. This is an update to the work of Thompson et al. [1] in which the surface area changes of the 44 glaciers were estimated from 1966 to 2006. The total surface area of the glaciers was estimated to be 27.8 ± 0.8 km2, a decrease of 39% from 1966 and a decrease of 2% from 2006. The 2012 volume changes for the 44 glaciers were estimated using the Bahr et al. [2] volume-area scaling technique. The total glacier volume in 2012 was calculated to be 1.01 ± 0.21 km3, a decrease of 63% from 1966. These results, once compared to temperature and snowpack trends, suggest that the downward trend in snowpack as well as increasing temperatures seem to be the most likely driver of the glacier recessions. With Global Circulation Models (GCMs) forecasting higher temperatures and lower precipitation in the western U.S., it is likely that glaciers will continue to recede.

Highlights

Glaciers cover approximately 10% of the earth’s land surface and contribute to approximately 75%of the world’s fresh water supply [3]
There is a renewed interest concerned with assessing glacier surface area changes due to climate warming [1]
Thompson et al [1] used aerial photography to detect surface area and volume changes for a set of glaciers located in the Wind River Range between the years of 1966, 1989, and 2006

Summary

Introduction

Glaciers cover approximately 10% of the earth’s land surface and contribute to approximately 75%of the world’s fresh water supply [3]. With 70% of the water supply for the west coming from snow and glacier melt, analysis of both has important implications for the management of streamflow [7,8,9]. Meier [12] estimated that approximately 132 × 106 m3 of the total July-August streamflow was derived from glaciers in Wyoming. This amounts to approximately 13% of the average combined flow for July and August from the Green River, Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River, and the Big Horn River which are the rivers receiving the majority of the Wyoming glacier runoff [12]

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