[nasdug-l] Bering Glacier Remote Sensing: Thurs. 2/8 4:00 @UAF

[Tom Heinrichs]

NASDUG,

I've invited Bob Shuchman and Liza Liversedge of the Michigan 
Tech Research Institute and John Payne of BLM-Alaska to 
present remote sensing work being done at the Bering Glacier 
this Thursday afternoon, Feb. 8 at 4:00 in UAF IARC 401. 
Bering Glacier combined with the Bagley Icefield is the 
largest glacier in North America. The abstract is below.

Metered campus visitor parking is available: 
http://www.uaf.edu/campusmap/blue_zone.html

I'd also like to have another NASDUG meeting with a local 
topic sometime between now and Alaska Surveying and Mapping 
Conference March 19-23. If you have a short or long talk you 
would like to give, please let me or Sean Triplett know.

Finally, the ASMC call for posters is open until March 2, and 
I hope you can contribute. Questions and submissions go to 
Martin Gutoski <mgutoski at co.fairbanks.ak.us>. 
http://www.aksmc.org/

Regards,
Tom

Tom Heinrichs  907-474-6897   tom.heinrichs at gi.alaska.edu
Associate Director, GINA Program
University of Alaska Fairbanks
PO Box 757320  Fairbanks, Alaska  99775  fax: 907-474-7160
http://gina.alaska.edu

===========================

Bering Glacier Remote Sensing

February 8, 2007  UAF IARC/Akasofu Building room 401 4:00


Abstract:

Satellite remote sensing has been shown to be a useful tool to monitor
and characterize the Bering Glacier which is the largest and longest in
continental North America (area 5,175 km^2 , length 190 km).
Applications of remote sensing include: glacier terminus locations, snow
line delineation, change in glacier mass (using satellite derived
Digital Elevation Models), iceberg and calving rate surveys, Vitus and
Berg Lake area analysis (volume with bathymetry), Vitus Lake frontal
boundaries, water quality, land cover classification, glacier movement,
and glacier surface feature mapping (crevasses, moraines, etc.).
Historical remote sensing images provide a much needed geospatial time
record of the dynamic changes Bering Glacier has undergone, including
changes due to climate change. Remote sensing images dating back to the
early 1990s have been used to map the glacier terminus retreat of
approximately five to seven kilometers which has resulted in Vitus Lake
increasing in volume approximately 260 % since 1995 to the current
(2006) volume of 9.4 km^3 of water.  Using elevation data obtained from
remote sensing and GPS surface points, we have determined that the
glacier elevation has decreased approximately 150 m in elevation at the
terminus and 30 m at a position 300 m below the present (2006) snow
equilibrium line (~1,300 m) since 1972. Satellite observations have
recorded the upward migration in altitude of the snow equilibrium line
to its present position. The decrease in glacier volume, obtained using
remote sensing derived elevation data, from 1957 to 2004 is estimated at
approximately 104 km^3 . Remote sensing data has also mapped the
sediment rich (rock flower) water flowing into Vitus Lake providing
insight into the hydrologic circulation of the Bering Glacier system,
showing major glacier discharge from the Abandoned River, Arrowhead
Point, and Lamire Bay in the area of Vitus Lake west of Taggland.


www.mtri.org