Study of Yanert Glacier, Alaska (in association with Martin Truffer)
Yanert Glacier is located in the Alaska Range, east of McKinley Park. It is a glacier that undergoes periods of very fast motion every 50 years or so. We call this a surging glacier. The last surge occurred in 2000, and continued into 2002. Most surging glaciers, including the Yanert, have interesting and very intricate moraine patterns. These are caused by different tributaries being active at different times. For example, a tributary can be quite active during quiescent times and push a moraine out into the main glacier. When the main glacier surges, it can cut off such a moraine and carry it down-glacier. The purpose of the project would be to track surface features from one satellite image to the next to quantify ice displacements and see which tributaries are active in the surge. A series of satellite images (Landsat TM, ETM; ERS SAR, Radarsat) from before, during and after the surge will be used for such analyses.

Study of Arctic river morphology (in association with Horacio Toniolo, Rudiger Gens and Paul McCarthy)
This study will look into the evolution of the spatial patterns along the river channel, i.e. sinuosity/braided index, width evolution, channel migration, enlargement – nodes ratio in a river reach, bend displacement, etc. using aerial photographs and satellite imagery. The goal of the proposed project will be to link water discharge evolution to changes in the river reach. These changes will be quantified in term of width, sinuosity, and braided index. The work will involve compiation of the available discharge data in the Colville River. Sinuosity, braided index, and width will be evaluated downstream of the gauging station(s). The reach will be extended to a point where it is reasonable to consider constant discharge in the stream. Discharge information will be divided in periods based on the interpretation made suing available satellite images. The water flow will be averaged in those intervals. The morphologic parameters evolution as a function of the water discharge in the river will be presented.

Study of dynamics of Alaskan Arctic coast (in association with John Kelley & Sathy Naidu)
The Arctic Alaskan coast is one of the most dynamic coasts in the world. The morphodynamics in this region is complex due to natural and human induced factors. Processes operate in different scales. Some processes can be investigated using satellite imagery but some others need a higher spatial resolution, such as that provided by aerial photographs. This study will look into the synergy of information in aerial phots and satellite imagery for a part of the Arctic Alaskan coast, eg. near Barrow or the Prudhoe Bay region. Orthorectified aerial photographs will be merged with Landsat ETM data in such a way that the spectral information of the Landsat imagery is retained while benefiting from the high spatial resolution of the aerial photos. The advantages and limitations of such a fusion product for mapping, monitoring and understanding some coastal processes such as erosion/deposition will be presented.

Alaska Lake Ice Variability Using MODIS Data (in association with Martin Jeffries)
Lake ice freeze-up and break-up dates, and duration of the ice cover (sometimes known as ice phenology) are valuable environmental indicators. However, they are somewhat difficult data to obtain in Alaska due to the remoteness of most lakes and the absence of people on site to observe changes. The answer to this problem probably lies in remote sensing. This project would explore the utility of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data for monitoring lake ice phenology in Alaska, and contribute to the work of the Alaska Lake Ice and Snow Observatory Network ALISON, a science research and education project that involves K-12 teachers and students.

Structural mapping in the foothills of the northwestern Brooks Range (in association with Wes Wallace)
Spectacular fold patterns are visible in satellite imagery in the foothills north of the western Brooks Range (refer to the work of Fawn Glassburn). These folds show well because the foreland basin stratigraphy includes a sandstone interval that is relatively resistant to erosion overlies a recessive shale interval. The fold patterns are complex because they reflect the interplay between a northward push from the Brooks Range to the south and an eastward push from the Herald arch to the west. This project will involve (1) a remote sensing based interpretation of the structural patterns in the study area to study the the interaction between the two directions of folding and the faults that cut across the folds in the study area. (2) an analysis as to how the abservations in the study area conform to the regional tectonic settings.

Geological mapping in the Northern foothills of the Alaska Range (in association with Wes Wallace)
The northern foothills of the Alaska Range display geologically young topography that probably is still actively rising. The foothills represent a fold-and-thrust belt that has progressively built northward into the Tanana River basin. This is especially visually evident because the surface of the former basin floor has been uplifted and folded. This folded surface extends over the entire area between the Richardson and Parks highways, but has not been fully mapped.

Remote sensing imagery would allow construction of a regional-scale map of the surface and the folds that it defines. This would help both to define the structure of the fold-and-thrust belt and to identify structures that are potentially seismically active. This figure is a digital elevation model showing the northern foothills of the Alaska Range. The fold-and-thrust belt is the arcuate region north of the Denali fault trench. The smoother and more subdued topography in the northern half of the fold-and-thrust belt reflects the uplifted and folded geomorphic surface.