Event Title
Annual record of glacier terminus response to climate variability over the period 1959-2004 derived from annual push moraines, Castle Glacier, British Columbia
Description
Few studies examine glacier change in the Cariboo Mountains of British Columbia. During the past half century a rarely preserved sequence of push moraines was formed at the front of one of these glaciers (informally named Castle Glacier, 53° 1’ 52” N., 120° 27’ 44” W.). We used aerial photography and satellite imagery to confirm this sequence of deposits to be annual and to derive an annual record of glacier retreat. Castle Glacier formed 46 annual push moraines and retreated 671 m between 1959 and 2004. Average annual retreat during this period was 14.6 m a-1 and varied between 3 and 44 m a-1. Minimum annual retreat occurred in the 1970s and maximum annual retreat occurred in the early 1990s. Comparison of meteorological data obtained from nearby climate stations with those of annual glacier retreat indicates that Castle Glacier terminus response correlates most strongly with ablation season temperature (r = 0.53, á = 0.01).
Document Type
Event
Start Date
8-3-2008 8:00 AM
Subject - LCSH
Glaciers--British Columbia; Climatic changes--British Columbia--Castle Glacier; Moraines--British Columbia--Castle Glacier
End Date
8-3-2008 5:00 PM
Session
Glacial Studies: Interior Ranges
Genre/Form
abstracts (summaries)
Type
event
Geographic Coverage
Cariboo Mountains (B.C.); British Columbia
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author's written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Keywords
glacier, moraines, climate, British Columbia
Annual record of glacier terminus response to climate variability over the period 1959-2004 derived from annual push moraines, Castle Glacier, British Columbia
Few studies examine glacier change in the Cariboo Mountains of British Columbia. During the past half century a rarely preserved sequence of push moraines was formed at the front of one of these glaciers (informally named Castle Glacier, 53° 1’ 52” N., 120° 27’ 44” W.). We used aerial photography and satellite imagery to confirm this sequence of deposits to be annual and to derive an annual record of glacier retreat. Castle Glacier formed 46 annual push moraines and retreated 671 m between 1959 and 2004. Average annual retreat during this period was 14.6 m a-1 and varied between 3 and 44 m a-1. Minimum annual retreat occurred in the 1970s and maximum annual retreat occurred in the early 1990s. Comparison of meteorological data obtained from nearby climate stations with those of annual glacier retreat indicates that Castle Glacier terminus response correlates most strongly with ablation season temperature (r = 0.53, á = 0.01).