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Around the world, glaciers are melting, but what about glaciers in
western Canada? A comprehensive study of the current state and future
fate of glaciers in BC and Alberta is currently underway, and the early
results are disturbing.
Imagine filling up BC Place Stadium with water. Then empty it. Now
repeat the process 8300 times. This would require 22 billion cubic
metres of water, the same amount that BC’s 17,000 glaciers are
permanently losing EACH YEAR.
“Glaciers are sensitive indicators of climate, but they are also among
western Canada’s most important freshwater resources. This project is
allowing us to calculate the number, and total area, of glaciers in BC
and Alberta. Even more importantly, we are able to assess – for the
first time – how quickly these glaciers are melting in the current
climate,” says Dr. Brian Menounos, a UNBC Geography professor who is
leading the research program. Researchers from Universities in Alberta,
BC, Washington State, in addition to scientists from the federal
government are part of the study, which aims to document recent glacier
retreat and the current health of glaciers to be able to predict what
their fate will be up to 150 years from now.
The research team is focusing their efforts on several glaciers and
icefields in BC. The list includes the Lloyd George Icefield west of
Fort Nelson, Castle Creek Glacier near McBride, Klinaklini and
Tiedemann glaciers in the Coast Mountains, and glaciers in the Columbia
River Basin. At each site, meteorological measurements such as air
temperature, wind speed, precipitation, and humidity are being taken to
better understand the controls of glacier nourishment and melt. The
researchers are also measuring changes in thickness, extent, volume,
and movement of hundreds of glaciers throughout the mountain ranges of
western Canada. This work requires the analysis of thousands of aerial
photos, some of which go back 70 years.
During a recent visit to Castle Creek Glacier, UNBC doctoral student
Matt Beedle measured changes in the glacier’s volume through intensive
field work. Just a month ago, a pole he had stuck into the glacier with
only a few millimeters showing at the top was now exposed to nearly his
height. Using GPS equipment that can measure his elevation on the
glacier within a centimetre, Beedle was able to confirm that the
thickness of the glacier at that point had dropped more than 1.5 metres
through the month of August alone.
But the Castle Creek Glacier is a significant research site for other
reasons. As it has been melting, the glacier has left a series of rows
of rock and earth (called moraines) that precisely indicate how much
the glacier has retreated each year. Similar to tree rings, they extend
into the valley 750 metres from the glacier’s current edge, providing a
unique geological record of this glacier’s retreat over the past 50
years.
“We’ve never seen moraines like this outside of Iceland,” says Beedle,
who has also worked on glaciers in Alaska. “These moraines allow us to
see even subtle annual variations in glacial retreat. What a global
treasure.”
The research team is about half-way through the five year project. By
2010, they’ll be able to predict the rate and magnitude of glacial
retreat under various climate scenarios. Their results bear directly on
how we manage our water resources, access fresh water, and even produce
electricity in the near future.
The research is being funded by an investment of nearly $2.2 million
from the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences and
cash contributions from universities and network partners such as BC
Hydro and the Columbia Basin Trust. Other participating institutions
include the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University,
University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Victoria,
University of Washington, federal and provincial governments, Natural
Resources Canada, and the Columbia Basin Trust.
Glacier Facts (2005)
- BC has about 17,000 glaciers and Alberta has around 800.
- Glaciers cover 3% of BC’s land mass.
- Between 1985 and 1999, the annual amount of water lost from melting glaciers in BC was 22 cubic kilometres.
- Close to 90% of BC’s energy is hydroelectric, and melting snow and ice play a significant role.
- The largest glacier entirely in BC is the Klinaklini Glacier, with an area of 470 square kilometres.
Media Contact:
Rob van Adrichem
UNBC Office of Communications
250-960-5622
vanadric@unbc.ca |
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Media Downloads
High Res Images
Click on a thumbnail to open a high-resolution file.
Map of research locations with terrain (from Google).
Map without terrain.
This image features a close-up of the moraines left behind by the Castle Creek Glacier as it receded.
PhD student Matt Beedle (left) and professor Brian Menounos measure changes in glacier thickness using GPS.
Beedle and Menounos with the GPS equipment
Beedle and Menounos examine the moraine left behind by Castle Creek Glacier in 2007.
 Castle Creek Glacier.
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