FINAL REPORT
of the
WORKSHOP ON LONG-TERM MONITORING OF GLACIERS OF
NORTH AMERICA AND NORTHWESTERN EUROPE
(Convened at the University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA on 11-13 September 1996)
Workshop Coordinators: Richard S. Williams, Jr., and Jane G. Ferrigno, USGS
USGS OPEN-FILE REPORT 98-31
1997
INSTITUTIONAL PARTICIPATION:
. Environment Canada
. Environmental Research Institute of Michigan
. Geological Survey of Canada
. Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland
. International Glaciological Society
. National Aeronautics and Space Administration
. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
. French Space Agency
. National Energy Authority (Iceland)
. Portland State University
. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
. University of Alaska
. U.S. Department of the Interior
. University of Colorado
. University of Oslo (Norway)
. University of Wales (U.K.)
. University of Zürich-Irchel (Switzerland)
USGS
Woods Hole, MA 02543
1997
Sponsored by: Global Change and Climate History Program, Geologic Division, USGS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
History of USGS Involvement in Glacier Studies
Climate Change and Variations in the Earth's Cryosphere
Reviews and Assessment of USGS Glaciology Programs
Long-Term Monitoring of Glaciers of North America and Northwestern Europe: Workshop Summaries and Abstracts
I. Existing Data Bases and Current Status for Monitoring Glaciers of North America and Northwestern Europe
ALASKA
Data Base and Geographical Perspective for Monitoring 28 Glaciers of Alaska
by Dennis C. Trabant, USGS, with contributions from Carl S. Benson and Keith Echelmeyer, University of Alaska, and Phil Brease and James Roush, National Park Service.
CANADA
The Canadian Glacier Variations Monitoring and Assessment Network: Status and Future Perspectives
by Michael N.Demuth, National Hydrology Research Institute (Canada). Status of Glacier Monitoring in the Canadian Arctic
by Roy M. Koerner, Geological Survey of Canada. Monitoring and Inventorying the Glaciers of Canada: An Historical Review and Personal Comments
by C. Simon, L. Ommanney, International Glaciological Society.
CONTERMINOUS UNITED STATES
Status of Glacier Monitoring and the Remote Sensing Snow and Ice-Data Base in the Conterminous USA
by Robert M. Krimmel, USGS.
GREENLAND
Status of Glacier Monitoring of Greenland
by Anker Weidick, Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (Denmark).
ICELAND
Glacier Monitoring in Iceland: The Glacier Variation Data Set of the Iceland Glaciological Society
by Oddur Sigurðsson, National Energy Authority (Iceland).
NORWAY AND SWEDEN
Status of Ground-Based Glacier Monitoring in Scandinavia and Svalbard
by Jon Ove Hagen, University of Oslo (Norway).
HIGH ARCTIC
Arctic Ice Masses, Recent Climate Change, and Implications for Global Sea Level
by Julien A. Dowdeswell, University of Wales, Centre for Glaciology
II. Current and Planned Remote Sensing Technology for Monitoring Glaciers
Monitoring Glaciers with Airborne and Spaceborne Laser Altimetry
by James B. Garvin, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterSatellite Remote Sensing (Imaging)
by Dorothy K. Hall, NASA Goddard Space Flight CenterUse of Upcoming Satellite Technology
by Hugh H. Kieffer, USGSGlacier Monitoring Using Classified National Systems
by Edward G. Josberger, USGSAn Overview of LightSAR; A Proposed Radar Satellite
by James W. Schoonmaker, Jr., USGSMonitoring of Glaciers: The NASA Pathfinder Program
by David A. Kirtland, USGSMeasurement of Changes in the Area and Volume of the Earth's Large Glaciers with Satellite Sensors
by Richard S. Williams, Jr., USGS; James B. Garvin, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; Oddur Sigurðsson, National Energy Authority (Iceland); Dorothy K. Hall, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; and Jane G. Ferrigno, USGS
III. International Data Centers for Archiving Ground, Airborne, and Satellite Data of Glaciers
Data Management for Long-Term Monitoring of Fluctuations of Glaciers of North America and Northwestern Europe
by Greg Scharfen, National Snow and Ice Data Center/World Data Center-A for Glaciology, John L. Dwyer, EROS Data Center, and Stephan Suter, World Glacier Monitoring Service/Swiss Federal Institute of Technology The World Glacier Monitoring Service
by Wilfried Haeberli, University of Zürich-Irchel, and Martin Hoelzle and Stephan Suter, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
IV. Monitoring of Various Glaciers in North America and Northwestern Europe: Miscellaneous Contributions
Determination of Changes in the Volume of Mountain Glaciers Using Airborne Laser Altimetry
by Keith Echelmeyer, William D. Harrison, Joseph J. Sapiano, Guðfinna Aðalgeirsdóttir, Laurence Sombardier,Bernard T. Rabus, and Jeannette (De Mallie) Gorda, University of Alaska-Geophysical Institute The Mass of McCall Glacier. Its Regional Relevance and Climatological Implications for Climate Change in the Arctic
by Bernard T. Rabus and Keith Echelmeyer, University of Alaska-Geophysical Institute Remote Sensing of Glacier Fluctuations Using Landsat Data: Lessons Learned
by John L. Dwyer, EROS Data Center Glacier Recession and Ecological Implications at Glacier National Park, Montana
by Carl H. Key, Starr Johnson, and Daniel B. Fagre, USGS, and Richard K. Menicke, National Park Service Glacier Monitoring in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska: Integrating Field Study and Remote Sensing
by James Roush and Phil Brease, National Park Service An Integrated Approach for Monitoring Changes at Bering Glacier, Alaska
by Bruce F. Molnia and Austin Post, USGS
V. Appendices