“Our vanishing glaciers”: One hundred years of glacier retreat in Three Sisters Area, Oregon Cascade Range
Oregon Historical Society Quarterly
By: James E. O’Connor
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Abstract
In August 1910, thirty-nine members of the Mazamas Mountaineering Club ascended the peaks of the Three Sisters in central Oregon. While climbing, geologist Ira A. Williams photographed the surrounding scenery, including images of Collier Glacier. One hundred years later, U.S. Geological Survey research hydrologist Jim E. O’Connor matched those documented photographs with present day images — the result of which is a stunning lapse of glacial change in the Three Sister region. O’Connor asserts that “glaciers exist by the grace of climate,” and through a close examination of the history of the region’s glaciers, he provides an intriguing glimpse into the history of geological surveys and glacial studies in the Pacific Northwest, including their connection to significant scientific advances of the nineteenth century. The work of scientists and mountaineers who have monitored and recorded glacier changes for over a century allows us to see dramatic changes in a landscape that is especially sensitive to ongoing climate change.
Suggested Citation
O’Connor, J.E., 2014, “Our vanishing glaciers”: One hundred years of glacier retreat in Three Sisters Area, Oregon Cascade Range: Oregon Historical Society Quarterly, v. 114, no. 4, p. 402-427, https://doi.org/10.5403/oregonhistq.114.4.0402.
Study Area
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | “Our vanishing glaciers”: One hundred years of glacier retreat in Three Sisters Area, Oregon Cascade Range |
| Series title | Oregon Historical Society Quarterly |
| DOI | 10.5403/oregonhistq.114.4.0402 |
| Volume | 114 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Year Published | 2014 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Oregon Historical Society |
| Contributing office(s) | Oregon Water Science Center, Volcano Hazards Program |
| Description | 26 p. |
| First page | 402 |
| Last page | 427 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| Other Geospatial | Oregon Cascade Range, Three Sisters Area |