Glacier inventory and monitoring efforts in the Alaska and northwestern Canada region
Abstract
Inventories are key to assessing glaciers' response to changing climate. Here, we present a complete modern (post ~2000) inventory of Alaska and northwestern Canada glaciers (~90,000 km2, >25,000 glaciers) compiled using remotely sensed data. We then describe an automated technique for calculating centerlines of the main branches and major tributaries of the inventoried glaciers. These centerlines, combined with outlines, enable new approaches for assessing Alaska glacier variations. We illustrate their use for automated determination of glacier branch topology and transient snowline variations. We also show how we combine outlines and centerlines with recently developed approaches for estimating glacier thickness.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AGUFM.C41E..05K
- Keywords:
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- 0758 CRYOSPHERE Remote sensing;
- 0720 CRYOSPHERE Glaciers;
- 0794 CRYOSPHERE Instruments and techniques