The U.S. Geological Survey has just released a detailed 550-page report on the condition of Alaskan glaciers. This report is the 8th volume in the Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World series, with geospatial analysis as a critical component of this research.
Glaciers cover roughly 5 percent of Alaska, with more than 100,000 glaciers in 11 mountain ranges, one large island, and an island chain. The findings indicate that 99 percent of Alaskan glaciers are experiencing a significant retreat, with a few surprisingly advancing.
“Satellite remote sensing provides the only practical means of monitoring regional changes in glaciers in response to short-and long-term changes in the maritime and continental climates of Alaska.”
The third section of the book, “Geospatial Inventory and Analysis of Glaciers: a Case Study for the Eastern Alaska Range,” details the tools and methodology that helped form the conclusions. The book is full of aerial and ground images that detail the landscape change in America’s largest state.
You can view and download the third section or the complete book here.
