3D Radar Scan Provides Clues About Threats To Iconic Alaskan Glacier
Mapping a large coastal glacier in Alaska revealed that its bulk sits below sea level and is undercut by channels, making it vulnerable to accelerated melting in an already deteriorating coastal habitat.A detailed “body scan” of Malaspina Glacier, one of Alaska’s most iconic glaciers, revealed that its bulk lies below sea level and is undercut by channels that may allow ocean water to gain access, should its coastal barrier erode.
Vegetation growing atop massive ground ice – a crevassed forest – is seen in this aerial photo of the land strip that separates Malaspina Glacier from the Pacific Ocean. This coastal barrier “wastes away,” the researchers say, as ice cliffs collapse and form a growing expanse of lagoons. Brandon Tober/“As this coastal barrier erodes and gives way to large lagoons, primarily through the collapse of ice cliffs, ocean water may eventually gain access to the glacier,” Tober said.
Traditionally, researchers rely on mathematical models to gauge the thickness of glaciers, Tober said, but they vary widely in their ability to accurately predict the thickness of glaciers. These models often rely on measurements of how fast the glacier moves across the surface to make predictions about the glacier’s depth, similar to the way a river’s water flow rates are used to gain insights about its depth and the shape of its bed.
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