GISuser.com

GIS and Technology news for mapping professionals

  • PRESS
    • Submit PR
    • Top Press
    • Business
    • GIS, Geo Tech Software
    • Hardware
    • UAV News
    • Mobile Technology
    • Editor’s Top Picks
    • Get TOP Listing!
  • FEATURES
    • GeoGeeksinCars
    • 10 Question Q&A
    • FROM THE EDITOR
    • SPATIAL MEDIA AUTHORS
    • Social Media Features
    • EXPERTS & Guests
    • Listicles and Top 10 Lists
    • Infographics
    • VIDEOS
  • Events
    • Webinars
    • Submit event
    • Event Media Partner
  • CAREERS
    • Career Help Articles
    • People and Career News
    • Work from Home
    • About GeoJobs.BIZ
  • About
    • Advertise
      • Advertise wth GISuser
      • Media Kit Request Form
      • Directory
      • Submit Press
    • Contact GISuser
    • Meet the Editor
    • Social Media
      • AnyGeo Blog
      • GeoGeeks Podcast
      • Social Media Features
      • Like Us
    • SpatialMedia
      • LBSzone
      • LiDAR Magazine
      • Amerisurv
      • SymbianOne
    • RSS feed
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Cloud Hosting
    • Amazon Cloud Hosting
    • WordPress cloud hosting
    • Dedicated servers USA
    • Linux Shared Hosting
    • Windows Shared Hosting
    • Web Development
    • SSL Certificate
  • Tradepubs
You are here: Home / * PRESS / Business / Scientists Calculate Juneau Icefield Melting with 2D, 3D Glacier Models

Scientists Calculate Juneau Icefield Melting with 2D, 3D Glacier Models

February 24, 2021 By Editor

GOLDEN, Colorado, 24 February 2021 – The Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) calculates that thinning of Alaska’s Taku Glacier has increased from an average rate of a half meter to two meters per year over the past two decades. Annual mapping by JIRP reveals the glacier’s thickness has increased and decreased from one year to the next, likely due to snow accumulation variability, but the overall current trend shows an annual net loss of ice.

3D Surface and Bedrock Morphology of the Matthes/Llewellyn Divide in the Juneau Icefield
Created in Surfer, the upper surface shows the glacial topography and movement vectors.
Lower surface shows the thickness of the subglacial valley at the divide. (Credit: JIRP)

“Taku is losing enough meltwater every day to fill an NFL stadium,” said Seth Campbell, JIRP Director of Academics & Research.

JIRP monitors the complex kinematics and mass balance of the Juneau Icefield – that is, they study annual changes to ice velocity, snow accumulation, and surface melting – to estimate if the glacier is advancing or retreating over time. One way they accomplish this task is by mapping yearly GPS field points in the Grapher and Surfer modeling packages from Golden Software, a developer of affordable 2D and 3D scientific software based in Golden, Colo.

“JIRP’s study of the many processes impacting the Juneau Icefield demonstrates the value of applying advanced visualization to gain insights from complex data sets,” said Golden Software CEO Blakelee Mills.

Accurate assessment of the Taku melt rate is vital to the study of climate change because, at more than 800 square kilometers, the glacier is the largest in the massive Juneau Icefield. Straddling the Alaska-Canada border, the receding icefield plays multiple important roles in local ecosystems. For the residents of British Columbia, it is a reliable supply of freshwater, but for the Gulf of Alaska, increasing glacier meltwater can have potentially negative impacts the marine ecosystem and valuable fisheries.

JIRP research dates to 1946, but the introduction of GPS contributed significantly to annual summer fieldwork beginning in 1993. Volunteers capture more than 1,000 GPS measurements at designated transect locations on the icefield each year to record glacial velocity and surface elevation changes. These values reveal whether the glacier is growing or shrinking due to changes in precipitation or melt rates or from changing rate of movement.

“We have seen increases in thickness after particularly snowy winters,” said Scott McGee, JIRP Geomatics Program Lead. “But less snow accumulation and more surface melt seem to be the primary drivers of change now.”

JIRP researchers rely on Golden Software’s Grapher scientific graphing package to plot GPS “Z” elevation values across transects in 2D to generate thickness profiles. They often overlay multiple years’ worth of field data to illustrate change over time. The scientists also input GPS field points for multiple transects from multiple years into the Surfer 3D surface mapping package to gain a sense of overall glacier volume change.

Together, these ice elevations, velocities, and volume change calculations give researchers a better understanding of external forces acting upon the Juneau Icefield and what to expect in the future. Read the full case study at https://www.goldensoftware.com/success-stories/tracking-glacier-thickness-changes-with-grapher-and-surfer

Golden Software’s Grapher and Surfer packages are used by more than 100,000 scientists and engineers worldwide, many involved in oil & gas exploration, environmental consulting, mining, engineering, and geospatial projects. The software has been relied upon for more than 35 years by users in numerous disciplines to easily visualize and interpret complex data sets.

About Golden Software

Founded in 1983, Golden Software is a leading developer of affordable scientific graphics software. Its customer base includes over 100,000 users involved in environmental consulting, oil and gas exploration and extraction, mining exploration and extraction, engineering, applied science, business, education, and government in nearly 190 countries and territories. Golden Software offers four products: Surfer® for gridding, contouring and 3D surface mapping; Grapher™ for 2D and 3D graphing; Voxler® for 3D data visualization; and Strater® for well log, borehole and cross section plotting.

For additional information, visit www.GoldenSoftware.com or call 1-303-279-1021.

Related Articles on GISuser:

  • Report confirms that climate change is affecting every region of the USReport confirms that climate change is affecting every region of the US
  • Global Mapper 18.2 Released with New 3D Digitizing Functionality and Support for Connecting to Amazon Web ServicesGlobal Mapper 18.2 Released with New 3D Digitizing Functionality and Support for Connecting to Amazon Web Services
  • Young scientist wins award for revealing extent of glacier retreatYoung scientist wins award for revealing extent of glacier retreat
  • Chasing Ice – largest glacier calving ever filmed Chasing Ice – largest glacier calving ever filmed
  • Amazing Interactive Map Reveals Earth After The Ice Melts and Sea Level RisesAmazing Interactive Map Reveals Earth After The Ice Melts and Sea Level Rises
  • Explore the Arctic with New Elevation dataExplore the Arctic with New Elevation data

Filed Under: Business, Environment, Software






Editor’s Picks

GIS and History: Using the Past to Inform the Present

GIS and History: Using the Past to Inform the Present

DigitalGlobe Satellite Captures Dramatic Images of Alberta, Canada Oil Sands wildfire #fmmfire

Wider Selection of US Topo Maps From USGS Now Available in Avenza’s PDF Maps App

Trimble Obtains Exemption to Operate its Unmanned Aircraft System

See More Editor's Picks...

About Editor

Glenn is a geographer and a GIS professional with over 20 years experience in the industry. He's the co-founder of GISuser and several other technology web publications.

Connect with GISuser

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter


GIS jobs

Recent Features

Digitalization and Simulation at the North Pole

Natural Gas District & GIS-Centric Asset Management

5 Ways Technology Is Affecting The Sharing Economy

Spotlight – Township Canada: Explore Canadian Legal Land Descriptions on a Map

GeoGeeksinCars – The one in “Tippy” the right-hand drive Mitsubishi, at DevSummit

More Posts from this Category

Categories


geoignite 2021

Recent Posts

  • Can My iPhone Get Hacked?
  • Satellite Imagery @Maxar : Windsor Castle and St George Chapel, April 17th
  • World Gas Map, 2021 Edition – Major Gasfields, Major Gas Pipelines, LNG Import Terminals and Export Plants, GTL Projects
  • Velodyne Showcases Advanced Lidar Solutions at Auto Shanghai 2021
  • Webinar: How Matrox IP KVM Solves the Challenges of Your Distributed Workforce

RSS Career Tips

  • Four Characteristics of the Best Virtual Employees
  • Jobcase Launches Free Unemployment Resource Center for Workers Impacted by COVID-19
  • 8 Questions Employers Should Ask About Coronavirus
  • Must-Have Gadgets and Technology for the Remote Office Worker
  • Must-Have Gadgets and Technology for the Remote Office Worker


shop for geogeek swag

RSS Tech pubs

  • Safety Alert for Supervisors Newsletter
  • Utilizing a Digital Platform to Drive Operational Improvements
  • The Essentials of Engineering - 2021 Edition

RSS Computers

  • The Essentials of Information Security Kit: Includes a Free PC Security Handbook - 2nd Edition eBook
  • iPad CTO Kit - including the iPad Tips and Tricks Guide for IT Executives and Managers
  • Windows... On Speed

RSS HR Tips

  • Applicant Tracking FrontRunners Report
  • Human Resources FrontRunners Report
  • How Diversity, Equity & Inclusion can Take Credit Unions into the Future

RSS Gov Tech

  • Am Law 100: Trends, Insights & How Firms Plan to Move Past the Pandemic
  • Hidden Risks to Patient Data Security
  • Appian for Federal Agencies

RSS UAV news

  • Parrot and High Lander enhance drone fleet automation
  • NASA’s Mars Helicopter to Make First Flight Attempt Sunday
  • Rhode Island Signs Participating Addendum with DroneUp

RSS Geojobs

  • Help Desk Technician
Copyright Spatial Media LLC 2003 - 2015