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UPDATE: November 6, 2007

Is the Taku Glacier getting restless?
For the first time since JIRP began monitoring surface velocities on the Juneau Icefield,
we have observed significant velocity changes across the Taku Glacier system. This graph
shows the average 1993 to 2006 velocity at Profile 4 (black bars) and the 2007 velocity (red
bars). See the full report for details on the velocity changes seen at other profiles in 2007.

This site is dedicated primarily to the dissemination of glaciological survey data collected by the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) of the Foundation for Glacier and Environmental Research. This program is based at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho and the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Washington. It is an earth systems science program which focuses on long-term glaciological and geological research, and to providing field science training for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students.

Why the name Crevasse Zone?

Simple. Crevasses are the number one hazard encountered by those of us who live and work on glaciers. In the course of our survey work on the Juneau Icefield, we must know where the crevasse zones are so that we can either avoid them, or if necessary, work safely in these areas. This is doubly important considering all of the survey work is done with GPS, often in total whiteout or limited visibility conditions. Every year, when hiking up to the Icefield at the beginning of the summer, I always anticipate the first glimpse of the snowcover in the Ptarmigan Glacier valley, as this is a great indicator of the snow conditions (and hence crevasse danger) that we'll encounter during the summer survey work. Since crevasses and the danger they present are constantly on our minds when we're on the Icefield, and since I needed a catchy name for this web site, I couldn't think of a more appropriate name!

The Role of Surveying on the Juneau Icefield

Understanding the complex dynamics of a glacial system requires fundamental information such as the mass balance, depth and temperature of the ice, meteorological conditions, surface velocity vectors, strain rates, surface gradients, and changes in the surface elevation. Integrating all these elements allows us to evaluate the glaciodynamic response of the Juneau Icefield with respect to climatic conditions, and to possibly predict its future behavior.

The purpose of the survey program is to measure, evaluate, and monitor, on an annual basis, the surface velocity, strain rates, and changes in the surface elevation of the Juneau Icefield. Surface gradients along the longitudinal axis of the glaciers are measured, and daily ablation rates are determined. The data obtained from these measurements serve as the foundation for determining the mode of flow and the strain regime throughout the system. This, in conjunction with annual measurements of the surface elevation, allow us to answer questions such as "Are the glaciers getting thicker or thinner? What is the spatial distribution pattern of accumulation and ablation? Are the glaciers speeding up or slowing down? Is the glacier system undergoing a transition from one mode of flow to another? If so, could this lead to advancement or recession of the glaciers draining the Juneau Icefield?" Ultimately, the answers to these questions may have an impact on the social, political, and cultural dynamics of the area surrounding the Juneau Icefield.

GPS surveys provide precise movement and surface elevations on the Juneau Icefield

Where Do We Survey?

The main focus of the survey program is on the Taku Glacier system. This includes the main trunk of the Taku Glacier and its numerous tributaries - the Demorest, Hades Highway, Southwest Branch, Northwest Branch, and Matthes Glaciers. Other GPS surveys are conducted on the Lemon, Ptarmigan, Gilkey, Llewellyn, and Cathedral Glaciers. The map shown to the left identifies the locations of the established survey profiles. Click the map to view a larger version.

What's JIRP?

JIRP is the Juneau Icefield Research Program. This is a glaciological research program that was first organized in 1946 to conduct long-term, interdisciplinary research vital to understanding the total environment of arctic and mountain regions. Utilizing an integrative approach combining surveying, geophysics, meteorology, geology, ecology, botany, hydrology, and entomology, the Program is contributing to a fuller understanding of the complex dynamics of the Juneau Icefield.

A bit about myself...

I'm Scott McGee and I live in Anchorage, Alaska. By profession I'm a GIS Specialist and Cartographer for the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, specializing in the application of GIS to land management issues within the National Wildlife Refuges of Alaska. For the last 20 years I have been a surveyor and faculty/staff member with the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) in Juneau, Alaska. Most of the content on this site is related to the Juneau Icefield and the survey work in which I have been involved, however you'll also find links to other topics such as GPS and GIS, especially as they relate to glaciers and glaciology.

The Llewellyn Glacier and the northern side of the Juneau Icefield from near Atlin, British Columbia

Educators

If you would like to use the information and data contained in The Crevasse Zone for your courses, please feel free to do so. I ask only that you send me a notice that you have incorporated this site, or parts thereof, into your lesson plan. In your e-mail message, indicate your name, institution, department, and course title. Also please indicate whether the course is at the elementary, middle, high school, undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate level. This information will help me tailor the content of this site to specific educational requirements.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about the contents of this site, please contact me via e-mail. If you are, or have been involved in glacier movement surveys or other glaciological research and would like to share your work, let me know and I will add a link to your data in this site. To obtain more information about the Juneau Icefield Research Program, visit the JIRP Web site or write to the address listed below.

Juneau Icefield Research Program
c/o Dr. Maynard M. Miller
514 East 1st Street
Moscow, ID 83843
USA
E-mail: jirp@uidaho.edu

Please feel free to browse The Crevasse Zone, read the stories of adventure, enjoy the photos of the spectacular Juneau Icefield, and learn a bit of the Icefield's dynamics. My hope is that this site will instill in you a sense of wonder at the majesty and mystery of Nature all around us. May you always find a safe route through the crevasse zones of life...

...and don't step in a moulin!

Using GPS to survey glacier movement and surface elevation on the Matthes Glacier.

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The Crevasse Zone Home Page

traverses have been made of The Crevasse Zone since 3/20/99