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  5. Assessing Links between Glaciers and the Northern Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest Ecosystem

Assessing Links between Glaciers and the Northern Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest Ecosystem

Assessing the Sensitivity of Alaska’s Coastal Rainforest Ecosystem to Changes in Glacier Runoff

Dates

Start Date
2011-06-30
End Date
2012
Release Date
2011

Summary

Rates of glacier loss in the northern Pacific coastal temperate rainforest (PCTR) are among the highest on Earth. These changes in glacier volume and extent will affect the flow and chemistry of coastal rivers, as well as the nearshore marine ecosystem of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). Runoff from glaciers accounts for about half of the land-to-ocean movement of freshwater into the GOA, strongly influencing the freshwater and marine ecosystems along the coast. Runoff from glaciers, for example, significantly impacts the water temperature and clarity of aquatic habitats, which are important conditions for salmon reproduction. Moreover, runoff from glaciers along the GOA is an important factor in the structure of the Alaska Coastal Current, [...]

Child Items (4)

Contacts

Principal Investigator :
Shad R O'Neel, Anthony Arendt, Eran Hood, Sanjay Pyare
Funding Agency :
Alaska CSC
CMS Group :
Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASC) Program

Attached Files

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AK-2011-5_TongassNatlForest_AK_MaryStensvold_USFS.jpg
“Tongass National Forest - Credit: Mary Stensvold, USFS” 		thumbnail 1.23 MB image/jpeg
AK-2011-5_MendenhallGlacier_TongassNatlForest_WilliamWelch_USDA.jpg
“Mendenhall Glacier in Tongass National Forest - Credit: William Welch, USDA” 		thumbnail 591.47 KB image/jpeg

Purpose

Coastal temperate rainforests along the Gulf of Alaska are experiencing high rates of glacier loss. Understanding the climate-induced vulnerability of land-to-ocean movement of freshwater due to glacier melting is critical since the variability in glacier runoff is much larger than that for other components of the water cycle. This project will develop methods to quantify runoff from watersheds along the Gulf of Alaska, allowing an assessment of impacts on coastal ecosystems. This study will also assess available data, develop an interdisciplinary conceptual model, and disseminate findings to both scientific peers and the public, paving the way forward to a better understanding of one of the least understood regional water cycles on Earth. New information from this study will provide a framework for assessing the future evolution of glacier discharge into the Gulf of Alaska, reducing uncertainty in determining the response of coastal ecosystems to a changing climate.

Project Extension

projectStatusCompleted

Mendenhall Glacier in Tongass National Forest - Credit: William Welch, USDA
Mendenhall Glacier in Tongass National Forest - Credit: William Welch, USDA

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  • Alaska CASC
  • National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers

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