1966_Glacier margins derived from USGS 1966 topographic maps for the named glaciers of Glacier National Park, MT and environs

Publication Date

2017

Start Date

1966

End Date

1968

Fagre, D.B., McKeon, L.A., Dick, K.A., and Fountain, A.G., 2017, Glacier margin time series (1966, 1998, 2005, 2015) of the named glaciers of Glacier National Park, MT, USA: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/F7P26WB1.

The purpose of this dataset is to develop a time series and history of glacier recession in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA. This dataset consists of polygons that delineate the 1966 perimeters of the named glaciers of Glacier National Park and two additional glaciers on U.S. Forest Service’s Flathead National Forest land (the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex) which borders GNP to the south. Establishing the rates of glacier retreat, using the decreasing area of glacier ice, is key to understanding the Glacier National Park ecosystem and future state of resources. For instance, glacial meltwater provides critical habitat for endangered stream insects. More broadly, retreating glaciers are indicative of long term climate change and have hydrologic and ecologic importance to many park resources. Glaciers and their retreat are of great interest to park visitors and the American public and are part of Glacier National Park's appeal. This is important because Glacier National Park is a major driver of the regional economy. Appropriate use of these data include comparing Glacier National Park's glacier area from different periods, such as subsequent years included in the data release, and from different parts of the world. The change in glacier area can be used to test models of glacier-climate interactions, and to estimate glacier contributions to streamflow. A caveat to use of this dataset is the recognition that mapping technologies of 1966 were different from current technologies in accuracy and resolution. Thus, the glacier outlines in this dataset are more generalized than those from subsequent years included in this data release.

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• Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

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