The National Park Service and Portland State University will collaborate in a field-based project to accurately map the spatial extent and status of the rapidly changing glacial ice on Mount Rainier. In particular, areas of active (moving) ice will be distinguished from stagnant (non-moving) ice, which is of premier importance for hazard planning. In the future, glacier maps can be updated rapidly using remotely sensed data, and avoiding expensive future field efforts. Deliverables will include identifying the true spatial extents of the glaciers, including: rock and debris covered areas (usually not mapped correctly in earlier surveys), and stagnant (versus active, moving) ice. Additionally, the bedrock topography surrounding stagnant [...]
