A comprehensive inventory of perennial snow and ice in Glacier National Park in 2005

Publication Date

2019-04-03

Time Period

2004

Time Period

2005

Time Period

2009

Fagre, D.B., Martin-Mikle, C.J., and Clark, A.M., 2019, A comprehensive inventory of perennial snow and ice in Glacier National Park in 2005: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P90F4G50.

Type: Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

This dataset was created to initiate a time series and history of perennial snow and ice recession in Glacier National Park (GNP), Montana, USA. The dataset delineates the perimeters of perennial snow and ice of Glacier National Park in 2005, but does not include the 2005 extent of the named glaciers in GNP, which have been previously published. Establishing a comprehensive inventory of perennial snow and ice and understanding the impact that decreasing area of perennial snow and ice has on water storage, is key to understanding the Glacier National Park ecosystem and future state of resources. For instance, glacial and perennial snow and ice meltwater is critical habitat for endangered stream insects. More broadly, retreating glaciers and disappearing perennial snow and ice are indicative of long-term climate change and have hydrologic and ecologic importance to many park resources. Appropriate use of these data include comparing Glacier National Park's perennial snow and ice area from different periods, such as more recent years yet to be inventoried. The change in perennial snow and ice on the landscape can also be used to estimate glacier contributions to streamflow.

ScienceBase WMS

ScienceBase WFS

• Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center
• USGS Data Release Products