Quote of the Moment
"We call this phenomenon 'dynamic response.' What happens is that the melting accelerates as meltwater funnels down to the bedrock. At the bottom, the water acts as a lubricant, flowing under the outlet glaciers and allowing the ice to slip into the sea more quickly. We hadn't expected that ice sheets could react to warming so quickly. But that is the kind of feedback we are coming to understand in the Arctic; it's a very sensitive environment."
Glacier Photos
 Kenai Fjords |
 Worthington Glacier |
 Mt. Blackburn/Kennicot Glacier |
 Gulkana Glacier |
 Ruth Glacier |
 Matanuska Glacier |
Featured Video
Gulkana Glacier Fieldwork
Featuring Marijke Habermann from the Alaska Geophysical Institute and Todd Anders Johnson from the Risan Project | Watch »
Field Work
Risan Project's Todd Anders Johnson traveled to Alaska in July for field work with members of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. Working on the Gulkana Glacier in the Delta Range near Fairbanks, the team used GPS and radar to gather data that would help them determine ice thickness and ice melting rates.