Publications
There have been some new papers coming out written by JIRP faculty and alumni that use data collected through JIRP. Check out the most recent additions below! Our congratulations to all the authors listed, but especially the JIRPers listed in italics.
Boreal blazes: Biomass burning and vegetation types archived in the Juneau Icefield.
Authors: Natalie Kehrwald, Jeramy Roland Jasmann, Melissa E Dunham, Davis G Ferris, Erich C Osterberg, Joshua Kennedy, Jeremy Havens, Larry B. Barber, and Sarah K Fortner.
Link to open access article on IOPScience.
Abstract:
Warming temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, vegetation marching northward, the desiccation of thick organic soil layers, and increased ignition from lightning all contribute to a combustive combination. The past decade includes some of the most extensive boreal forest fires in the historical record. Smoke aerosols travel thousands of kilometers, before blanketing the surfaces on which they fall, including locations far from fire, such as the Juneau Icefield. However, many aerosols found in fire are also produced by other processes and therefore can be ambiguous indicators of fire activity. Here, we use the monosaccharide anhydrides levoglucosan, mannosan, and galactosan as specific indicators of biomass burning to unambiguously demonstrate that fire aerosols reach the Juneau Icefield and are integrated into the snowpack. Back trajectories and satellite observations demonstrate that smoke plumes originating in central Alaska and eastern Siberia affect the Juneau Icefield. These regional sources of fire differ from other combustion aerosols deposited on the Juneau Icefield, such as black carbon, that originate from local fossil fuel burning. Ratios of levoglucosan/mannosan (L/M) and levoglucosan/(mannosan + galactosan) (L/(M+G)) demonstrate that while the majority of fire aerosols reaching the Juneau Icefield originate from softwood burning, grasslands and hardwood forests are also sources. The presence of these hardwoods suggests that fire aerosols may reach the Juneau Icefield from locations as far away as East Asia.
Explaining mass balance and retreat dichotomies at Taku and Lemon Creek Glaciers, Alaska.
Authors: Christopher McNeil, Shad O'Neel, Michael Loso, Mauri Pelto, Louis Sass, Emily H. Baker, and Seth Campbell.
Link to open access article in Journal of Glaciology.
Abstract:
We reanalyzed mass balance records at Taku and Lemon Creek Glaciers to better understand the relative roles of hypsometry, local climate and dynamics as mass balance drivers. Over the 1946–2018 period, the cumulative mass balances diverged. Tidewater Taku Glacier advanced and gained mass at an average rate of +0.25 ± 0.28 m w.e. a–1, contrasting with retreat and mass loss of −0.60 ± 0.15 m w.e. a−1 at land-terminating Lemon Creek Glacier. The uniform influence of regional climate is demonstrated by strong correlations among annual mass balance and climate data. Regional warming trends forced similar statistically significant decreases in surface mass balance after 1989: −0.83 m w.e. a–1 at Taku Glacier and −0.81 m w.e. a–1 at Lemon Creek Glacier. Divergence in cumulative mass balance arises from differences in glacier hypsometry and local climate. Since 2013 negative mass balance and glacier-wide thinning prevailed at Taku Glacier. These changes initiated terminus retreat, which could increase dramatically if calving begins. The future mass balance trajectory of Taku Glacier hinges on dynamics, likely ending the historic dichotomy between these glaciers.
Datasets
JIRP stewards a number of ongoing data collection efforts on the Juneau Icefield.
We provide these datasets for public use. Please cite them appropriately.
Maintaining each of these datasets requires extensive pre-season planning, long (and often uncomfortable) days in the field, and hours of data analysis. At JIRP, much of this work is done on a volunteer basis. If you’d like to donate to support these efforts, please see our Support Us page.
GPS Survey: Glacier surface elevation and flow velocity
You can find the GPS data and information here: Dataset
Contact: Scott McGee, smcgee@gci.net
Weather Stations: Meteorological Data from permanent Icefield Camps (hosted by the USGS)
You can find the Meteorological (Met) Data here: Dataset
Contact: Chris McNeil, cmcneil@usgs.gov
Lemon Creek Mass Balance: Annual mass gain and loss on the Lemon Creek Glacier (hosted by the USGS)
You can find the Lemon Creek Glacier mass balance data here: Dataset
Contact: Chris McNeil, cmcneil@usgs.gov
Juneau Icefield Mass Balance: Annual mass gain and loss on the Juneau Icefield in total (hosted by the USGS)
You can find the Icefield-wide mass balance data here: Dataset
Contact: Chris McNeil, cmcneil@usgs.gov
Geodetic Data for Taku and Lemon Creek Glaciers: Orthophotos, Digital Elevation Models, and Glacier Boundaries for Taku and Lemon Creek Glaciers (USGS)
You can find the Geodetic data here: Dataset
Contact: Chris McNeil, cmcneil@usgs.gov