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- Title
Glacier status and contribution to streamflow in the Olympic Mountains, Washington, USA.
- Authors
RIEDEL, J. L.; WILSON, Steve; BACCUS, William; LARRABEE, Michael; FUDGE, T. J.; FOUNTAIN, Andrew
- Abstract
The Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA, currently holds 184 alpine glaciers larger than 0.01 km2 and their combined area is 30.2±0.95km2. Only four glaciers are >1km2 and 120 of the others are <0.1km2. This represents a loss of 82 glaciers and a 34% decrease in combined area since 1980, with the most pronounced losses occurring on south-facing aspects and in the more arid northeastern part of the range. Annual rate of loss in glacier area for seven of the largest glaciers accelerated from 0.26km2 a-1 (1900-80) to 0.54 km2 a-1 (1980-2009). Thinning rates on four of the largest glaciers averaged nearly 1ma-1 from 1987 to 2010, resulting in estimated volume losses of 17-24%. Combined glacial snow, firn and ice melt in the Hoh watershed is in the range 63-79±7×106m3, or 9-15% of total May-September streamflow. In the critical August-September period, the glacial fraction of total basin runoff increases to 18-30%, with one-third of the water directly from glacial ice (i.e. not snow and firn). Glaciers in the Elwha basin produce 12-15±1.3×106m3 (2.5-4.0%), while those in the Dungeness basin contribute 2.5-3.1±0.28×106m3 (3.0-3.8%).
- Subjects
OLYMPIC Mountains (Wash.); WASHINGTON (State); GLACIERS; STREAMFLOW; RUNOFF; GLACIOLOGY; WATERSHEDS
- Publication
Journal of Glaciology, 2015, Vol 61, Issue 225, p8
- ISSN
0022-1430
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3189/2015JoG14J138