Maximum glacial extent of the named glaciers in Glacier National Park during the peak of the Little Ice Age

Publication Date

2018-07-09

Time Period

2014-10-19

Time Period

2015-08-22

Time Period

2015-09-12

Time Period

2015-09-25

Time Period

2016-08-21

Time Period

2016-09-15

Fagre, D.B., and Martin-Mikle, C.J., 2018, A comprehensive inventory of maximum glacial extent in Glacier National Park during the peak of the Little Ice Age: U.S. Geological Survey data release, https://doi.org/10.5066/P95YJ3CN.

This dataset was created to develop a time series and history of glacier recession in Glacier National Park (GNP), Montana, USA. The dataset delineates the perimeters of the 37 named glaciers of Glacier National Park and two additional glaciers on U.S. Forest Service’s Flathead National Forest land during the peak of the Little Ice Age (mid-nineteenth century). The peak of the Little Ice Age is the most recent maximum extent in glacier size for which there is still significant morainal evidence. Establishing the rates of glacier retreat, using the decreasing area of glacier ice, is key to understanding the Glacier National Park ecosystem and future state of resources. For instance, glacial meltwater is critical habitat for endangered stream insects. More broadly, retreating glaciers are indicative of long-term climate change and have hydrologic and ecologic importance to many park resources. Glaciers and their retreat are of great interest to park visitors and the American public and are part of Glacier National Park's appeal. This is important because Glacier National Park is a major driver of the regional economy. Appropriate use of these data include comparing Glacier National Park's glacier area from different periods, such as more recent years included in an earlier data release (Glacier margin time series [1966, 1998, 2005, 2015] of the named glaciers of Glacier National Park, MT, USA), and to different parts of the world. The change in glacier area can be used to create models of glacier-climate interactions, and to estimate glacier contributions to streamflow.

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• Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center

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