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Benchmark Glaciers
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operates a long-term
"benchmark" glacier program to monitor climate, glacier
geometry, glacier mass
balance, glacier motion, and stream runoff. The data collected are used to understand glacier-related
hydrologic processes and improve the quantitative prediction of water resources,
glacier-related hazards, and the consequences of climate change (Fountain and others, 1997). The approach has been to
establish long-term mass balance monitoring programs at three widely spaced glacier basins
in the United States that clearly sample different climate-glacier-runoff regimes.
From north to south, the
three basins are Gulkana and
Wolverine Glaciers in Alaska
and South Cascade Glacier in
Washington State.
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Maintainer: Rod March
Last update:
Friday, July 09, 2004 02:22 PM
URL: http://ak.water.usgs.gov/glaciology/all_bmg/bmg.htm
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