CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
Search Results
Author : Burgess, D.O.; Sharp, M.J.; and Rivard, B.
Date : 2001.
Title : Recent changes in surface area of the Devon Ice Cap, Nunavut, Canada.
Publication : AGU 2001 Fall Meeting, Moscone Centre, San Franciso, California, December 10-14, 2001.
Issue :
Page(s) :
Abstract
Identifying geometric changes of an ice cap over time provides insight into understanding the current behaviour of the ice mass and predicting the long-term response patterns to climate trends. Multi-temporal image data from 1960 and 1999 used to quantify recent changes in areal extent of the Devon ice cap, Nunavut reveal a net decrease in surface area over the last 40 years. Advance of the north-west margin however, highlights the variable response patterns characteristic of this ice cap. A DEM of the ice cap surface was employed to delineate drainage basin boundaries enabling changes to be examined on a regional scale. Balance ratios calculated from basin hypsometry for 4 selected drainage basins show high correlation (r2 = 0.898) with percent area change suggesting that topographic setting and position of the ELA strongly influences ice boundary dynamics. Changes detected in this study represent decadal scale response patterns to climate forcing however intermediate observations (or more frequent observations in the future) would be beneficial for separating short-term fluctuations from long term trends.
Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology