CGRG Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology
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Author : Copland, L.; Burgess, D.; and Sharp, M.
Date : 2001.
Title : The GLIMS (Global Land Ice Measurements from Space) project at the University of Alberta: initial results for the Canadian Arctic Islands.
Publication : Annual Scientific Meeting of the Canadian Geophysical Union. May 14-17, 2001, University of Ottawa, Ottawa.
Issue :
Page(s) :
Abstract
As part of an international effort to catalogue and describe the present-day global distribution of glaciers with the GLIMS project, the University of Alberta serves as the regional data center for the Canadian arctic islands. Using a combination of Landsat 7 and ASTER imagery, we are producing the first comprehensive database of all glaciers in this region. The database serves as a basis for the determination of both past and future changes in ice masses in the polar regions, where future climate warming is predicted to be greatest. Initial results from the Devon Ice Cap show that there have been four main changes over the last 40 years: 1) Retreat of major tidewater glaciers along the eastern margin; 2) Increased area of exposed bedrock in interior regions of the ice cap; 3) Melting of the south-western arm; 4) Advance of north-west margin These changes were quantified by comparing ice margins and exposed bedrock identified in 1999 Landsat 7 imagery with aerial photography flown in 1959/60. The Landsat satellite imagery was georeferenced to 1:250,000 NTS map sheets, and the scanned aerial photography was georeferenced to the orthorectified Landsat imagery using PCI remote sensing software. Ice divides were delineated from the Canadian Digital Elevation Dataset to enable comparison of the changes in surface area of individual drainage basins.
Bibliography of Canadian Geomorphology