Alaska: AK-01 Columbia Glacier Kadin (Narrated)

Extreme Ice Survey

This short, time-lapse video shows the changes in the Columbia Glacier from May 12, 2007 to August 20, 2010. Narration provides general description of the geophysical dynamics and processes.

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Notes from our reviewers

The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials.

Should be used with other related videos and background materials on the Extreme Ice Survey website. This short clip can be shown in conjunction with any discussion on the impacts of global warming. There will be a need to describe how the motion of glaciers today are different from the motions in the past (use Google Scholar and search on "climate change" glaciers). Many more of this type of video can be found at: [http://www.extremeicesurvey.org/index.php/new_gallery/]
Dr. Tad Pfeffer of INSTAAR describes recent changes in the Columbia Glacier in Alaska. During most of the two-year span of the video, the ice is moving at a pretty good clip of about 50 to 80 feet (15 to 24 meters) a day. The cracks and fissures running sideways across the glacier are crevasses formed when the ice stretches and breaks in its effort to keep up with the accelerating downward pace. Transverse crevasses are an indicator of ice being stretched along the flow direction. The dark, curvy stripes that run along the sides of the glacier are medial morainesâchannels of debris left behind where branch glaciers joined the main glacier in its flow. Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.