Estimates of Glacier Mass Loss and Contribution to Streamflow in the Wind River Range in Wyoming: Case Study
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 20, Issue 8
Abstract
The Wind River Range is a continuous mountain range, approximately 160 km in length, in west-central Wyoming. The presence of glaciers results in meltwater contributions to streamflow during the late summer (July, August, and September: JAS) when snowmelt is decreasing; temperatures are high; precipitation is low; evaporation rates are high; and municipal, industrial, and irrigation water are at peak demands. Thus, the quantification of glacier meltwater (e.g., volume and mass) contributions to late summer/early fall streamflow is important, given that this resource is dwindling owing to glacier recession. The current research expands upon previous research efforts and identifies two glaciated watersheds, one on the east slope (Bull Lake Creek) and one on the west slope (Green River) of the Wind River Range, in which unimpaired streamflow is available from 1966 to 2006. Glaciers were delineated within each watershed and area estimates (with error) were obtained for the years 1966, 1989, and 2006. Glacier volume (mass) loss (with error) was estimated by using empirically based volume–area scaling relationships. For 1966 to 2006, glacier mass contributions to JAS streamflow on the east slope were approximately 8%, whereas those on the west slope were approximately 2%. The volume–area scaling glacier mass estimates compared favorably with measured (stereo pair remote sensed data) estimates of glacier mass change for three glaciers (Teton, Middle Teton, and Teepe) in the nearby Teton Range and one glacier (Dinwoody) in the Wind River Range.
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Acknowledgments
This research is supported by the University of Wyoming Water Research Program funded jointly by the USGS, the Wyoming Water Development Commission, and the University of Wyoming. Additional support provided by the National Science Foundation Paleo Perspectives for Climate Change (P2C2) program award AGS-1003393. The authors wish to thank the Editor, Section Editor, Associate Editor, and five anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and suggestions.
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Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 20 • Issue 8 • August 2015
Copyright
© 2014 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Mar 19, 2013
Accepted: Jun 23, 2014
Published online: Sep 11, 2014
Discussion open until: Feb 11, 2015
Published in print: Aug 1, 2015
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