Recent retreat of Columbia Glacier, Alaska: Millennial context

Abstract

Research Article| June 01, 2017 Recent retreat of Columbia Glacier, Alaska: Millennial context Anders E. Carlson; Anders E. Carlson * 1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA *E-mail: [e-mail] Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Zoe Kilmer; Zoe Kilmer 1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Leah B. Ziegler; Leah B. Ziegler 1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Joseph S. Stoner; Joseph S. Stoner 1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Greg C. Wiles; Greg C. Wiles 2Department of Geology, College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio 44691 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Kaitlin Starr; Kaitlin Starr 2Department of Geology, College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio 44691 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Maureen H. Walczak; Maureen H. Walczak 1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar William Colgan; William Colgan 3Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Alberto V. Reyes; Alberto V. Reyes 4Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar David J. Leydet; David J. Leydet 1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA5Department of Geography & Environmental Engineering, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Robert G. Hatfield Robert G. Hatfield 1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Anders E. Carlson * 1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA Zoe Kilmer 1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA Leah B. Ziegler 1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA Joseph S. Stoner 1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA Greg C. Wiles 2Department of Geology, College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio 44691 USA Kaitlin Starr 2Department of Geology, College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio 44691 USA Maureen H. Walczak 1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA William Colgan 3Department of Earth and Space Science and Engineering, York University, Toronto, Ontario M3J 1P3, Canada Alberto V. Reyes 4Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2R3, Canada David J. Leydet 1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA5Department of Geography & Environmental Engineering, U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York 10996, USA Robert G. Hatfield 1College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331 USA *E-mail: [e-mail] Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 12 Aug 2016 Revision Received: 17 Feb 2017 Accepted: 01 Mar 2017 First Online: 28 Jun 2017 Online Issn: 1943-2682 Print Issn: 0091-7613 © 2017 Geological Society of America Geology (2017) 45 (6): 547–550. https://doi.org/10.1130/G38479.1 Article history Received: 12 Aug 2016 Revision Received: 17 Feb 2017 Accepted: 01 Mar 2017 First Online: 28 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Anders E. Carlson, Zoe Kilmer, Leah B. Ziegler, Joseph S. Stoner, Greg C. Wiles, Kaitlin Starr, Maureen H. Walczak, William Colgan, Alberto V. Reyes, David J. Leydet, Robert G. Hatfield; Recent retreat of Columbia Glacier, Alaska: Millennial context. Geology 2017;; 45 (6): 547–550. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G38479.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Columbia Glacier in Prince William Sound, Alaska, has retreated ∼20 km in the past three decades. We use marine sediment records to document the Columbia Glacier advance and retreat history over the past 1.6 k.y. in an effort to place its recent retreat in the context of the Common Era (C.E.). A change in magnetic mineralogy coincided with a shift in sediment geochemistry ca. 0.9 ka. This provenance change documents the advance of Columbia Glacier across a fault, resulting in glacial erosion of mafic rocks near the coast; this agrees with the timing of ice advance reconstructed using dendrochronology. Our marine provenance records show that Columbia Glacier remained advanced south of this fault into the 21st century. Columbia Glacier has now retreated north of this fault, making its recent retreat unprecedented since before ca. 0.9 ka. Southern Alaska temperatures have now warmed to pre–0.9 ka levels, based on tree-ring and reanalysis data. We show with glacier model simulations that the warming between C.E. 1910 and 1980, that includes anthropogenic forcing, was sufficient to trigger the recent retreat of Columbia Glacier from its extended position of the past 0.9 k.y., consistent with our data-driven assessment of the relationship between regional climate change and glacier extent. We conclude that the recent retreat of Columbia Glacier is a response to climate change rather than part of a natural internal tidewater-glacier oscillation. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.