Date of Award
Spring 6-15-2024
Document Type
Masters Capstone Project
Degree Name
M.S. in Geographic Information Science
Organizational Unit
College of Natural Science and Mathematics, Geography and the Environment
Copyright Statement / License for Reuse
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Keywords
Washington, Mount Rainier National Park, Glaciers, Geographic information science, Environmental measurement
Abstract
Will Washington state have glaciers 100 years from now (year 2124)? Due to generally warmer weather glaciers are largely in retreat globally, including the glaciers in Washington state. In Washington state summer glacial meltwater plays a vital role in the survival of wildlife and is needed for human purposes that include recreation, power generation, drinking, agricultural, and industrial. This project looked at the most resilient glaciers in Washington state, the glaciers at Mount Rainier National Park. Historic measurements were used in an exponential growth calculation to project the amount in acres each glacier at Mount Rainer will advance or retreat over the next 100 years. The glaciers were digitized into ArcGIS Pro and then adjusted according to the calculations. The results of the project show that all the glaciers at Mount Rainier should be intact in 2124. This is of vital importance to wildlife and human populations that depend on the summer meltwater for various purposes.
Copyright Date
6-6-2024
Publication Statement
Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
Rights Holder
Daniel Kincaid
Provenance
Received from author
File Format
application/pdf
Language
English (eng)
Extent
43 pgs
File Size
39.3 MB
Recommended Citation
Kincaid, Daniel, "Using Historic Glacial Data and GIS to Predict Mount Rainier National Park’s Glacial Future" (2024). Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones. 85.
https://digitalcommons.du.edu/geog_ms_capstone/85
Included in
Environmental Monitoring Commons, Environmental Studies Commons, Glaciology Commons, Physical and Environmental Geography Commons
