South Cascade Glacier - Then and Now

[tvashtarkatena]

I took this recent photo of the South Cascade Glacier to (crudely) approximate its recession over the past 45 years since the USGS surveyed it for mapping. It appears to have receded about 3/4 of a mile since then; just under 3 inches per day. At a minimum depth of 150 feet (that depth at which glacial ice starts to flow) and a width of about 1/2 mile, this amounts to an ice loss of roughly 96,000 cubic feet per day, or 34 million cubic feet per year.

 

Edited August 21, 2008 by tvashtarkatena

[tvashtarkatena]

Google Earth refines but confirms the numerical result:

 

[ivan]

la cunt used to have a far kewler view