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Our long-term study of Trapridge Glacier is aimed at exposing the trigger mechanism for glacier surging, an unusual but scientifically important flow instability. The site is located in the St. Elias Mountains of the Yukon Territory, Canada.
This field study ended in July 2007.
Virtually all of the glaciers in the immediate vicinity of Trapridge Glacier are surge-type. Comparison of vertical aerial photographs for 1951 and 1968 illustrates the profound changes that have occurred as one glacier becomes active and another becomes inactive.
Trapridge Glacier surged some time in the mid 1940s. A triptych of aerial photos shows the changes that occurred over the time interval 1951-1978.
Annual research expeditions to Trapridge Glacier are aimed at studying the changes in the flow and geometry of that glacier and how these changes are linked to the subglacial processes that control glacier sliding and subglacial sediment deformation.