The West Fork Glacier Surge

该奖项支持对阿拉斯加西福克冰川涌动完成及其对流入苏西特纳河的影响的观察。这些结果将在对冰川水流状况和河流泥沙状况的潮汐前研究的背景下进行分析。利用一个正在进行的项目提供的资源，在增兵初期就开始观察增压和损坏系统。预计，与对斑驳冰川的详细研究相比，这些补充信息将特别重要。此外，这将是第一次研究大洪水对大江大河的影响。研究结果将影响我们对冰川快速涌动机制的理解，并将对理解西南极冰盖等大型大陆冰川的动力学具有重要意义。

This award supports observations of the completion of the surge of West Fork Glacier, Alaska, and its effects on the Susitna River, into which it drains. The results will be analyzed in the context of pre-surge studies of the flow regime of the glacier, and the sediment regime of the river. Observations of the surge and of the damage system were begun early in the surge using resources from an ongoing project. It is anticipated that the additional information will be particularly important when compared with that from the detailed studies of Variegated glacier. Also, it will be the first time that the effects of a major surge on a large river have been studied. Results will impact our understanding of the rapid glacial surge mechanism, and will have significance for understanding the dynamics of large continental glaciers, such as the West Antarctic Ice Sheet.