Gulkana Glacier area change, from 1957 - 2021. Gulkana Glacier is located along the south flank of the eastern Alaska Range.
Christopher McNeil
My research focuses on understanding the ways glaciers change in area, volume, and mass at basin-to-regional spatial scales, and how those changes impact local ecosystems and global sea level.
My projects synthesize both in-situ and remotely sensed data of glacier change ranging from Alaska to the Contiguous United States. Research includes reanalyzing the longest in-situ records of glacier change in North America to homogenize the U.S. Geological Survey’s traditional glacier monitoring network. Additionally, my research extends to understanding the factors (hypsometry, snow accumulation patterns, energy balances, dynamic processes) that drive variable glacier change rates at the mountain range scale. This work leverages historical aerial imagery, high resolution commercial satellite imagery, open-source computing platforms, geospatial analyses, and high-performance computing.
Science and Products
Glaciers and Climate Project
Mountain glaciers are dynamic reservoirs of frozen water closely coupled to ecosystems and climate. Glacier change in North America has major socioeconomic impacts, including global sea level change, tourism disruption, natural hazard risk, fishery effects, and water resource alteration. Understanding and quantifying precise connections between glaciers and climate is critical to decision makers...
Gulkana Glacier area change, 1957 - 2021
Gulkana Glacier area change, from 1957 - 2021. Gulkana Glacier is located along the south flank of the eastern Alaska Range.
Taku Glacier, Alaska retreat
2019 Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) students during a four day and 83 kilometers ski traverse across Taku Glacier, carrying all their food, water, clothing, tents, and science gear as they help measure the mass balance along the way.
2019 Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) students during a four day and 83 kilometers ski traverse across Taku Glacier, carrying all their food, water, clothing, tents, and science gear as they help measure the mass balance along the way.
Glacier mass balance measurements on Taku Glacier, Alaska
Students Stacey Edmonsond (left) and Audrey Erickson (right) of the Juneau Icefield Research Program, measuring glacier mass balance at the flow divide of Taku and Mendenhall glaciers during the summer of 2019
Students Stacey Edmonsond (left) and Audrey Erickson (right) of the Juneau Icefield Research Program, measuring glacier mass balance at the flow divide of Taku and Mendenhall glaciers during the summer of 2019
Taku Range, Juneau Icefield, Alaska
Image of the Taku towers, among the Taku Range at Taku Glacier during the summer of 2019
Image of the Taku towers, among the Taku Range at Taku Glacier during the summer of 2019
Satellite image of Taku Glacier in October 1, 2018
Satellite image of Taku Glacier in October 1, 2018. The Norris Glacier can be seen on the lower left hand corner and the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier in the upper center portion of the image. Citation: McNeil, C. J., and Baker, E.
Satellite image of Taku Glacier in October 1, 2018. The Norris Glacier can be seen on the lower left hand corner and the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier in the upper center portion of the image. Citation: McNeil, C. J., and Baker, E.
Satellite image of Taku Glacier
Satellite image of Taku Glacier in October 1, 2018. The Norris Glacier can be seen on the lower left hand corner and the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier in the upper center portion of the image.
Satellite image of Taku Glacier in October 1, 2018. The Norris Glacier can be seen on the lower left hand corner and the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier in the upper center portion of the image.
Aerial image of Taku Glacier, Alaska 1948
Aerial image of Taku Glacier in 1948. The Norris Glacier can be seen on the lower left hand corner and the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier in the upper center portion of the image. Citation: McNeil, C. J., and Baker, E. H., 2019, Geodetic data for Juneau Icefield Glaciers: orthophotos, digital elevation models, and glacier boundaries (ver 1.0, August, 2019): U.S.
Aerial image of Taku Glacier in 1948. The Norris Glacier can be seen on the lower left hand corner and the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier in the upper center portion of the image. Citation: McNeil, C. J., and Baker, E. H., 2019, Geodetic data for Juneau Icefield Glaciers: orthophotos, digital elevation models, and glacier boundaries (ver 1.0, August, 2019): U.S.
Science and Products
Glaciers and Climate Project
Mountain glaciers are dynamic reservoirs of frozen water closely coupled to ecosystems and climate. Glacier change in North America has major socioeconomic impacts, including global sea level change, tourism disruption, natural hazard risk, fishery effects, and water resource alteration. Understanding and quantifying precise connections between glaciers and climate is critical to decision makers...
Gulkana Glacier area change, 1957 - 2021
Gulkana Glacier area change, from 1957 - 2021. Gulkana Glacier is located along the south flank of the eastern Alaska Range.
Gulkana Glacier area change, from 1957 - 2021. Gulkana Glacier is located along the south flank of the eastern Alaska Range.
Taku Glacier, Alaska retreat
2019 Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) students during a four day and 83 kilometers ski traverse across Taku Glacier, carrying all their food, water, clothing, tents, and science gear as they help measure the mass balance along the way.
2019 Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) students during a four day and 83 kilometers ski traverse across Taku Glacier, carrying all their food, water, clothing, tents, and science gear as they help measure the mass balance along the way.
Glacier mass balance measurements on Taku Glacier, Alaska
Students Stacey Edmonsond (left) and Audrey Erickson (right) of the Juneau Icefield Research Program, measuring glacier mass balance at the flow divide of Taku and Mendenhall glaciers during the summer of 2019
Students Stacey Edmonsond (left) and Audrey Erickson (right) of the Juneau Icefield Research Program, measuring glacier mass balance at the flow divide of Taku and Mendenhall glaciers during the summer of 2019
Taku Range, Juneau Icefield, Alaska
Image of the Taku towers, among the Taku Range at Taku Glacier during the summer of 2019
Image of the Taku towers, among the Taku Range at Taku Glacier during the summer of 2019
Satellite image of Taku Glacier in October 1, 2018
Satellite image of Taku Glacier in October 1, 2018. The Norris Glacier can be seen on the lower left hand corner and the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier in the upper center portion of the image. Citation: McNeil, C. J., and Baker, E.
Satellite image of Taku Glacier in October 1, 2018. The Norris Glacier can be seen on the lower left hand corner and the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier in the upper center portion of the image. Citation: McNeil, C. J., and Baker, E.
Satellite image of Taku Glacier
Satellite image of Taku Glacier in October 1, 2018. The Norris Glacier can be seen on the lower left hand corner and the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier in the upper center portion of the image.
Satellite image of Taku Glacier in October 1, 2018. The Norris Glacier can be seen on the lower left hand corner and the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier in the upper center portion of the image.
Aerial image of Taku Glacier, Alaska 1948
Aerial image of Taku Glacier in 1948. The Norris Glacier can be seen on the lower left hand corner and the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier in the upper center portion of the image. Citation: McNeil, C. J., and Baker, E. H., 2019, Geodetic data for Juneau Icefield Glaciers: orthophotos, digital elevation models, and glacier boundaries (ver 1.0, August, 2019): U.S.
Aerial image of Taku Glacier in 1948. The Norris Glacier can be seen on the lower left hand corner and the Hole-in-the-Wall Glacier in the upper center portion of the image. Citation: McNeil, C. J., and Baker, E. H., 2019, Geodetic data for Juneau Icefield Glaciers: orthophotos, digital elevation models, and glacier boundaries (ver 1.0, August, 2019): U.S.