fig9-3 ◄ Back Next ► Picture 1 of 15 .Comparison of Yoho Glacier (Y) and Des Poulius Glacier (Dp) in Landsat images from 1986 and 2015. The 1986 terminus location indicated by red arrow, 2015 terminus position yellow arrow and upglacier thinning purple arrows.

British Columbia is host to many mountain ranges; Purcell, Monashee, Bugaboo, Selkirk, Cariboo, Coat Range, Kootenay, Kwadacha are just some of the diverse mountain ranges that host glaciers and span climate zone. A shared characteristic today regardless of climate zone or mountain range is dwindling glacier size and volume. Bolch et al (2010) found that from 1985-2005 Alberta glaciers lost 25% of their area and BC glaciers 11% of their area. Tennant and Menounos (2012) examined changes of the Rocky Mountain glaciers including Alberta finding that between 1919 and 2006 glacier cover decreased by 590 square kilometers, 17 of 523 glaciers disappeared and 124 glaciers fragmented into multiple ice masses. Jiskoot et al (2009) examined the behavior of glaciers of the Clemenceau and Chaba Icefield and found that from the mid 1980’s to 2001 the Clemenceau Icefield glaciers had lost 42 square kilometers, or 14% of their area. Pelto (2016) reported on specific retreat of many of these BC glaciers. Below are links to 31 detailed post examining the changes in recent decades of British Columbia glaciers in response to climate change.

In the summer glaciers in many ranges are crucial water resources for aquatic life and hydropower. In BC 92% of electricity is generated by hydropower mainly from large projects. BC Hydro has 31 such large projects, including several heavily fed by glaciers: Bridge River, Mica, Cheakamus, Ruskin and Stave Falls. There are also run of river hydroprojects with a new one constructed by AltaGas, the 195 MW Forrest Kerr Project. As spring begins glaciologists will be heading out to measure glacier mass balance a critical input to understanding current and future glacier runoff, such as the Columbia Basin Trust sponsored project overseen by Brian Menounos at UNBC, and field operation direct by Ben Pelto at UNBC.

There are also numerous salmon fed streams with critical glacier input, such as the Skeena River and Rivers Inlet. Stahl and Moore (2006) identified that discharge from glacierized and nonglacierized basins in British Columbia indicates the negative August streamflow trends illustrate that the initial phase of increase runoff causing by climate warming has passed and runoff is now declining. This is similar to further south in the North Cascades of Washington (Pelto, 2015).

Shatter and Shudder Glacier

Snowcap Creek Glacier

Stave Glacier

Helm Glacier

Warren Glacier

Galaxy Glacier

Icemantle Glacier

Big Bend Glacier

Kokanee Glacier

Toby Glacier

Conrad Glacier

Vowell Glacier

Bridge Glacier

Klippi Glacier

Yoho Glacier

Des Poilus Galcier

Haworth Glaciers



Apex Glacier

Kiwa Glacier

Dismal Glacier

Cummins Glacier

Coleman Glacier

Swiftcurrent Glacier

Bromley Glacier

Sittakanay Glacier

Nass Peak Glacier

Porcupine Glacier

Great Glacier

Hoboe Glacie

Tulsequah Glacier

Melbern Glacier