Capturing spatial variation of snowmelt on the Juneau Icefield, Alaska

October 10, 2025 Expeditions 2025

Expedition Location: Juneau Icefield, Juneau, Alaska

Expedition Dates: Jun 29, 2025 to July 19, 2025

Field Team Members: Wyatt Stanley, Scott Braddock, Mathilde Børch, and Seth Campbell

Funding Support: Dan and Betty Churchill Exploration Foundation, NSF CAREER grant (PI Campbell), and the University of Maine Graduate Student Government

Background and Significance:

Glaciers worldwide are melting at an accelerating pace and threatening coastal communities worldwide. However, a critical, yet understudied, component of this process may delay or mitigate sea-level rise: firn, the porous snow that can act as a temporary reservoir for meltwater. When excluding the continental ice sheets and the impact of thermal expansion of the ocean, the Arctic region of Alaska and Northwest Canada are projected to experience the greatest rates of mass loss and to contribute to global sea-level rise proportionally. However, an uncertainty remains in our predictions of future sea-level rise: the extent to which the projected increases in melt rates will contribute directly to sea-level rise or what proportion may instead be stored in existing pore spaces within the snowpack.

The aim of this study is to collect two sets of two high spatial resolution LiDAR drone surveys at different elevations along the Taku Glacier on the Juneau Icefield, Alaska. A set in the accumulation zone and a set in the ablation zone to capture spatial variation in snowmelt across the glacier and across time to improve our estimates of meltwater input into the snow in a critical region of change.

Field Report:

In June and July 2025 we went to the Juneau Icefield in Alaska to conduct surveys of the snow pack. Prior to going to the field we identified two distinct survey locations across Taku Glacier: one in the accumulation zone (Divide), and in the ablation zone (North Basin). These locations enabled comparison of variations in snowmelt across elevations, aiming to capture the full spectrum of meltwater storage in firn.

Study area map - Taku Glacier, Juneau Icefield, Alaska — Map of study area showing drone survey route in black with ground control points in orange in North Basin in the ablation zone of Taku glacier part of the Juneau Icefield, Juneau, Alaska.

On the ice we conducted seven surveys in total. Two at the Divide and five in North Basin. The surveys were done with an AltaX Drone with a Routscene LiDAR system to get 1 cm spatial accuracy. To ensure such accuracy a Emlid GPS rover and base station system was used to ground truth the survey with four ground control points.

AltaX Drone taking off in North Basin snowpack — AltaX Drone with a Routscene LiDAR system taking off to do a LiDAR survey of the snowpack in North Basin, Juneau Icefield, Juneau, Alaska.

We were based at Camp 10 on the Juneau Icefield and when the weather permitted went out to survey with the drone. In July Camp 10 also housed the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP) undergrad students and for about half of our surveys the students joined our work to learn about drone surveying and ground truthing.

Team members checking data from LiDAR survey. — Team members Wyatt Stanley (left) and Scott Braddock (right) checking the data from the latest LiDAR survey.

Field team members reviewing drone survey in North Basin. — A group of JIRP students listening to Wyatt Stanley (sitting down in blue) go through how to set up a drone survey in North Basin. The AltaX Drone with a Routscene LiDAR system can be seen in the back.

White board with information explaining difference between GPR and LiDAR survey. — White board in the snow propped up on a pair of skis. Explaining the differences between a Ground Penetrating Radar survey and a LiDAR survey and our drone survey set up to a group of JIRP students.

Initial findings after starting postprocessing of the GPS data show with three of the surveys in North Basin, we achieved centimeter-scale accuracy, which is very promising for monitoring snowmelt there and tackling the question of what proportion of melt may be stored in the existing pore spaces within the snowpack. These results too will be a part of the broader collaborative research in North Basin, particularly in understanding melt processes, firn dynamics, and water storage within the snow and firn and beneath the ice.

This field experience has been personally transformative. I’ve gained valuable skills in teaching, ground truthing and working in glacial environments and it has sparked a new passion for outdoor science education through my engagement with the JIRP students.

Acknowledgements:

This project was possible thanks to the assistance of the Dan and Betty Churchill Exploration Foundation, DOD, NSF and the Graduate Student Government at Umaine.