The Quaternary GIS Laboratory at INSTAAR, University of Colorado, supports quantitative spatial analysis of glacier, climate, coastal, and other environmental relationships.
High-Res. Imagery and DEM's for Niwot Ridge, Colorado Front Range
Recently released orthophoto mosaics date from 1938 to 2008, with resolutions as good as 30 cm. They provide LTER researchers and others with the potential to map environmental change in detail.
Coastal Orthoimagery for the Southwest Alaska Parks
The coastlines of southwest Alaska are highly dynamic. In collaboration with the National Park Service, this pilot study assesses the potential for high-resolution imagery to quantify coastal and environmental change over the last five decades.
Arctic Research Mapping Application
Explore research being conducted in the Arctic. Navigate to areas of interest using interactive, online 2D and 3D mapping applications. Or search by project investigator, discipline, funding agency, keywords etc. These tools for Arctic science are made possible through a broadly collaborative initiative.
Coastal Erosion of Alaska's Arctic Parks
Changes to the fragile tundra coasts of northwest Alaska are altering ecosystems and habitats. In collaboration with the National Park Service, this study uses GIS and remote sensing to quantify environmental change over the last five decades.
Alaska Geospatial Climate Animations
GIS-based animations show how monthly temperature and precipitation change through the seasons. Patterns are related to latitude, elevation, coastal effects, and other environmental parameters.
High-Resolution Imagery and
Terrain Models for Barrow, Alaska
Radar imagery, Digital Elevation Models, and value-added GIS layers are now available! This project takes advantage of state-of-the-art remote-sensing technologies to produce baseline geospatial data. The shared imagery and spatial databases will promote multi-disciplinary research of environmental change in the Barrow area.
A GIS-based animation shows how the land bridge between Asia and North America changed as sea level rose over the last 21,000 years.
A broadly collaborative effort has enabled this online presentation of maps and GIS layers. The APG Atlas depicts late Wisconsin glaciation and the Pleistocene maximum extent of the northwestern Cordilleran Ice Sheet, ice caps, and valley glaciers across Alaska.
This project combines field research and surface-exposure dating with GIS analysis of Alaskan glaciers that existed during the Last Glacial Maximum. Our study helps document magnitudes, processes, and sensitivity of natural climate dynamics across Alaska about 20,000 years ago.
Modern
Glacier-Climate Relationships across Alaska
GIS can also be used to empirically quantify 20th-century climatic controls on approx. 100,000 Alaskan glaciers. This project utilizes digital equivalents of >500 topographic maps to measure more than 40 glaciologic parameters for each glacier. Spatial variability helps us better understand glacier dynamics in the face of recent, unprecedented environmental change.
Other Projects
- Archeology of Alaskan Glaciers and Snowfields, an interdisciplinary effort with GIS and field studies to survey well preserved cultural artifacts in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.
- Alaska North Slope Climate Impact Assessment project, including time-series analysis of coastal erosion and flooding, and a ground control point database for Barrow.
- A range of graduate educational and research projects, including GIS analysis of glacial landscapes, moraine morphometry, lake levels, and paleoclimate.
- The Ahklun Mountains Project, an ongoing study of the glacial, sea-level, and paleoclimatic history of southwestern Alaska.
- Recommendations for a Geographic Information Infrastructure to Support Arctic Research, outcomes of an NSF-sponsored workshop.
Contact Information
|
William
F. Manley, PhD |
Phone: 303-735-1300 Email: William.Manley@colorado.edu |