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What Can We Learn from Mount Rainier Meltwater? Claire Todd Pacific Lutheran University

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What Can We Learn from Mount Rainier Meltwater? Claire Todd Pacific Lutheran University What can we learn from Mount Rainier meltwater? Claire Todd Pacific Lutheran University Emmons Glacier, White River What can we learn from Mount Rainier meltwater? Claire Todd Pacific Lutheran University Luke Weinbrecht, Elyssa Tappero, David Horne, Bryan Donahue, Matt Schmitz, Matthew Hegland, Michael Vermeulen, Trevor Perkins, Nick Lorax, Kristiana Lapo, Greg Pickard, Cameron Wiemerslage, Ryan Ransavage, Allie Jo Koester, Nathan Page, Taylor Christensen, Isaac Moening-Swanson, Riley Swanson, Reed Gunstone, Aaron Steelquist, Emily Knutsen, Christina Gray, Samantha Harrison, Kyle Bennett, Victoria Benson, Adriana Cranston, Connal Boyd, Sam Altenberger, Rainey Aberle, Alex Yannello, Logan Krehbiel, Hannah Bortel, Aerin Basehart Emmons Glacier, White River Why meltwater? • Provides a window into the subglacial environment • Water storage and drainage • Sediment generation, storage and evacuation • Interaction with the hydrothermal system Geologic Hazards Emmons Glacier, • Outburst floods and debris flows White River Volcanic hazards • (e.g., Brown, 2002; Lawler et al., 1996; Collins, 1990) Field Sites - criteria • As close to the terminus as possible, to avoid • Contribution to discharge from non-glacial streams (snowmelt) • Impact of atmospheric mixing on water chemistry • Deposition or entrainment of sediment outside of the Emmons Glacier, subglacial environment White River • Single channel, to achieve • Complete (as possible) representation of the subglacial environment Carbon Emmons Glacier, White River Glacier Field Sites – Channel Conditions • Turbulent • When most sites are accessible (June/July – September), discharge is high and entering Nisqually River the channel is impossible • High suspended sediment load and bed load • Channel geometry changes • Extremely hard on instrumentation Emmons Glacier, White River Methods Summary • A window into the subglacial environment • Water storage and drainage - discharge • Sediment generation, storage and evacuation – suspended sediment • Interaction with the hydrothermal system – hydrochemical analyses Emmons Glacier, White River Methods - Discharge • Attempted velocity x area: • Velocity • Flow probe at arms length from the bank edge • Float method Nisqually River • Area Nisqually River • Depth probe at arms length from the bank edge • Laser distance measurements of width • Significant uncertainties! N. Puyallup River Emmons Glacier, White River Methods - Discharge • Pressure transducer: • Changes in water depth only • Rating curve not possible • Can determine the timing of changes Nisqually River USGS Methods: Suspended Sediment • 500 ml hand samples • Taken at 4-12 hour intervals over 24 hours • Multiple samples per sample time • Autosampler • Only possible at Nisqually Emmons Glacier, • One sample per hour over a 24-hour period White River • Lower sediment concentrations than hand sample Emmons Glacier, White River Nisqually River Methods: Hydrochemical Analysis • Sampled at 4-12 hour intervals over 24 hours • Duplicate samples, filtered immediately • Alkalinity titrations in the field (Hach kit) • Multiparameter probe (pH, conductivity, temperature) • Ion concentrations analyzed using a chromatograph (e.g., Collins, 1979; Gurnell et al., 1994) Winthrop Creek Carbon Glacier Nisqually River Results: Diurnal Variation in Discharge in Variation Diurnal Results: (Graphs by Victoria Benson, 2016) Benson, Victoria by (Graphs • • • feet Signal is less pronounced or disappears on cloudy days on disappears or pronounced is less Signal morning intheearly flow Lowest peak temperatures after hours a few flow Highest 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.2 0 1 04:34:42 05:49:42 06:49:42 River White 07:49:42 08:49:42 10:04:42 11:04:42 Clear Clear conditions 12:19:42 - 6/28/2016 13:19:42 Depth Water 14:19:42 Pressure Transducer measurements, 15 measurements, Transducer Pressure 15:19:42 16:19:42 17:19:42 18:19:42 - 19:19:42 28 June 20:19:42 21:19:42 22:19:42 - 23:19:42 29, 00:19:42 2016 01:34:42 6/29/2016 02:34:42 03:34:42 04:34:42 05:34:42 06:34:42 07:34:42 feet 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.2 0 1 - 14:59:40 minute sampling rate minute 15:39:40 16:19:40 River White 16:59:40 17:39:40 7/21/2016 18:19:40 18:59:40 Cloudy Cloudy conditions 19:39:40 - 20:19:40 Depth Water 20:59:40 21:39:40 22:19:40 22:59:40 23:39:40 - 00:19:40 21 July 00:59:40 01:39:40 - 02:19:40 2016 22, 7/22/2016 02:59:40 03:39:40 04:19:40 04:59:40 05:39:40 06:19:40 06:59:40 07:39:40 Results: Seasonal Variation in Discharge • Intraseasonal change • Not enough data from glacial termini White River - Water Depth - August 8 - 9, 2016 1.2 • August discharge typically lower than June, July 1 0.8 0.6 feet 0.4 0.2 0 13:39:40 14:29:40 15:19:40 16:09:40 16:59:40 17:49:40 18:39:40 19:29:40 20:19:40 21:09:40 21:59:40 22:49:40 23:39:40 00:29:40 01:19:40 02:09:40 02:59:40 03:49:40 04:39:40 05:29:40 06:19:40 07:09:40 07:59:40 • USGS gauge shows early season peak 8/8/2016 8/9/2016 2014 2015 2016 Results: Suspended Sediment • Higher concentrations during higher discharge • Seasonal change Nisqually River in June, April Results: Suspended Sediment • Diurnal cycle during ablation season • tied to discharge • peak sediment may lag peak discharge by 2-4 hours? Nisqually Glacier Emmons Glacier nd rd August 2 - 3 , 2012 September 15th - 16th, 2012 2500 2500 2000 2000 1500 1500 mg/l mg/l 1000 1000 500 500 0 0 = peak 2am 4am 6am 8am 2pm 4pm 6pm 8pm 12am 10am discharge 10pm 12pm (Graphs by Allie Jo Koester, 2012) Results: Suspended Sediment • October 18th and 20th, 2016; Nisqually River at Longmire • Glacial Geology Class 2.5 inches of rain Oct Oct 18th 20th (Thanks to GEOS 340, 2016!) Results (See Hannah Hannah (See Bortel’s October 18 October Longmire, WA Longmire, poster tomorrow! ) tomorrow! poster Nisqually R.Nisqually - 20 th mg/l -0.05 cm 0.15 0.35 0.55 mS/cm °C 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 15 20 25 30 3.5 4.5 5.5 6.5 8:27:29 8:29:55 8:29:55 9:26:55 9:00 10:20:55 10:23:55 10:27:29 11:20:55 10/18/2016 11:04 10/18/2016 12:11:55 12:17:55 12:27:29 10/18/2016 13:14:55 13:04 14:02:55 2016/10/18 14:11:55 14:27:29 15:08:55 15:04 15:53:55 16:05:55 16:27:29 17:02:55 17:00 17:44:55 17:59:55 18:27:29 18:56:55 19:04 19:35:55 19:53:55 20:50:55 20:27:29 21:26:55 21:47:55 21:04 22:27:29 22:44:55 Electrical Suspended 23:04 23:17:55 23:41:55 Temperature Water 0:38:55 0:27:29 2.5 inches of of rain 2.5 inches 1:08:55 1:35:55 Depth Water 1:00 2:32:55 2:27:29 2:59:55 3:29:55 3:04 4:26:55 Conductivity 4:27:29 4:50:55 5:23:55 5:04 Sediment 6:20:55 6:27:29 6:41:55 7:17:55 10/19/2016 7:04 10/19/2016 8:14:55 8:32:55 9:11:55 8:27:29 10/19/2016 9:04 2016/10/19 10:08:55 10:23:55 11:05:55 10:27:29 11:04 12:02:55 12:14:55 12:59:55 12:27:29 13:04 13:56:55 14:05:55 14:53:55 14:27:29 15:04 15:50:55 15:56:55 16:47:55 16:27:29 17:44:55 17:04 17:47:55 18:41:55 19:38:55 18:27:29 19:04 19:38:55 20:35:55 21:32:55 20:27:29 21:04 21:29:55 22:29:55 23:26:55 22:27:29 and sediment increases sediment and discharge >3 23:04 23:20:55 0:23:55 10/20/2016 10/20/2016 hr 1:20:55 10/20/2016 0:27:29 2016/10/20 2:17:55 1:04 1:11:55 between lag 3:14:55 2:27:29 3:04 3:02:55 4:11:55 5:08:55 4:27:29 5:04 4:53:55 6:05:55 7:02:55 6:27:29 7:04 6:44:55 7:59:55 Results: Suspended Sediment • Diurnal cycle during ablation season • Tied to discharge, meteorological conditions 1 ft 68˚F Emmons Glacier 63˚F 1 ft 2016 4 in 9 in (Graphs by Victoria Benson, 2016; See Hannah Bortel’s poster tomorrow! ) Results: Suspended Sediment • Sediment pulses? • Geographic variation? 2013 2014 7000 20000 18000 6000 16000 5000 14000 4000 12000 10000 3000 8000 2000 6000 4000 1000 2000 0 0 July 1 and July 23 July 29 July 31 August 6 June 30 - July 7 and July 14 July 15 July 21 July 29 July 30 August 4 2 and 24 and 30 mg/l mg/l July 1 8 and 15 and 16 and 22 and 30 and 31 and 5 Carbon Emmons Winthrop Carbon Nisqually Emmons Carbon Nisqually Tahoma Winthrop Carbon Winthrop Nisqually Suspended Sediment Concentration @ Max (mg/L) (Graphs by Taylor Christensen, 2014) Suspended Sediment Concentration @ Min (mg/L) Methods Summary • A window into the subglacial environment • Water storage and drainage - discharge • Sediment generation, storage and evacuation – suspended sediment • Interaction with the hydrothermal system – hydrochemical analyses Emmons Glacier, White River Extent of Hydrothermal Alteration – John et al., 2008 John et al., 2008 al., John et Results: Chloride Concentrations • Highest at Tahoma and Carbon Glaciers • Highest at maximum discharge, or no diurnal change 2012 14 12 10 2008 al., et John 8 ppm 6 4 2 0 max min max min max min max min max min max min Tahoma Carbon Carbon Tahoma Puyallup Emmons Glacier Glacier Glacier Glacier Glacier Glacier (Graphs by Kristiana Lapo July August September and Nathan Page, 2012-13) Results: Sulfate Concentrations • Highest at Tahoma Glacier • Highest at minimum discharge 2012 35 30 2008 al., et John 25 20 ppm 15 10 5 0 max min max min max min max min max min max min Tahoma Glacier Carbon Glacier Carbon Glacier Tahoma Glacier Puyallup Glacier Emmons Glacier (Graphs by Kristiana Lapo July August September and Nathan Page, 2012-13) Results: Sulfate Concentrations • Highest at Tahoma Glacier • Highest at minimum discharge John2008 al., et Tahoma Glacier 50 40 Emmons Glacier 30 8 6 (mg/L) 20 4 10 2 mg/l) 0 0 ( 1:45 8:00 2:04 7:40 PM PM AM AM 2:55am 7:52am 4:15pm 8:48pm 10:15am 7/21/2016 7/22/2016 (Lawler et al., 1996; 6/29/2015 6/30/2015 Sulfate Tranter and Raiswell 1991) Results: Sulfate Concentrations • Highest at Tahoma Glacier • Highest at minimum discharge – sign of subglacial source Tahoma Glacier Emmons Glacier (Graphs
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