Glaciers of the Canadian Rockies
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Glaciers of North America— GLACIERS OF CANADA GLACIERS OF THE CANADIAN ROCKIES By C. SIMON L. OMMANNEY SATELLITE IMAGE ATLAS OF GLACIERS OF THE WORLD Edited by RICHARD S. WILLIAMS, Jr., and JANE G. FERRIGNO U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER 1386–J–1 The Rocky Mountains of Canada include four distinct ranges from the U.S. border to northern British Columbia: Border, Continental, Hart, and Muskwa Ranges. They cover about 170,000 km2, are about 150 km wide, and have an estimated glacierized area of 38,613 km2. Mount Robson, at 3,954 m, is the highest peak. Glaciers range in size from ice fields, with major outlet glaciers, to glacierets. Small mountain-type glaciers in cirques, niches, and ice aprons are scattered throughout the ranges. Ice-cored moraines and rock glaciers are also common CONTENTS Page Abstract ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- J199 Introduction----------------------------------------------------------------------- 199 FIGURE 1. Mountain ranges of the southern Rocky Mountains------------ 201 2. Mountain ranges of the northern Rocky Mountains ------------ 202 3. Oblique aerial photograph of Mount Assiniboine, Banff National Park, Rocky Mountains----------------------------- 203 4. Sketch map showing glaciers of the Canadian Rocky Mountains -------------------------------------------- 204 5. Photograph of the Victoria Glacier, Rocky Mountains, Alberta, in August 1973 -------------------------------------- 209 TABLE 1. Named glaciers of the Rocky Mountains cited in the chapter -- 205 2. Estimate of glacierized area of the Rocky Mountains of Canada ------------------------------------------------------- 209 3. Number and types of glaciers within the Nelson River basin -- 210 Border Ranges (B)--------------------------------------------------------------- 210 Clark Range (Wilson and Lewis Ranges) (B1) ---------------------- 210 Macdonald Range (B2)---------------------------------------------------- 211 Galton Range (B3) --------------------------------------------------------- 211 Continental Ranges (South—Border Ranges to Kicking Horse Pass) 211 Front Ranges (South) (FS)----------------------------------------------- 211 Lizard Range (FS1)---------------------------------------------------- 212 Taylor Range (FS2) --------------------------------------------------- 212 Flathead Range (FS3) ------------------------------------------------ 212 Blairmore Range (FS4)----------------------------------------------- 212 Livingstone Range (FS5)--------------------------------------------- 212 High Rock Range (Tornado Group) (FS6) ---------------------- 212 Wisukitsat and Greenhills Ranges (FS7)------------------------- 213 Harrison Group East (FS8) ---------------------------------------- 213 Highwood Range (FS9) ---------------------------------------------- 213 Misty Range (FS10) --------------------------------------------------- 213 FIGURE 6. August 1985 photograph and sketch map, showing historical positions of the Rae Glacier, Misty Range, Rocky Mountains -------------------------------------------- 214 Elk Range (FS 11) ----------------------------------------------------- 213 Italian Group (FS12)------------------------------------------------- 213 Joffre Group (French Military Group) (FS13)----------------- 215 Opal Range (FS14) ---------------------------------------------------- 215 Fisher Range (FS15) -------------------------------------------------- 215 Kananaskis Range (FS16) ------------------------------------------- 215 Spray Mountains (British Military Group) (FS17) ------------- 215 Rundle Peaks (FS18) ------------------------------------------------- 216 Goat Range (FS19) ---------------------------------------------------- 216 Sundance Range (FS20)---------------------------------------------- 216 Park Ranges (South) (PS)------------------------------------------------ 216 Quinn Range (PS1)---------------------------------------------------- 216 Harrison Group West (PS2) ---------------------------------------- 217 The Royal Group (PS3) ---------------------------------------------- 217 Blue Range (PS4)------------------------------------------------------ 217 Assiniboine Park Group (PS5) ------------------------------------ 217 Mitchell Range (PS6) ------------------------------------------------- 217 Ball Range (PS7)------------------------------------------------------- 218 Vermilion Range (PS8) ----------------------------------------------- 218 Bow Range (PS9)------------------------------------------------------ 218 Horseshoe Glacier ------------------------------------------------- 218 Wenkchemna Glacier --------------------------------------------- 219 CONTENTS III Page Victoria Glacier------------------------------------------------------ 219 TABLE 4. Average annual surface movement of Victoria Glacier---------- 220 Cathedral Glacier --------------------------------------------------- 220 Ottertail Range (PS10) ------------------------------------------------ 220 Kootenay Ranges (K)------------------------------------------------------- 220 Continental Ranges (Central Kicking Horse Pass to Yellowhead Pass) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 221 FIGURE 7. Annotated Landsat 2 MSS image of several ice fields and outlet glaciers in the Rocky Mountains, including the Columbia, Wapta, and Waputik Icefields --------------------- 222 8. Reduced segment of the 1:250,000-scale topographic map (Golden , 82N) of part of the Rocky Mountains from Waputik Icefield to Lyell Icefield -------------------------------------- 223 Front Ranges (Central) (FC) --------------------------------------------- 223 Fairholme Range (FC1)----------------------------------------------- 224 Ghost River Area (FC2) ---------------------------------------------- 224 Clearwater Groups (FC3)-------------------------------------------- 224 Drummond Glacier------------------------------------------------- 224 FIGURE 9. Variations of glaciers in the Rocky Mountains ------------------ 225 Ram River Glacier -------------------------------------------------- 226 FIGURE 10. Photograph of the Ram River Glacier, Rocky Mountains, Alberta-------------------------------------------------------- 226 11. Mass-balance measurements of the Ram River Glacier, Rocky Mountains, Alberta: 1965–1975 -------------------------------- 226 Palliser Range (FC4)--------------------------------------------------- 226 Bare Range (FC5) ------------------------------------------------------ 227 Vermilion Range (FC6)------------------------------------------------ 227 Sawback Range (FC7)------------------------------------------------- 227 Slate Range (FC8)------------------------------------------------------ 227 Murchison Group (FC9) --------------------------------------------- 227 Hector Glacier------------------------------------------------------- 227 Ram Range (FC10)----------------------------------------------------- 228 Cline Range (FC11) --------------------------------------------------- 228 Bighorn Range (FC12) ------------------------------------------------ 228 First Range (FC13)----------------------------------------------------- 228 Cataract Group (FC14)----------------------------------------------- 228 Le Grand Brazeau (FC15) -------------------------------------------- 229 Southesk Group (FC16)----------------------------------------------- 229 Queen Elizabeth Ranges (FC17) ------------------------------------ 229 Maligne Range (FC18)------------------------------------------------- 229 Nikanassin Range (FC19) -------------------------------------------- 230 Fiddle Range (FC20)--------------------------------------------------- 230 Miette Range (FC21)--------------------------------------------------- 230 Jacques Range (FC22)------------------------------------------------- 230 Colin Range (FC23)---------------------------------------------------- 230 Park Ranges (Central) (PC) ---------------------------------------------- 230 Waputik Mountains (PC1)-------------------------------------------- 231 Waputik Icefield----------------------------------------------------- 231 FIGURE 12. High-angle oblique aerial photograph of the Waputik Icefield looking to the northwest-------------------------------------- 232 Balfour Glacier -------------------------------------------------- 231 FIGURE 13. High-angle oblique aerial photograph of the Balfour Glacier, an outlet glacier of the Waputik Icefield ---------------------- 233 IV CONTENTS Page Wapta Icefield ------------------------------------------------------ 234 Bow Glacier ----------------------------------------------------- 234 FIGURE 14. Photograph of the terminus of the Bow Glacier, Rocky Mountains, Alberta, in September 1973 ---------------------- 234 Peyto Glacier ---------------------------------------------------- 235 FIGURE 15. Photograph of the Peyto Glacier, Rocky Mountains, Alberta, in July 1967 -------------------------------------------------- 235 16. Mass-balance measurements of the Peyto Glacier, Rocky Mountains, Alberta------------------------------------------- 237 Yoho Glacier ---------------------------------------------------- 240 Van Horne Range (PC2)---------------------------------------------- 240 Conway Group (PC3)------------------------------------------------- 240 Mummery Group (PC4) ---------------------------------------------- 240 Barnard Dent Group (PC5)------------------------------------------ 241 Freshfield Glacier--------------------------------------------------