Highlights

Alaska Streamflow Frequency and Duration Study Completed

New streamflow statistics and methods for estimating:

• flood-frequency
• low-flow frequency
• high-flow frequency
• low-duration flows

in Alaska and conterminous basins in Canada are now available online.

For more information see the project website

July 30, 2002 Hubbard Glacier Advancing

Hubbard Glacier, the largest calving glacier on the North American Continent, has been growing advancing for more than one hundred years. Its ongoing advance blocked the seaward entrance to, 35-mile long, Russell Fiord during June by pushing a pile of glacier-marine sediments across the narrow opening. Runoff flowing into the former fjord raised the water level by more than 40 feet by the end of July. Water was escaping by flowing over the moraine prior to about 20 July. Since that time, the rate of filling of Russell Lake has increased from about 0.7 feet per day to about 1.0 foot per day. If the ice and moraine dam holds, Russell Lake will overflow the other end of the basin when the lake level reaches about 131 feet above sea level. The present damming of Russell Fjord may fail, but within the next few decades a sustained closure likely will occur.

Growth and advance of any glacier is in stark contrast with most glaciers world wide that are losing mass and retreating as a consequence of global climate changes. Hubbard Glacier is among a small number of glaciers that are currently growing and advancing. These glaciers are conspicuous examples of how insensitive to climate calving glaciers are during long periods of their advance and retreat cycling. Hubbard Glacier is growing because a previous large retreat removed most of the ablation area, leaving the surface area distribution of Hubbard Glacier far from equilibrium with climate. Hubbard Glacier's strongly positive mass balance is expected to drive continuing growth and advance for hundreds of years, in complete disregard for how climate changes.

June 18, 2002 Advancing Glacier Coming Close to Blocking Fiord Near Yakutat, Alaska

North America's largest calving glacier, Hubbard Glacier, is advancing and is close to blocking the entrance to Russell Fiord near Yakutat, Alaska. For information, see USGS press release at <http://www.usgs.gov/public/press/public_affairs/press_releases/pr1597m.html>

and new Hubbard Glacier web site at <http://ak.water.usgs.gov/glaciology/hubbard/>

Recent reports published by USGS on Alaska water resources

December 29, 1999 - December Flooding in Southeast Alaska.