As a climate scientist Over 25 years of experienceAnders Carlson understands the huge losses facing Oregon glaciers. In 2020, this consciousness found him Oregon Glacier Research Institute (OGI), a nonprofit run by the Volunteer Core Group, researches glacier health and informs Oregonians of the widespread impact of state glacial losses. In November 2024, OGI announced IT Four Years of Impact Report.
The report highlights the dangers facing Oregon glaciers. In 2021, OGI completed a field-based glacial count and determined that there were 60 individual “flowing ice bodies” in the 1970s. Now only 27 are still there.
“We can see [the glaciers] In a recent interview with GlacierHub, Carlson changed five years later. “It’s a true visual indicator of climate change.”
Furthermore, the Impact Report highlights the scope of the organization’s research activities. It runs its annual Glacier Health Program and evaluates the end-of-summer snow covering of many glaciers. OGI also established a partnership with physicists at the University of Oregon. Measures ice and snow reflectivity From the satellite.
The report also highlights an article published last September by OGI researchers Extremely colddetailing the discovery of a rapid retreat of the glaciers at Mount Hood. By examining photos of the glacier Portland Mazama Comparing them with climber Steve Boyer in 2003 with recent field observations and GPS data, OGI was able to document the extent of glacial retreats. This study found that the seven largest glaciers in Mount Hood have lost 25% of the area in the last 23 years, with two additional glaciers continuing to flow completely. The characteristic of glaciers is their flow. Without it, the ice is essentially “dead.”
“What are we documenting [glaciers] Carlson said. Further ongoing collaboration with geologists from the Imperial University from London (students studying the ages of rocks, fossils and sediments) will help reconstruct the prehistoric era of Oregon’s glaciers using methods of isotopic surface exposure dating in space.
“The overall goal is to build sufficient empirical observation points that can confidently predict the future viability of various glaciers,” Carlson said.
An important part of OGI’s work involves experiential education. This bridges the public perception of Oregon’s glacial losses to building ground relationships between people and ice.
“Glacier-based education is a truly powerful way to interact with people on multiple levels through sensations, emotions and intelligence,” he said. Margie TurrinDirector of the Educational Program at Columbia University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. She added that classroom instruction alone is not as effective at motivating students at any age, so field-based experiences are the best way to teach about the environment around us.
OGI’s education programs also evaluate opportunities for direct and practical learning. The Institute organized numerous field trips to the glacier for a wide range of ages, from middle school teens to community college students. In addition to providing field trips, OGI hosts several interns from US universities to practice field education, a unique experience for both instructors and students.
“There are a lot of people who don’t have the opportunity to visit glaciers. This is true now and becomes more true as the environment continues to warm up,” says Turrin. “The more we all work to connect people with ice, the more we have a capacity to improve climate literacy and engagement.”
This report shows how OGI’s educational efforts reach beyond students and resonate with the public. OGI offers over 25 presentations on glacial awareness to community groups such as mountaineering clubs and public libraries in Oregon. It is also developing a smartphone app that allows users to participate in the Civic Science Initiative by exploring the reconstruction of the glacier and donating their own photos of the glacier to a shared community database.
“We focus on relating human experiences to glacial changes. Here we can see these changes, but they are neither abstract nor numbers,” Anders explained. He hopes that all recent photos from the app serve as a powerful reference point for understanding the changes that have occurred.
Through scientific research and glacial surveillance, engaging field trips and apps, OGI’s four-year impact report demonstrates its commitment to demonstrating the loss of key features of Oregon’s natural beauty. The goal of OGI is to educate and empower individuals to not only adore Oregon’s glaciers, but also advocate for glacial preservation.
