Red Algae Abundance Patterns on Eklutna Glacier and Harding Icefield

Nearly all glaciers bordering the Gulf of Alaska are thinning and retreating, which have accounted for one third of observed sea level rise over the past 50 years (Berthier, 2010). The Eklutna Glacier is located within this southcentral region of Alaska and has experienced a negative mass balance from 1957 to 2015 (Sass, 2017). Albedo is an important concept for understanding glacial melt; solar radiation provides the highest amount of energy that drives ablation and can be highly variable depending on surface conditions. Snow algae has been shown to impact snow melt by lowering surface albedo, which may result in increased glacial melt (Ganey, 2017). Eklutna is an essential water source for Anchorage Alaska, as the imported water reduces the strain of local ground water sources (Moran & Galloway, 2016). For sustainability purposes, it is important to monitor this resource. Alaska Pacific University has been monitoring Eklutna Glacier mass balance since 2008. This Project is associated with the monitoring program as it seeks to understand the red algae spatial distribution on the surface.