Summer Apprenticeship 2019: Scout Donahue

This project will allow my involvement in fieldwork to calculate the mass balance of Eklutna Glacier and create a continuous discharge record for the west fork of Eklutna River for the 2019 melt season. Funds will be used to pay summer salary for my assistance within the long-term monitoring of Eklutna Glacier mass balance and discharge at Alaska Pacific University. Participation will act as both a junior practicum project and provide the opportunity to receive hands-on training in data collection and data analysis in a real-world research project. This project aligns with the goals of the Science Mission Directorate. Specifically, this project addresses NASA’s strategic objective for Earth Science, which is to “advance knowledge of Earth as a system to meet the challenges of environmental change.” This proposal also aligns with the purpose of the Earth Science Program, which seeks “to develop a scientific understanding of Earth’s system and its response to natural or human-induced changes.” This project directly supports my pursuit of a STEM related degree (B.S. in Marine and Environmental Science). My involvement will also further the understanding of Eklutna Glacier’s continued retreat and thinning and the meltwater contribution to Eklutna Lake and Anchorage water supply.