This research will assemble and deploy newly-developed time lapse camera systems at Columbia Glacier, Alaska, for combined scientific and public education/outreach use. Columbia Glacier is mid-way through a rapid dynamic retreat and its terminus is presently entering a confluence of two major branches where exceptionally rapid changes occurred in September 2006, and are likely to continue in 2007. Detailed observations made during Summer 2007 during what may be the fastest and most complex phase of the retreat to date will provide critical information for understanding the details of outlet glacier dynamics at the world's most intensively studied marine-terminating glacier. Deployment of ground-based camera systems greatly strengthen the documentation and analysis of retreat during this period of rapid and complex change.
Broader Impacts: The newly-developed camera systems described here have greater capabilities than existing systems, both in terms of photogrammetric applications for extraction of quantitative information and in terms of intrinsic image quality for professional outreach. Time lapse imagery has a powerful informative influence on general public and scientific audiences alike; the imagery gathered under this funding will be used to address a wide variety of outreach and educational goals, in collaboration with the University of Colorado Outreach Education Office, National Geographic Society, and The North Face, Inc.
