The icefields and mountain glaciers of Alberta are situated on the continental divide and the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Alberta’s glaciers are concentrated here for two primary reasons:
Approximately 37 peaks rise above 3,400 m along the spine of the Rockies, making this the highest obstacle that Pacific air masses encounter as they traverse southwestern Canada. These glaciers act as natural reservoirs, with snow and ice melt contributing significantly to summer flow in some of Alberta’s major rivers: the Bow, Red Deer, North Saskatchewan, Athabasca, and Peace. Glaciers in northeastern B.C. also contribute to the headwaters of the Peace River.
Shawn Marshall and Eric White’s report titled Alberta Glacier Inventory and Ice Volume Estimationmakes an accurate estimate of glacier types, counts, area, and volumes given current knowledge of glaciers in the Rockies. The pair estimate glacier volumes to be 55km3 (± 15km3) for all of the glaciers in the eastern slopes, with 47km3 (± 15km3) in Alberta and the remainder in the eastward-draining ice masses of the Peace River Basin in B.C. More than 75% of Alberta’s ice is contained in the headwaters of the North Saskatchewan and Athabasca Rivers, where the largest icfields are clustered.
Western Canada lost about 11% of its glacier area between 1985-2005, with area loss exceeding 20% on the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies. Ice volume losses in the eastern slopes during 2000-2007 represented 3% and 4% of the mean annual discharge of the North Saskatchewan and Bow Rivers (and 7% to 8% of their late summer runoff during July to September). Projections indicate that glaciers on the eastern slopes will lose about 40% of their volume by 2100 if climate stabilizes near its current state, and 80-90% of their volume under more realistic scenarios for future climate change.
We encourage you to learn more about Alberta’s glacier resources, by clicking the menu alongside.
Author and purpose summary: To meet the challenge of gaining a better understanding and appreciation of our glacier inventories and ice volumes, the Alberta Water Research Institute (now known as Alberta Innovates Energy and Environment Solutions) commissioned Shawn Marshall and Eric White of Crowfoot Ice Research and Consulting to assess the area and volume of the glacier water resources in the glaciated water resources in the glaciated river basins of Alberta (the Bow, Red Deer, North Saskatchewan, Athabasca and Peace), and eastward-routed meltwater from glaciers int he northern Rockies of British Columbia.
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Ross has extensive executive experience in Operations, Governance, Information Technology and Strategy at the board and senior management level including Mancal Corporation, Mancal Energy, Highridge Exploration and Atlantis Resources. He has worked in Oil and Gas, Coal, Commercial Real Estate, Portfolio Management, Recreation, Retail and Water and Wastewater Treatment. His experience is also geographically diverse having overseen operations in Canada, the United States, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Additionally, he has been on the board of companies with operations in Argentina, Azerbaijan, Barbados, Kazakhstan, and Russia. He has served on numerous Public, Private and Not for Profit Boards across a number of industries.
Ross has been active on several industry Boards and committees including the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) and The Schulich School of Engineering Industry Advisory Council at the Schulich School of Engineering.
Brian is a seasoned Cleantech entrepreneur with a proven history of successfully bringing complex water technologies to the market. With over 25 years of experience, he has led various organizations to achieve significant milestones in the industry.
Having started as the founding CEO of the Pressure Pipe Inspection Company (PPIC) and later taking the helm at the Water Technology Acceleration Project (WaterTAP), Brian’s entrepreneurial spirit has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth within the sector.
He is an active investor in the cleantech sector and has served on many boards including the Ontario Clean Water Agency.
Actively engaged in industry associations like AWWA, WEF, IWA, and ASCE, Brian enjoys collaborating with fellow professionals to promote advancements in the field.
Brian holds an undergraduate degree and a PhD in Physics from Queen’s University, which has provided him with a solid technical foundation. As a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors, he brings valuable insights to corporate governance.