Past Meets Present in Glacier Photography Exhibit
Losing a Legacy: A Photographic Story of Disappearing Glaciers
Losing a Legacyт a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) photography project on the disappearing glaciers in Glacier National Park blending the science of climate change research with the aesthetic of landscape photography from Glacier National Park, Montana opens the week of April 20Т at the MOST – Museum of Science and Technology, 500 South Franklin St.
Striking new glacier retreat photographs created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) visually illustrate the effects of climate change on Glacier National Park.
The exhibit reveals dramatic glacial decline over a century and indicate that all of the glaciers in Glacier National Park are projected to disappear by 2030. In order to illustrate, document, and analyze this recession, USGS scientists paired historic glacier images with contemporary photographs of the same areas. The result gives global warming a face and helps the public understand the environmental impact of losing glaciers.
The repeat photography project images have also garnered interest from the art community.
While our original intent was to use the photography for science, through time we’ve found that these photographs do more than document, they inspire, said USGS researcher Lisa McKeon, who has spent numerous hours in the backcountry of Glacier National Park taking repeat photographs of the remaining glaciers.
The concept was inspired by the discovery of historical park images from as far back as 1861, when the first photographs were taken of the boundary markers between Canada and the U.S. This location became the world’s first peace park Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park in 1932. Over time, numerous park images were taken for purposes ranging from promotion of tourism to scientific research of the area’s glaciers.
The USGS, based out of the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center in West Glacier, Mont., began the repeat photography project in 1997. Scientists set out to replicate exact historical images to illustrate glacier recession over a century.
Since the onset of the project, over 70 photographs of 19 different glaciers have been repeated in Glacier National Park. Thirteen of those glaciers have shown marked recession; however, all are shrinking. Some of the more intensely-studied glaciers have proved to be just 1/3 of their estimated size at the end of the last cold period in 1850. Additionally, only 25 of the 150 named glaciers present in 1850 remain today, and those that do are mere remnants of their previous size.
The USGS repeat photography Web site was developed to illustrate the park’s dynamic glacier changes. Thirteen glacier pairs have been updated to reflect changes that have occurred between the early 20th century and summer of 2008. The site also provides the option to download individual glacier photographs or image pairs. This is an excellent resource for all audiences interested in climate change who wish to use the images for educational or illustration purposes. Visit the site at http://nrmsc.usgs.gov/repeatphoto/overview.htm
This exhibit was brought to Syracuse with help from: Black Oak Wind Farm & SolarizeCNY
Black Oak Wind Farm – a grassroots investor owned wind farm being constructed in Tompkins County that will produce electricity for 5,000 homes. www.blackoakwindny.com
SolarizeCNY – a program of the CNY Regional Planning and Development Board, a public agency serving Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego Counties. In partnership with dozens of local partners including municipalities and not-for-profit organizations, SolarizeCNY helps residents and businesses to install solar PV through grassroots education and volume discounts. www.solarizesyracuse.com
For more information on the photography exhibit which runs through June 30 at the MOST please contact Peter Plumley 425-9068 Ext. 2163
MOST Exhibits Project Mngr
425-9068 ext. 2163
U.S. Geologic Survey