Other Projects by
GWLA Members:
Maps (Water Sheds, Snow Pack, etc.)
The following is an excerpt from the United States Geological Survey website regarding glaciers (includes maps):
Glaciers and icecaps: Storehouses of freshwater
“Even though you've probably never seen a glacier, they are a big item when we talk about the world's water supply. Almost 10 percent of the world's land mass is currently covered with glaciers, mostly in places like Greenland and Antarctica. Glaciers are important features in the hydrologic cycle and affect the volume, variability, and water quality of runoff in areas where they occur.
In a way, glaciers are just frozen rivers of ice flowing downhill. Glaciers begin life as snowflakes. When the snowfall in an area far exceeds the melting that occurs during summer, glaciers start to form. The weight of the accumulated snow compresses the fallen snow into ice. These "rivers" of ice are tremendously heavy, and if they are on land that has a downhill slope the whole ice patch starts to slowly grind its way downhill. These glaciers can vary greatly in size, from a football-field sized patch to a river a hundred miles (161 kilometers) long.” [For full article go to: USGS, Water Science for Schools, Glaciers and icecaps: Storehouses of freshwater]
- Water Supply Outlook for the Western United States
- Washington State Map Collection
- U.S. Drought Monitor
- Western U.S. Water Vapor Animation (map)
- Glaciers Online, Glaciers of the American West
For maps of Western United States, search the WWDL website
