Using a remote automatic camera, glaciologists will take daily photographs of the Blue Glacier. Information gathered in this study can be used to help detect changes in the global climate and to predict changes in the timing and amount of river flows in the area. Thanks to the support from Canon U.S.A, park staff can continue to work with personnel from the U.S. Geological Survey's Biological Resources Division and glaciologists from the University of Washington to monitor long-term changes in the Blue Glacier.
Glaciers grow or melt in relation to climate, acting as indicators of climate change.
Glaciers in the Pacific Northwest and many other places have receded dramatically during the twentieth century in response to warming climate. In addition to their value as climate indicators, the size changes of small glaciers have measurable consequences. For example, melting of the earth's mountain and arctic glaciers, excluding those in Greenland and Antarctica, accounts for one-third of the rise in sea level during the first half of this century. Consequently, water produced by melting glaciers has important economic benefits and is critical for hydroelectric generation, irrigation, and fisheries. Monitoring of Blue Glacier is part of a long-term ecological monitoring program currently being developed for Olympic National Park.