As a climate scientist with more than 25 years of experience, Anders Carlson understands the significant losses faced by Oregon glaciers. In 2020, this awareness led him to discover that the Oregon Glacier Institute (OGI), a nonprofit institute run by a core volunteer group, studied glacier health and informed the Oregon public of the far-reaching impact of glacier losses in the state. In November 2024, OGI released its four-year impact report.
The report highlights the dangers facing Oregon glaciers. In 2021, OGI completed a site-based glacier count and determined that the state had 60 individual “flowing ice bodies” in the 1970s. Now, there are only 27 left.
“We can see [the glaciers] Carlson said in a recent interview with Glacierhub. “This is a real visual indicator of climate change.”
In addition, the impact report highlights a range of research activities in the organization. It runs an annual glacier health program that evaluates the late summer snow coverage of many glaciers. OGI also has partnerships with physicists at the University of Oregon who are developing new parameters to measure the reflectivity of satellites’ ice and snow.
The report also highlights an article published by OGI researchers on Cryosphere, detailing their discovery of the rapid retreat of the Hood Mount Hood glacier. By examining photos taken by Portland Mazamas climber Steve Boyer in 2003 and comparing it with the latest live observations and GPS data, OGI was able to document the extent of the glacier retreat. The study found that over the past 23 years, Mount Hood lost 25% of its largest glaciers, and the other two glaciers no longer flowed at all. The defining characteristic of a glacier is its flow. Without it, ice is essentially “dead”.
“What are we recording [glaciers] Here, the rest. “Carson said. Further ongoing collaboration between Imperial College London and Earth writers (scientists who study the age of rocks, fossils and deposits) is helping to reconstruct the prehistoric history of Oregon glaciers by using the isotope surface exposure method of the universe, a technique that exposes rock surfaces to cosmic exposure.
“The whole goal is to build enough empirical observation points where we can confidently predict the future viability of different glaciers,” Carlson said.
An important part of OGI’s work includes experiential education, which makes up for the on-site relationships established between people and ice by the general public awareness of Oregon’s glacier losses.
“Glacier-based education is a very powerful way to interact with people,” said Margie Turrin, director of the educational field program at the Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. She added that field-based experiences are the best way to teach our surroundings because classroom teaching alone is less effective at any age.
OGI’s education program also values opportunities for direct and practical learning. The institute organized several field trips to the glacier, from teenagers in middle schools to students in community colleges. In addition to providing field trips, OGI also hosts several interns from American universities to practice teaching in the field, a unique experience for teachers and students.
“There are a lot of people who never have the chance to visit the glacier. It’s right now, and as the environment continues to warm, it will be more real,” Turrin said. “The more we all connect people to ice, the greater our ability to improve climate literacy and engagement.”
The report shows how OGI’s educational work can surpass students and resonate with the public. Ogi gave 25 speeches on glacier awareness to community groups such as Oregon Mountaineering Club and Public Library. It is also developing a smartphone app that will enable users to explore glacier reconstruction and participate in the Citizen Science Program by contributing their own glacier photos to a shared community database.
“We are focused on trying to connect human experience with changes in glaciers… Here you can see these changes, not abstract things, nor just a number,” Anders explained. He hopes that all the photos in the app will be a powerful reference point for people to understand what changes are happening.
Whether through scientific research and glacier monitoring or fascinating field trips and applications, OGI’s four-year impact report demonstrates its commitment to demonstrating the loss of key features of Oregon’s natural beauty. The goal of OGI is not only to encourage the fear of Oregon glaciers, but also to educate and empower individuals to advocate for glacier preservation.
