Topographical mass balance determination of Teton Glacier, Wyoming

The presence of glaciers affects stream discharge because they store precipitation and influence the timing of runoff. Aglacier's influence is attributed at least in part to its change in mass. Mass balance, a calculation of the glacier's change in mass over a period of time, has been estimated in this study by volumetric changes assessed from surface fluctuations assuming constant density. Our analysis used topographic surveys performed in 1954,1963, and 1994 ofTeton Glacier, Wyoming. The surveys were used to create representative surfaces that were quantitatively compared using geographic information system (GIS) tools. Calculations performed indicate an average decrease of 26,000 m3/yr from 1954 to 1994.