Cooperative Ecosystem Studies, Unit, Pacific Northwest CESU | Apply Online

Opportunity Summary:

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies, Unit, Pacific Northwest CESU grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 10HQPA0030) is a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Cooperative Agreement administered through the Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center (NOROCK). Its central aim is to document and quantify visible changes in mountain landscapes by measuring how glaciers and permanent snow bodies across the American West are shrinking or otherwise changing in response to climate change. This matters because mountain snow and ice act like natural water storage, releasing meltwater gradually through summer, which supports downstream communities, fisheries, riparian habitats, and a wide range of ecosystem processes. By building a region-wide picture of glacier change, the project is intended to improve understanding of how future runoff patterns may shift as the climate warms.

A key feature of the scope is scale and statistical coverage. The recipient is expected to assess changes across as many glaciers and persistent snow/ice bodies as feasible, potentially up to about 8,300 features, to produce an assessment broad enough to be statistically meaningful across the western United States. The work is not limited to a single park or a handful of well-known glaciers; instead, it is designed to support a large-sample evaluation of glacier response and its implications for runoff, which is especially important because individual glaciers can behave differently depending on elevation, aspect, debris cover, and local climate.

To accomplish this, the project emphasizes assembling and standardizing both historical and modern information. On the historical side, the recipient is expected to acquire past data on glacier extent and, where possible, volume from every available source, including historic maps, prior studies and reports, aerial photographs, and ground-based images. Because older photography is often uneven in timing and coverage, the opportunity also stresses the need to establish a consistent modern baseline. That modern baseline is expected to be created using remote sensing and targeted aerial photograph surveys, producing a relatively tight time window of contemporary imagery (a few years at most) so that future comparisons are not muddied by inconsistent observation dates.

The technical workflow outlined in the opportunity focuses heavily on turning imagery into usable measurements. Since current glacier mapping may rely on oblique aerial photographs, the recipient will need to convert those images into georectified products so glacier outlines can be accurately traced in map coordinates. From those mapped areas, the project anticipates estimating volume changes using area-volume scaling methods, a common approach when direct ice thickness measurements are not available for thousands of sites. The result should be a consistent set of historical and current glacier outlines that can be used to calculate change over time and to support broader analyses of climate sensitivity and hydrologic impacts.

A major deliverable is a publicly accessible geospatial database. The recipient is expected to populate a GIS-based repository that includes: (1) scanned or otherwise digitized historic maps and photographs, (2) photographs and imagery documenting current glacier extent, and (3) both historical and contemporary glacier outlines derived from those sources. Importantly, the opportunity calls for making these data available over the web, with the explicit intent that they be usable not only by scientists, but also by students and the general public. In other words, the project is positioned as both a scientific infrastructure effort and an information dissemination effort, supporting transparency and reuse.

Beyond the database, the opportunity also calls for forward-looking planning. The recipient is expected to develop a systematic monitoring plan and a research agenda addressing glacier change and glaciogenic hazards, using USGS Circular 1175 as a guiding template. This component points to practical applications such as understanding risks tied to glacier retreat, including hazards associated with unstable ice, altered meltwater routing, or changing alpine geomorphology, while also setting priorities for how monitoring should be conducted in future years.

Administratively, this was a discretionary science and technology/research and development funding opportunity with an expected single award. The estimated total funding amount was $50,000, with no cost sharing or matching requirement. The CFDA number listed is 15.808 (U.S. Geological Survey Research and Data Collection). Eligibility is restricted: applicants must be participating partners in the Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (CESU) Program, reflecting the CESU model of cooperative, partnership-based research and technical assistance involving agencies, universities, tribes, and other organizations. The original posting date was January 20, 2010, and the closing date was January 29, 2010, with the opportunity archived February 28, 2010. The listed contact for access issues was Faith Graves, Contract Specialist, at 703-648-7356.

Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted, partnership-based effort to create a credible, region-wide baseline and historical record of glacier and permanent snow change in the American West, translate diverse imagery into standardized geospatial products, and leave behind both an accessible public database and a practical monitoring roadmap that resource managers and researchers can build on.

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