Background

Glacier National Park is known for its spectacular mountains. The park encompasses 1.08 million acres, 95% of which is recommended wilderness, and consists of mountains that form the Continental Divide. Two somewhat parallel mountain ranges (the Livingston Range to the west and the Lewis Range to the east) dominate the park. The foundation of the Crown of the Continent is the sedimentary rocks of the Precambrian-aged Belt Supergroup that were laid down between 900 million and 1.325 billion years ago. The layers in the Belt Supergroup are extraordinarily well-delineated, well-preserved, and contain the most diverse and best preserved assemblage of stromatolites in North America . Mountain building, including the creation of the Rocky Mountains, occurred more recently. The more visible high mountains in Glacier National Park were formed by a process called the Lewis Overthrust (beginning 170 million years ago). Ancient Proterozoic rocks were thrust over Cretaceous-aged rocks. The upper Proterozoic rocks are 1,500 million years older than the underlying Cretaceous rocks. The Lewis Overthrust is exceptionally visible in the park. During the Pleistocene (2 million years ago), the area that is now Glacier National Park was covered by glaciers. The Park has had at least 10 periods of widespread glaciation. The last major advance occurred during the Pinedale glaciation. Ice from the last glaciation started melting 12,000 to 13,000 years ago and was 90% gone 11,000 years ago. By 10,000 years ago, the glaciers in the park were about the size of current glaciers and most likely in the same locations. As the climate changed and the glaciers eroded and eventually disappeared, a dramatic landscape of U-shaped valleys, knifelike ridges, hanging valleys, and cirques was left behind. The geologic forces of weathering and erosion continue to make impacts on this landscape. During the mid-19 th century, more than 150 glaciers advanced their furthest extent since the Pinedale. The 34 currently extant, named, high alpine mountain glaciers were created during the Little Ice Age (which began around 1200 A.D.). These glaciers have been receding since the mid-19th century and continue to do so today.

Research Needs

Glacial geology

Conduct an historical survey of glaciers and glacial landforms. Historical photos are available for photo-documentation of the changing glaciers.

Research of how observed glacier changes might affect streams and surface characteristics across a mountain landscape is of interest to ecosystem modeling and climate change research. Further work in the Glacier NP area is needed to complete regional assessment of glacial recession, and address climatological and ecological implications.

Investigate microbial and macroinvertebrate communities in glaciers and whether they differ by substrate, geographic location, and glacier type surface.

Geomorphology

Research airborne particle size and composition to determine source area.

Research and evaluate the significance of wind erosion in the park, segregating the impacts of wind erosion from other erosion-causing agents.

Research wind effects on tree development at tree line.

Identify where wetlands occur, variations in the aerial extent of wetlands from year to year and the impact of glacier fluctuations on wetlands. What is the effect of fire on wetlands?

Develop comprehensive wetland area inventories that classify wetland type, describe plant species, and evaluate/project successional status based on changes in hydrologic regime.

Research overall groundwater budget with respect to climate change.

Develop a “lake ice model” using existing meteorological data and local records.
Research how changes in stream channel morphology affect nutrient cycling, thermal diversity, and macroinvertebrates.

How much change in stream channel morphology is due to human activities?

Research the influence of woody debris on streamflow, using McDonald Creek as a research area.

Determine the relative importance of mass movement vs. stream transport and the importance of rainfall. Will an increase in rain events cause more landslides?

Help resource staff prepare a Cave Management Plan to protect the resources found in six known park caves, provide for managed access, assure visitor safety, and identify additional research needs.

Continue study of why the northern Rocky Mountains exist so far inland from a continental margin. How compressional stresses were translated so far inland remains a geologic enigma.

Determine whether small lakes are being filled in with sediment.

Paleontology

Continue investigations into stromatolites and fossils of Cretaceous period.

The Belt Supergroup records rare Precambrian-aged environments, yet a detailed correlation of the rocks present in the park and those found to the south, north, and west has not been completed.

Ongoing discussion of life during the Precambrian age demands more detailed, microscopic study of the preserved sedimentary Belt rocks of Glacier.

Investigate the erodability difference between Conophyton and Baicalia stromatolites.

Investigate climate patterns during the last 10,000 – 30,000 years. Can detailed climate reconstructions be completed from pollen records?

Describe the different vegetation communities and how they have changed over the last 13,000 years.

Determine treeline fluctuations during the Holocene.

Investigate changes in the frequency and extent of disturbances, such as fire and avalanches, during the Holocene.

Determine changes in ecological conditions in Glacier's lakes during the last 13,000 years.

Soils

Augment the park's existing soil survey and correlate the soil survey with the NRCS National Cooperative Soil Survey Program so as to be compatible with regional and national soils information as follows:

(1) Initiate an Integrated Resource Inventory (soil survey) for Glacier, combining information on soils, landscapes, geology, geomorphology, and existing vegetation and potential plant communities into a GIS system meeting SSURGO standards, including a soil attribute database in the National Soil Information System (NASIS) data structure, and FGDC compliant metadata.

(2) Provide comprehensive information on soil distribution and characteristics throughout Glacier NP. Create a parkwide General Soils map, as well as provide a location map of all soil pedons observations and soil laboratory sample sites.

(3) Create a soil survey manuscript developed from the data map unit information downloaded from the NASIS database. Develop an interpretive soil survey legend as well as a soil taxonomic legend.

(4) Develop soil information and education products such as soil fact sheets, soil landscape, vegetation, and climatic graphics, as well as representative soil monoliths of the soils of Glacier NP.

What soil properties help to stimulate the development of krumholz?