North Cascades National Park Service Complex - Comparative Aerial Photos and Figures (U.S. National Park Service)

Eight pairs of North Cascades photographs are featured here, with a final figure outlining glacial change on Klawatti Glacier and in the Thunder Creek Valley. Each photographic pair consists of a mid-20th century and an early-21st century photograph taken from approximately the same location. The 1967 and 1958 images were photographed by Austin Post as part of a comprehensive glacier inventory. The corresponding 21st century images were taken by John Scurlock, a local North Cascades pilot and photographer. The comparative photographs clearly show substantial changes in glacier area, and thickness.

Figure 17. View to the west of Inspiration Glacier in fall 1967 (left, by Post) and in fall 2005 (right, by Scurlock). Note the ice loss on the North Lobe of Inspiration Glacier.

Figure 18. View to the west of Silver Glacier in 1958 (left, by Post) and 2006 (right, by Scurlock). A map made in 1913 shows that the glacier covered the lake.

Figure 19. View to the south of South Cascade Glacier in 1958 (left, by Post) and 2003 (right, by Scurlock).

Figure 20. Banded Glacier in 1960 (left, by Post) and 2005 (right, by Scurlock).

Figure 21. Borealis Glacier in 1960 (left, by Post) and 2005 (right, by Scurlock).

Figure 22. Colonial Glacier in 1960 (left, by Post) and 2005 (right, by Scurlock).

Figure 23. Buckner Glacier in 1960 (left, by Post) and 2005 (right, by Scurlock).

Figure 24. Forbidden Glacier in 1960 (left, by Post) and 2005 (right, by Scurlock).

Figure 25 - Thunder Creek Watershed and Figure 26 - Klawatti Glacier