Yueyi Che L&S Sciences
Comparison of Glacier Vertical Thinning and Horizontal Retreat in Yosemite During the Last Glacial Maximum
Glaciers are important freshwater sources around the world. They are especially significant during climate change because they serve as nature’s drought buffer to balance years with less rain. Understanding previous global glacier melting events will help us understand how glaciers today will respond to global warming. Many mountain glaciers are not well constrained. The goal of my study is to provide more insights into the unsolved Tioga glacier melting patterns in Yosemite National Park, located in the Sierra Nevada range in California, after the Last Glacial Maximum, the most recent global glacial maximum event. The main question I aim to answer is whether the glacier melted uniformly in a short period or altered between retreating and advancing during a longer melt period. Geochemical dating methods will aid in addressing questions related to the timing, rates, and patterns of Tioga glacier’s glacial retreat and glacial thinning. I will conduct fieldwork and create a geometry model of the glacier’s response to warming temperatures and then predict the glacier’s mass balance change under a warming climate.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much for supporting my summer research! Without you, I wouldn't have had this great summer. I conducted two backpacking field research at Yosemite National Park with my friends. I learned a lot about leadership and teamwork. I now have more confidence in applying for grad school and can't wait to enter my next stage of life in research!