ABSTRACT
Glacial catchments are characterized by high climate sensitivity, making them early indicator systems for hydrological and ecological effects of climate change. As headwater systems, proglacial streams are strong controls on downstream hydrologic, geomorphic, and biological processes. Understanding major processes and controls in upstream reaches is critical to effective resource management, especially as glaciers continue to retreat. Process domains, regions within which one or a collection of surface processes dominates the detachment and transport of mass, are a highly accurate way to describe and analyse drainage basins and stream morphology. Plots of local slope gradient vs. contributing drainage area can be used to delineate process domains. Highly variable slope-area plots indicate greater system complexity.This project seeks to identify patterns in proglacial channel morphology and relate these patterns to glacier characteristics using variability in process domains as a basic quantitative description of fluvial system type. Building on data collected from field surveys in summer 2010, it represents both an initial qualitative analysis and an attempt to quantify variability in glacier type and stream morphology. Slope-area data gathered through GIS spatial analysis suggests common patterns in stream morphology that may be related to glacier characteristics and terminus behaviour. Although the results of this correlation are not statistically significant, this project serves an important purpose by identifying paths of future research.
Helm Lower Channel, Garibaldi Provincial Park