Articles | Volume 20, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-811-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-20-811-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
30 Jan 2026
Research article |
| 30 Jan 2026
| 30 Jan 2026
Satellite telemetry of surface ablation to inform spatial melt modelling and event-scale monitoring, Place Glacier, Canada
Alexandre R. Bevington
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada
Ministry of Forests, Province of British Columbia, Prince George, Canada
Brian Menounos
Department of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, Canada
Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Sidney, Canada
Hakai Institute, Campbell River, Canada
Mark Ednie
Geological Survey of Canada, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, Canada
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Short summary
We developed automated "smart stakes" to study how quickly glaciers melt during hot weather. The low-cost devices were installed on Place Glacier in British Columbia and sent data by satellite in 2024. We show that just three heat periods caused more than half of the glacier's total summer melt, even though these events lasted only one-third of the melt season. This system provided measurements that would be impossible with traditional methods and we show that the data can improved melt models.
We developed automated "smart stakes" to study how quickly glaciers melt during hot weather. The...
