The growth of BC’s glaciers abruptly ended in the early 20th century after slowly expanding for nearly 10,000 years according to a University of Northern British Columbia Geography student who began her research while studying for her undergraduate degree. Lyssa Maurer’s findings were published last month in Quaternary Science Reviews, a leading international peer-reviewed journal.

Maurer and co-authors from UNBC, the University of Western Ontario, the University of Calgary, Simon Fraser University, the Geological Survey of Canada, and the Alberta Geological Survey reconstructed the extent of glaciers back through time. Their data indicates that as early as 2,700 years ago, glaciers were nearly as large as they were during the “Little Ice Age,” a period of cool, wet conditions 150-300 years ago, which caused glaciers to advance.

“Radiocarbon dating of vegetation overrun by glaciers can tell us when glaciers advanced, but not how far,” says Maurer. “But Castle Creek Glacier near McBride, one of the glaciers we studied, straddles a hydrologic divide. When the glacier is large, it flows over this divide and deposits beds of silt into a lake that otherwise collects organic sediments. One of the most interesting aspects of this work is that Castle Creek Glacier remained close to the limits of the Little Ice Age from about 1,600 years ago until the early 20th century.”

Maurer adds that her undergraduate research experience at UNBC is a big reason she decided to continue as a graduate student. “UNBC had an amazing effect on my life. I was interested in doing science and my supervisor and collaborators picked me up, pointed me in the right direction, and changed my life.”

“This study is a great example of the value of collaborative research,” says Brian Menounos, Maurer’s undergraduate and graduate supervisor. “It also highlights the mutually beneficial relationship that can exist between undergraduate students and science. Engaging in hands-on research is often the catalyst for undergraduate students to consider careers in science. Many university professors involve students in all aspects of research from initial planning to publishing results of a study. And science simply would grind to a halt without the active involvement of undergraduate and graduate students alike’.

Maurer’s research was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.

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Lyssa Maurer atop Stoppani Glacier in Patagonia.