Garibaldi Provincial Park is located approximately 90km north of Vancouver in the southern coast mountains. It was named a provincial park in 1927 after years of lobbying from recreational and environmental enthusiasts. This area is covered with over 150 glaciers, including two large icefields: Garibaldi Neve and Mamquam Icefields. Both are each larger than 10km squared in area (Koch et al, 2004). Many of the mountain peaks are of volcanic origin, formed as recent as the Pleistocene era (BC Parks, 2006).

Figure: Mamquam Icefield

Fast Facts!

Geographic location	Coast Mountains of southern B.C.
Closest metropolitan area	Squamish, B.C.
Area	194,650 hectares
Number of glaciers	>150
Highest peak	Wedge mountain, 2891m asl
Website	http://www.garibaldipark.com/

Location of Garibaldi Provincial Park


Figure: Location of Garibaldi Provincial Park. (Modified from Koch, 2006)


History of Garibaldi Provincial Park Glaciations

During the Little Ice Age, glaciers in Garibaldi Provincial Park reached their maximum extent around 1700AD. During this time, at least 630km2 (33%) of the park was covered by glacial ice. Since this time, ice has experienced a net retreat of 240km2 of ice, nearly 38% of its area in 300 years. Over half of this mass loss has occurred since 1920 (Koch, 2006).

The glaciers in Garibaldi Provincial Park show recession and advancing patterns that correspond with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) patterns. During cool or negative PDO phases (1890-1924; 1947-1976) the glaciers experienced advance, and during warm or positive PDO phases (1925-1946; 1977-present) the glaciers experienced recession. Glacier retreat was greatest during the 1920’s to 1950’s where, on average, glaciers retreated at a rate of 30m/year! Retreat, on average, is occurring at an accelerated rate at present (Koch, 2006).

Figure: Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) patterns in the last century. Top image shows periods of warm conditions (red) and periods of cool conditions (blue). The lower image illustrates the location of warm and cool currents in the Pacific Ocean and how they affect the BC coast. (JISAO, 2000)


Fluctuations in size of Holocene glaciers in Garibaldi Provincial Park in the southern B.C. coast mountains have been studied in detail by Johannes Koch of Simon Fraser University. The glacial fluctuation conclusions made are based on a variety of data sources: historical documents, dendrochronologic and lichenometric dating of moraines, and radiocarbon dating of fossil wood in glacier forefields.

Koch concluded there have been six major periods of glacier advance in the last 10,000 years. These periods are: 7700 – 7300 ybp, 6400-5100 ybp, 4300 ybp, 4100 – 2900 ybp, 1600 – 1100 ybp, and 1000 ybp (LIA) (Koch, 2006).

*Dates are based on C14 dating on evidence found on the Sphinx glacier forefront.




Garibaldi Provincial Park Historic Glaciations

Figure: Grey bars represent periods of glaciation in Garibaldi Provincial Park. Note the last bar represents the Little Ice Age (LIA). The Little Ice Age reached an ice maximum in 1700AD. Modified from Koch, 2006.

The retreat and advance of these glaciers is not conclusively linked to the patterns of the PDO. Many glaciers on every continent display similar advance and retreat patterns to those in Garibaldi Provincial Park, and this may be linked to global climate change. In summary, more research must be done on both BC coastal glaciers and glaciers around the world before any conclusive statement can be made regarding Garibaldi glaciers' retreat patterns (Koch, 2006).

Johannes Koch studied in detail the fluctuations of glacial position in Garibaldi Provincial Park during the Quaternary period. Although the park hosts >150 glaciers, he focussed on just a sample few to represent the entire park.

Locations of glaciers studied by Johannes Koch


Figure: Above is a DEM of Garibaldi Provincial Park showing the positions of some of the valley glaciers located within the park. (Modified from Koch, 2004)


Click below to learn more about the featured glaciers of Garibaldi Provincial Park:

Helm Glacier
Overlord Glacier
Sentinel Glacier
Garibaldi Glacier
Lava Glacier
Warren Glacier
Stave Glacier


Major Icefields:
Neve Icefield
Mamquam Icefield

Fire and Ice:
Click to learn about the distinctive landscape in Garibaldi Provincial Park created as a result of volcanism and glaciation.



Return to B.C. Coast Site Map

References:
BC Parks - Garibaldi Provincial Park, Garibldi Mountains [2006]. BritishColumbia.com (online).

Avalable: http://www.britishcolumbia.com/parks/?id=49 Accessed: March 2007

JISAO [2000]. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Joint Institute for the Study of the Atmosphere and Ocean

(online). Available: http://jisao.washington.edu/pdo/ Accessed: March 2007

Koch, Johannes [2006]. Holocene glacier fluctuations in Garibaldi Provincial Park, Southern Coast Mountains, British

Columbia.Unpublished.

Koch, Johannes [2004]. Recent Environmental Change. Simon Frasier University (online).

Available: http://www.sfu.ca/~jkoch/research/Garibaldi/recent.htm Accessed: February 2007

Koch, Johannes, Menounos, Brian, Claque, John J. and Osborn, Gerald D. Environmental change in Garibaldi

Provincial Park,Southern Coast Mountains, British Columbia. Geoscience Canada September 2004.