Cryospheric SCiences
ResEarch Group
Colorado State University
Dr. Dan McGrath
ABOUT US
The Cryospheric Sciences Research Group at Colorado State University studies cryospheric and hydrologic processes across broad spatial and temporal scales. We utilize geophysical tools, in situ observations, remote sensing, and physical modeling in our research. At present, our research is funded by NASA, NSF, USGS, and NPS. The group is led by Dr. Dan McGrath. He received his PhD from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2013 and is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences. Google scholar ORCID ID |
Recent Group News
A warm welcome to Ash Khatiwada and Ally Detre! Ash will be working on a NSF-funded project understanding glacier mass balance in the Tetons in collaboration with colleagues at Occidental College and U. of Utah. Ally will be working on a NASA-funded project studying the application of L-band InSAR for measuring snow water equivalent. Welcome to CSU and the research group!
Less snow and faster melt rates? CBS News Colorado put together this story on our recent GRL study documenting the impacts of the Cameron Peak wildfire on snow in the Cache la Poudre watershed.
Our research group hosted the 2nd annual Colorado Glaciology Workshop at CSU on April 28! Thanks to those that could attend for a wonderful day discussing glaciers and building community!
Congrats to Wyatt Reis on the successful defense of his M.S. thesis entitled "Quantifying aspect-dependent snowpack response to high-elevation wildfire in the southern Rocky Mountains." Congrats, Wyatt!
Congrats to Bri Rick on the successful defense of her PhD on Sept 30. Her dissertation was titled "Cryo-geohazards in a warming climate: Geophysical, Hydrological, and Remotely Sensed Investigations of glacial lakes, outburst floods, and rock glaciers." You can watch her defense here (password: S5*1=OTV).
Want to learn more about glaciers in Colorado and the impact of the recent hot summers? Check out this story by Stephanie Butzer for Denver 7, as well as this accompanying video.
Stephanie Kampf's new PNAS paper on wildfires and snow in the western United Stations has garnered a lot of press, including stories in The Washington Post, High Country News, and NPR.
New research out from our group on a 35-yr history of glacial lakes in Alaska (with a highlight story in the CSU Source), distributed mass balance of Wolverine Glacier through data integration, and the use of UAS SfM and GPR to measure snow density and SWE directly.
Looking for resources for open, repeatable, collaborative science? Check out the UW eScience Institute/NASA SnowEx Hackweek resources, including this one on GPR.
Welcome to new group members, Holly Proulx and Wyatt Reis! Holly will be using historical spy satellite imagery to study glacial lakes in High Mountain Asia and Wyatt will be studying the impacts of the Cameron Peak wildfire on snow accumulation and melt.
KUNC reporter Ashley Piccone covered our NASA SnowEx work at Cameron Pass in the context of the Western drought in this recent story.
Lucas Zeller successfully defended his M.S. thesis (Distributed seasonal and annual mass balance measurements of Wolverine Glacier, Alaska, using geodetic surveys and emergence velocities) in June 2021! Congrats, Lucas! He will be continuing on for a PhD working on both NASA and USGS funded projects working in High Mountain Asia and Alaska.
We've had a busy winter making weekly observations at Cameron Pass during the NASA SnowEx21 campaign. Randall and I summarized our activities in this NASA Earth Expeditions blog post.
Congrats to Randall Bonnell on the successful defense of his MS thesis entitled: Spatiotemporal variations in liquid water content in a seasonal snowpack: Implications for radar remote sensing. Well done! Randall will be continuing on for his PhD at CSU and was recently awarded a NASA FINESST fellowship to support his research.
We were busy this winter making bi-weekly in situ measurements (GPR, terrestrial lidar, manual probes, snow pits, drone-based SfM) to characterize the snowpack at Cameron Pass, CO in support of the NASA SnowEx UAVSAR campaign. You can read more about the SnowEx campaign here.
How many glaciers do we have in Colorado? How many are truly still glaciers? Watch this interview with Cory Reppenhagen at 9News to learn more and read more in the RMAG Outcrop newsletter.
Detailed and continuous in situ records of glacier mass balance are rare, yet incredibly valuable for understanding how glaciers respond to climate forcings. This recent study, led by Shad O'Neel, details ubiquitous mass losses for the five US Geological Survey Benchmark Glaciers since measurements began in the 1950s/60s.
Less snow and faster melt rates? CBS News Colorado put together this story on our recent GRL study documenting the impacts of the Cameron Peak wildfire on snow in the Cache la Poudre watershed.
Our research group hosted the 2nd annual Colorado Glaciology Workshop at CSU on April 28! Thanks to those that could attend for a wonderful day discussing glaciers and building community!
Congrats to Wyatt Reis on the successful defense of his M.S. thesis entitled "Quantifying aspect-dependent snowpack response to high-elevation wildfire in the southern Rocky Mountains." Congrats, Wyatt!
Congrats to Bri Rick on the successful defense of her PhD on Sept 30. Her dissertation was titled "Cryo-geohazards in a warming climate: Geophysical, Hydrological, and Remotely Sensed Investigations of glacial lakes, outburst floods, and rock glaciers." You can watch her defense here (password: S5*1=OTV).
Want to learn more about glaciers in Colorado and the impact of the recent hot summers? Check out this story by Stephanie Butzer for Denver 7, as well as this accompanying video.
Stephanie Kampf's new PNAS paper on wildfires and snow in the western United Stations has garnered a lot of press, including stories in The Washington Post, High Country News, and NPR.
New research out from our group on a 35-yr history of glacial lakes in Alaska (with a highlight story in the CSU Source), distributed mass balance of Wolverine Glacier through data integration, and the use of UAS SfM and GPR to measure snow density and SWE directly.
Looking for resources for open, repeatable, collaborative science? Check out the UW eScience Institute/NASA SnowEx Hackweek resources, including this one on GPR.
Welcome to new group members, Holly Proulx and Wyatt Reis! Holly will be using historical spy satellite imagery to study glacial lakes in High Mountain Asia and Wyatt will be studying the impacts of the Cameron Peak wildfire on snow accumulation and melt.
KUNC reporter Ashley Piccone covered our NASA SnowEx work at Cameron Pass in the context of the Western drought in this recent story.
Lucas Zeller successfully defended his M.S. thesis (Distributed seasonal and annual mass balance measurements of Wolverine Glacier, Alaska, using geodetic surveys and emergence velocities) in June 2021! Congrats, Lucas! He will be continuing on for a PhD working on both NASA and USGS funded projects working in High Mountain Asia and Alaska.
We've had a busy winter making weekly observations at Cameron Pass during the NASA SnowEx21 campaign. Randall and I summarized our activities in this NASA Earth Expeditions blog post.
Congrats to Randall Bonnell on the successful defense of his MS thesis entitled: Spatiotemporal variations in liquid water content in a seasonal snowpack: Implications for radar remote sensing. Well done! Randall will be continuing on for his PhD at CSU and was recently awarded a NASA FINESST fellowship to support his research.
We were busy this winter making bi-weekly in situ measurements (GPR, terrestrial lidar, manual probes, snow pits, drone-based SfM) to characterize the snowpack at Cameron Pass, CO in support of the NASA SnowEx UAVSAR campaign. You can read more about the SnowEx campaign here.
How many glaciers do we have in Colorado? How many are truly still glaciers? Watch this interview with Cory Reppenhagen at 9News to learn more and read more in the RMAG Outcrop newsletter.
Detailed and continuous in situ records of glacier mass balance are rare, yet incredibly valuable for understanding how glaciers respond to climate forcings. This recent study, led by Shad O'Neel, details ubiquitous mass losses for the five US Geological Survey Benchmark Glaciers since measurements began in the 1950s/60s.
Publicatons
Zeller, L., D. McGrath, L. Sass, C. Florentine, and J. Downs. Equilibrium line altitudes, accumulation areas, and the vulnerability of glaciers in Alaska. Journal of Glaciology, in review.
Caldwell, N., W. Armstrong, R. McNabb, E. Enderlin, D. McGrath, B. Rick, J. Hanson, and L.B. Perry. Retreat and frontal ablation rates for Alaska's lake-terminating glaciers: Investigating potential physical controls with implications for future stability. Journal of Glaciology, in review.
Vowel, L., W. Armstrong, I. Overeem, D. McGrath, B. Rick, A. Dye, and D. Martin. Investigating changes in proglacial stream suspended sediment concentration and their drivers using large scale remote sensing. Geomorphology, in review.
Bonnell, R., D. McGrath, and 11 others. Evaluating L-band InSAR snow water equivalent retrievals with repeat ground-penetrating radar and terrestrial lidar surveys in Northern Colorado. The Cryosphere Discussions, in review.
Anderson, L., D. Scherler, S. McCoy, D. McGrath, M. Kirkbride, L. Zeller, and R. Anderson. Debris cover controls glacial thinning, lakes, and hazards in High Mountain Asia. Nature Geoscience, in review.
Reis, W., D. McGrath, K. Elder, S. Kampf, and D. Rey. Quantifying Aspect-Dependent Snowpack Response to High-Elevation Wildfire in the Southern Rocky Mountains. Water Resources Research, in review.
Rick, B., D. McGrath, B. Lehmann, T. Fegel, K. Williams and S. Anderson. Influence of an active rock glacier on basin hydrology in the Front Range, Colorado. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, in revision.
Meehan, T., A. Hojatimalekshah, H.P. Marshall, E. Deeb, S. O'Neel, D. McGrath, R. Webb, R. Bonnell, M. Raleigh, C. Hiemstra, and K. Elder. Spatially distributed snow depth, bulk density, and snow water equivalent from ground-based and airborne sensor integration at Grand Mesa, Colorado, USA. The Cryosphere, in review.
[46] Zeller, L., D. McGrath, S. McCoy, and J. Jacquet. 2024. Seasonal to decadal dynamics of supraglacial lakes on debris-covered glaciers in the Khumbu Region, Nepal. The Cryosphere, 18(2), 525-541, doi:10.5194/tc-18-525-2024.
[45] Byers, A., M. Somos-Valenzuela, D. Shugar, D. McGrath, M. Chand, and R. Avtar. 2024. Brief Communication: An ice-debris avalanche in the Nupchu Valley, Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, Eastern Nepal. The Cryosphere, 18, 711-717, doi:10.5194/tc-18-711-2024.
[44] Vandecrux, B. and 28 others (including D. McGrath). 2023. The historical Greenland Climate Network (GC-Net) curated and augmented Level 1 dataset. Earth System Science Data, 15(2), 5467-5489, doi:10.5194/essd-15-5467-2023.
[43] Bonnell, R., D. McGrath, A. Hedrick and 10 others. 2023. Snowpack relative permittivity and density derived from near-coincident lidar and ground-penetrating radar. Hydrological Processes, 37(10), e14996, doi:10.1002/hyp.14996.
[42] Rick, B., D. McGrath, S. McCoy, and W. Armstrong. 2023. Unchanged frequency and decreasing magnitude of outbursts from ice-dammed lakes in Alaska. Nature Communications, 14, 6138, doi:10.1038/s41467-023-41794-6.
[41] McGrath, D., L. Zeller, R. Bonnell, W. Reis, S. Kampf, K. Williams, M. Okal, A. Olsen-Mikitowicz, E. Bump, M. Sears, and K. Rittger. 2023. Losses exceed gains: impact of the Cameron Peak wildfire on a high-elevation seasonal snowpack. Geophysical Research Letters, 50, e2022GL101294, doi: 10.1029/2022GL101294.
[40] Hammond, J., G. Sextone, A. Putman, T. Barnhart, D. Rey, J. Driscoll, G. Liston, K. Rasmussen, D. McGrath, S. Fassnacht, and S. Kampf. 2023. High resolution SnowModel simulations reveal future elevation dependent snow loss and earlier, flashier surface water input for the Upper Colorado River Basin. Earth's Future, 11, e20222EF003092, doi: 10.1029/2022EF003092.
[39] Kampf, S.K., D. McGrath, M.G. Sears, S.R. Fassnacht, L. Kiewiet, and J.C. Hammond. 2022. Increasing wildfire impacts on snowpack in the western U.S. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(39), doi: 10.1073/pnas.2200333119.
[38] McGrath, D., R. Bonnell, L. Zeller, A. Olsen-Mikitowicz, E. Bump, R. Webb and H.P. Marshall. 2022. A time-series of snow density and snow water equivalent observations derived from the integration of GPR and UAV SfM observations. Frontiers in Remote Sensing, 3:886747, doi: 10.3389/frsen.2022.886747.
[37] Zeller, L., D. McGrath, L. Sass, S. O'Neel, C. McNeil, and E. Baker. 2022. Beyond glacier wide mass balances: parsing seasonal elevation change into spatially-resolved patterns of accumulation and ablation at Wolverine Glacier, Alaska. Journal of Glaciology, 1-16, doi: 10.1017/jog.2022.46.
[36] Rick, B., D. McGrath, W. Armstrong, and S. McCoy. 2022. Dam type and lake position govern ice-marginal lake area change in Alaska and NW Canada between 1984 and 2019. The Cryosphere, 16, 297-314, doi: 10.5194/tc-16-297-2022.
[35] Webb, R., A. Marziliiano, D. McGrath, R. Bonnell, T. Meehan, C. Vuyovich, and H.P Marshall. 2021. In situ determination of dry and wet snow permittivity: Improving equations for low frequency radar applications, Remote Sensing (NASA SnowEx special issue), 13, 4617, doi: 10.3390/rs13224617.
[34] Bonnell, R., D. McGrath, K. Williams, R. Webb, S. Fassnacht, and H.P. Marshall. 2021. Spatiotemporal variations in liquid water content in a seasonal snowpack: Implications for radar remote sensing. Remote Sensing (NASA SnowEx special issue), 13, 4223, doi: 10.3390/rs13214223.
[33] Prager, S., G. Sexstone, D. McGrath, J. Fulton, and M. Moghaddam. 2021. Snow depth retrieval with an autonomous UAV-mounted software defined radar. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 60, doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2021.3117509.
[32] Hengst, A. W. Armstrong, D. McGrath, and B. Rick. 2021. Short-term variability in Alaska ice-marginal lake area: Implications for long-term studies. Remote Sensing, 13 (19), 3955, doi.org/10.3390/rs13193955.
[31] Patton, A., S. Rathburn, D. Capps, D. McGrath, and R. Brown. 2021. Ongoing landslide deformation in thawing permafrost. Geophysical Research Letters, 48, doi: 10.1029/2021GL092959.
[30] Orr, A., A. Kirchgaessner, J. King, T. Phillips, E. Gilbert, A. Elvidge, M. Weeks, A. Gadian, P. Kuipers Munneke, M. van den Broeke, S. Webster, and D. McGrath. 2021. Comparison of kilometre and sub-kilometre scale simulations of a foehn wind event over the Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctic Peninsula using the Met Office Unified Model (MetUM). Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 1-21, doi:10.1002.qj.4138.
[29] Webb, R.W., M.S. Raleigh, D. McGrath, N.P. Molotch, K. Elder, C. Hiemstra, L. Brucker, and H.P Marshall. 2020. Within-stand boundary effects on snow water equivalent distribution in forested areas. Water Resources Research, 56, doi:10.1029/2019WR024905.
[28] Kampf, S., S. Burges, J. Hammond, A. Bhaskar, T. Covino, A. Eurich, H. Harrison, M. Lefsky, C. Martin, D. McGrath, K. Puntenney-Desmond, and K. Willi. 2020. The case for an open water balance: Reenvisioning network design and data analysis for a complex, uncertain world. Water Resources Research, 56, doi: 10.1029/2019WR026699.
[27] Kulessa, B., A. Booth, M. O'Leary, D. McGrath, E. King, A. Luckman, P. Holland, D. Jansen, S. Bevan, S. Thompson, and B. Hubbard. 2019. Seawater softening of suture zones inhibits fracture propagation in Antarctic ice shelves. Nature Communications, 10, 5491, doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13539-x.
[26] McGrath, D., R. Webb, D. Shean, R. Bonnell, H.P. Marshall, T.H. Painter, N.P. Molotch, K. Elder, C. Hiemstra, and L. Brucker. 2019. Spatially extensive ground-penetrating radar snow depth observations during NASA's 2017 SnowEx Campaign: Comparison with in situ, airborne, and satellite observations. Water Resources Research, 55, doi:10.1029/2019WR024907.
[25] O'Neel, S., C. McNeil, L. Sass, C. Florentine, E. Baker, E. Peitzsch, D. McGrath, A. Fountain, and D. Fagre. 2019. Reanalysis of US Geological Survey Benchmark Glaciers: long-term insight into climate forcing of glacier mass balance. Journal of Glaciology, 1-17, doi:10.1017/jog.2019.66.
[24] McGrath, D., L. Sass, S. O'Neel, C. McNeil, S. Candela, E. Baker, and HP Marshall. 2018. Interannual snow accumulation variability on glaciers derived from repeat, spatially extensive ground-penetrating radar surveys. The Cryosphere, 12, 3617-3633. doi:10.5194/tc-12-3617-2018.
[23] Chaput, J., R. Aster, D. McGrath, M. Baker, R. Anthony, P. Gerstoft, P. Bromirski, A. Nyblade, R. Stephen, D. Wiens, S. Das, and L. Stevens. 2018. Near-surface environmentally forced changes in the Ross Ice Shelf observed with ambient seismic noise. Geophysical Research Letters, 45, doi:10.1029/2018GL079665.
[22] Fassnacht, S., N. Venable, D. McGrath, and G. Patterson. 2018. Sub-seasonal Snowpack Trends in Rocky Mountain National Park Area, Colorado, USA. Water, 10(5),562. doi:10.3390/w10050562.
[21] Fausto, R.S., J. Box, B. Vandecrux, D. Van As, K. Steffen, M. MacFerrin, H. Machguth, L. Koenig, D. McGrath, C. Charalampidis, and R. Braithwaite. 2018. A snow density dataset for improving surface boundary conditions in Greenland ice sheet firn modeling. Frontiers of Earth Sciences, 6(51), doi:10.3389/feart.2018.00051.
[20] Bevan, S., A. Luckman, B. Hubbard, B. Kulessa, D. Ashmore, P. Kuipers Munneke, M. O'Leary, A. Booth, H. Sevestre and D. McGrath. 2017. Centuries of intense surface melt on Larsen C Ice Shelf. The Cryosphere, 11, 2743-2753, doi:10.5194/tc-11-2743-2017.
[19] Kuipers Munneke, P., D. McGrath, B. Medley, A. Luckman, S. Bevan, B. Kulessa, D. Jansen, A. Booth, P. Smeets, B. Hubbard, D. Ashmore, M. van den Broeke, H. Sevestre, K. Steffen, A. Shepherd, and N. Gourmelen. 2017. Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica. The Cryosphere, 11, 2411-2426, doi:10.5194/tc-11-2411-2017.
[18] Beamer, J.P., D.F. Hill, D. McGrath, A. Arendt, and C. Kienholz. 2017. Hydrologic impacts of changes in climate and glacier extent in the Gulf of Alaska watershed. Water Resources Research, 53, 7502-7520, doi:10.1002/2016WR020033.
[17] Borstad, C., D. McGrath, and A. Pope. 2017. Fracture propagation and stability of ice shelves governed by ice shelf heterogeneity. Geophysical Research Letters, 44, doi:10.1002/2017GL072648.
[16] McGrath, D., L. Sass, S. O’Neel, A. Arendt, and C. Kienholz. 2017. Hypsometric control on glacier mass balance sensitivity in Alaska and northwest Canada. Earth’s Future, 5, 324-336, doi:10.1002/2016EF000479.
[15] Sass, L.C., M.G. Loso, J. Geck, E. Thomas, and D. McGrath. 2017. Geometry, mass balance, and thinning at Eklutna Glacier, Alaska: an altitude-mass-balance feedback with implications for water resources. Journal of Glaciology, 63(238), 343-354, doi:10.1017/jog.2016.146.
[14] Jacquet, J., S. McCoy, D. McGrath, D. Nimick, M. Fahey, J. O’Kuinghttons, B. Friesen and J. Leidich. 2017. Hydrologic and geomorphic change resulting from episodic glacial lake outburst floods: Rio Colonia, Patagonia, Chile. Geophysical Research Letters, 44, doi:10.1002/2016GL071374.
[13] Anthony, R., R. Aster, and D. McGrath. 2017. Links between atmosphere, ocean, and cryosphere from two decades of microseism observations on the Antarctic Peninsula. Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface, 122, doi:10.1002/2016JF004098.
[12] Nimick, D.A., D. McGrath, B.A. Friesen, S.A. Mahan and J. Leidich. 2016. Latest Pleistocene and Holocene glacial events in the Colonia Valley, Northern Patagonia Icefield, southern Chile. Journal of Quaternary Research, 31, 551-564, doi: 10.1002/jqs.2847.
[11] McGrath, D., S. O’Neel, L. Sass, A. Gusmeroli, A. Arendt, G. Wolken, C. Kienholz and C. McNeil. 2015. End-of-winter snow depth variability on glaciers in Alaska. Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface, 120, doi:10.1002/2015JF003539.
[10] Holland, P.R., A. Brisbourne, H.J.F. Corr, D. McGrath, K. Purdon, J. Paden, H.A. Fricker, and F. Paolo. 2015. Oceanic and atmospheric forcing of Larsen C Ice Shelf thinning. The Cryosphere, 9, 1005-1024, doi:10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015.
[9] McGrath, D., K. Steffen, P. Holland, T. Scambos, H. Rajaram, W. Abdalati and E. Rignot. 2014. The structure and effect of suture zones in Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica. Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface, 119(3), 588-602, doi:10.1002/2013JF002935.
[8] Hudson, B., I. Overeem, D. McGrath, J.P.M. Syvitski and A. Mikkelsen. 2014. MODIS observed increase in duration and spatial extent of sediment plumes in Greenland Fjords. The Cryosphere, 8, 1161-1176, doi:10.5194/tc-8-1161-2014.
[7] McGrath D., N. Bayou, W. Colgan, A. Muto and K. Steffen. 2013. Recent warming at Summit, Greenland: Global context and implications. Geophysical Research Letters, 40, doi:10.1002/grl.50456.
[6] McGrath, D., K. Steffen, H. Rajaram, T. Scambos, W. Abdalati and E. Rignot. 2012. Basal crevasses on the Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica: Implications for meltwater ponding and hydrofracture. Geophysical Research Letters, 39, doi:10.1029/2012GL052413.
[5] McGrath, D., K. Steffen, T. Scambos, H. Rajaram, G. Casassa and J.L. Rodriguez Lagos. 2012. Basal crevasses and associated surface crevassing on the Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica and their role in ice-shelf instability. Annals of Glaciology, 58(60), doi:10.3189/2012AoG60A005.
[4] McGrath, D. and K. Steffen. 2012. Recent cooler conditions on the Northern Antarctic Peninsula [In “State of the Climate in 2011”]. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 93(7), S154-S155.
[3] McGrath, D., W.T. Colgan, K. Steffen, P. Lauffenburger and J. Balog. 2011. Assessing the summer water budget of a small moulin basin in the Sermeq Avannarleq ablation region, Greenland Ice Sheet. Journal of Glaciology, 57(205), 954-964, doi:10.3189/002214311798043735.
[2] T. Phillips, S. Leyk, H. Rajaram, W. Colgan, W. Abdalati, D. McGrath and K. Steffen. 2011. Modeling moulin distribution on Sermeq Avannarleq glacier using ASTER and WorldView imagery and fuzzy set theory. Remote Sensing of the Environment, 115, 2292-2301, doi:10.1016/j.rse.2011.04.029.
[1] McGrath, D., K. Steffen, I. Overeem, S. Mernild, B. Hasholt and M. van den Broeke. 2010. Sediment plumes as a proxy for local ice sheet runoff in Kangerlussuaq Fjord, West Greenland. Journal of Glaciology, 56(199), 813-821, doi:10.3189/002214310794457227.
Geologic Maps
[2] Friesen, B.A., D.A. Nimick, D. McGrath, C.J. Cole, E.M. Wilson, M.J. Fahey, S.M. Noble, J. Leidich and J.I. O’Kuinghttons Villena. 2015. Documenting 35 years of land cover changes - Lago Cachet Dos drainage, Chile, U.S. Geological Survey Science Investigations Map 3332, scale 1:24,000, 1 sheet, http://dx.doi.org/10.3.33/sim3332.
[1] Friesen, B.A., C.J. Cole, D.A. Nimick, E.M. Wilson, M.J. Fahey, D. McGrath and J. Leidich. 2015. Using satellite imagery to monitor glacial-lake outburst floods —Lago Cachet Dos drainage, Chile. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3322, scale 1:15,000, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim3322.
Bolded names indicate members of the CSU Cryospheric Sciences Research Group.
Caldwell, N., W. Armstrong, R. McNabb, E. Enderlin, D. McGrath, B. Rick, J. Hanson, and L.B. Perry. Retreat and frontal ablation rates for Alaska's lake-terminating glaciers: Investigating potential physical controls with implications for future stability. Journal of Glaciology, in review.
Vowel, L., W. Armstrong, I. Overeem, D. McGrath, B. Rick, A. Dye, and D. Martin. Investigating changes in proglacial stream suspended sediment concentration and their drivers using large scale remote sensing. Geomorphology, in review.
Bonnell, R., D. McGrath, and 11 others. Evaluating L-band InSAR snow water equivalent retrievals with repeat ground-penetrating radar and terrestrial lidar surveys in Northern Colorado. The Cryosphere Discussions, in review.
Anderson, L., D. Scherler, S. McCoy, D. McGrath, M. Kirkbride, L. Zeller, and R. Anderson. Debris cover controls glacial thinning, lakes, and hazards in High Mountain Asia. Nature Geoscience, in review.
Reis, W., D. McGrath, K. Elder, S. Kampf, and D. Rey. Quantifying Aspect-Dependent Snowpack Response to High-Elevation Wildfire in the Southern Rocky Mountains. Water Resources Research, in review.
Rick, B., D. McGrath, B. Lehmann, T. Fegel, K. Williams and S. Anderson. Influence of an active rock glacier on basin hydrology in the Front Range, Colorado. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes, in revision.
Meehan, T., A. Hojatimalekshah, H.P. Marshall, E. Deeb, S. O'Neel, D. McGrath, R. Webb, R. Bonnell, M. Raleigh, C. Hiemstra, and K. Elder. Spatially distributed snow depth, bulk density, and snow water equivalent from ground-based and airborne sensor integration at Grand Mesa, Colorado, USA. The Cryosphere, in review.
[46] Zeller, L., D. McGrath, S. McCoy, and J. Jacquet. 2024. Seasonal to decadal dynamics of supraglacial lakes on debris-covered glaciers in the Khumbu Region, Nepal. The Cryosphere, 18(2), 525-541, doi:10.5194/tc-18-525-2024.
[45] Byers, A., M. Somos-Valenzuela, D. Shugar, D. McGrath, M. Chand, and R. Avtar. 2024. Brief Communication: An ice-debris avalanche in the Nupchu Valley, Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, Eastern Nepal. The Cryosphere, 18, 711-717, doi:10.5194/tc-18-711-2024.
[44] Vandecrux, B. and 28 others (including D. McGrath). 2023. The historical Greenland Climate Network (GC-Net) curated and augmented Level 1 dataset. Earth System Science Data, 15(2), 5467-5489, doi:10.5194/essd-15-5467-2023.
[43] Bonnell, R., D. McGrath, A. Hedrick and 10 others. 2023. Snowpack relative permittivity and density derived from near-coincident lidar and ground-penetrating radar. Hydrological Processes, 37(10), e14996, doi:10.1002/hyp.14996.
[42] Rick, B., D. McGrath, S. McCoy, and W. Armstrong. 2023. Unchanged frequency and decreasing magnitude of outbursts from ice-dammed lakes in Alaska. Nature Communications, 14, 6138, doi:10.1038/s41467-023-41794-6.
[41] McGrath, D., L. Zeller, R. Bonnell, W. Reis, S. Kampf, K. Williams, M. Okal, A. Olsen-Mikitowicz, E. Bump, M. Sears, and K. Rittger. 2023. Losses exceed gains: impact of the Cameron Peak wildfire on a high-elevation seasonal snowpack. Geophysical Research Letters, 50, e2022GL101294, doi: 10.1029/2022GL101294.
[40] Hammond, J., G. Sextone, A. Putman, T. Barnhart, D. Rey, J. Driscoll, G. Liston, K. Rasmussen, D. McGrath, S. Fassnacht, and S. Kampf. 2023. High resolution SnowModel simulations reveal future elevation dependent snow loss and earlier, flashier surface water input for the Upper Colorado River Basin. Earth's Future, 11, e20222EF003092, doi: 10.1029/2022EF003092.
[39] Kampf, S.K., D. McGrath, M.G. Sears, S.R. Fassnacht, L. Kiewiet, and J.C. Hammond. 2022. Increasing wildfire impacts on snowpack in the western U.S. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 119(39), doi: 10.1073/pnas.2200333119.
[38] McGrath, D., R. Bonnell, L. Zeller, A. Olsen-Mikitowicz, E. Bump, R. Webb and H.P. Marshall. 2022. A time-series of snow density and snow water equivalent observations derived from the integration of GPR and UAV SfM observations. Frontiers in Remote Sensing, 3:886747, doi: 10.3389/frsen.2022.886747.
[37] Zeller, L., D. McGrath, L. Sass, S. O'Neel, C. McNeil, and E. Baker. 2022. Beyond glacier wide mass balances: parsing seasonal elevation change into spatially-resolved patterns of accumulation and ablation at Wolverine Glacier, Alaska. Journal of Glaciology, 1-16, doi: 10.1017/jog.2022.46.
[36] Rick, B., D. McGrath, W. Armstrong, and S. McCoy. 2022. Dam type and lake position govern ice-marginal lake area change in Alaska and NW Canada between 1984 and 2019. The Cryosphere, 16, 297-314, doi: 10.5194/tc-16-297-2022.
[35] Webb, R., A. Marziliiano, D. McGrath, R. Bonnell, T. Meehan, C. Vuyovich, and H.P Marshall. 2021. In situ determination of dry and wet snow permittivity: Improving equations for low frequency radar applications, Remote Sensing (NASA SnowEx special issue), 13, 4617, doi: 10.3390/rs13224617.
[34] Bonnell, R., D. McGrath, K. Williams, R. Webb, S. Fassnacht, and H.P. Marshall. 2021. Spatiotemporal variations in liquid water content in a seasonal snowpack: Implications for radar remote sensing. Remote Sensing (NASA SnowEx special issue), 13, 4223, doi: 10.3390/rs13214223.
[33] Prager, S., G. Sexstone, D. McGrath, J. Fulton, and M. Moghaddam. 2021. Snow depth retrieval with an autonomous UAV-mounted software defined radar. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 60, doi: 10.1109/TGRS.2021.3117509.
[32] Hengst, A. W. Armstrong, D. McGrath, and B. Rick. 2021. Short-term variability in Alaska ice-marginal lake area: Implications for long-term studies. Remote Sensing, 13 (19), 3955, doi.org/10.3390/rs13193955.
[31] Patton, A., S. Rathburn, D. Capps, D. McGrath, and R. Brown. 2021. Ongoing landslide deformation in thawing permafrost. Geophysical Research Letters, 48, doi: 10.1029/2021GL092959.
[30] Orr, A., A. Kirchgaessner, J. King, T. Phillips, E. Gilbert, A. Elvidge, M. Weeks, A. Gadian, P. Kuipers Munneke, M. van den Broeke, S. Webster, and D. McGrath. 2021. Comparison of kilometre and sub-kilometre scale simulations of a foehn wind event over the Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctic Peninsula using the Met Office Unified Model (MetUM). Quarterly Journal of the Royal Meteorological Society, 1-21, doi:10.1002.qj.4138.
[29] Webb, R.W., M.S. Raleigh, D. McGrath, N.P. Molotch, K. Elder, C. Hiemstra, L. Brucker, and H.P Marshall. 2020. Within-stand boundary effects on snow water equivalent distribution in forested areas. Water Resources Research, 56, doi:10.1029/2019WR024905.
[28] Kampf, S., S. Burges, J. Hammond, A. Bhaskar, T. Covino, A. Eurich, H. Harrison, M. Lefsky, C. Martin, D. McGrath, K. Puntenney-Desmond, and K. Willi. 2020. The case for an open water balance: Reenvisioning network design and data analysis for a complex, uncertain world. Water Resources Research, 56, doi: 10.1029/2019WR026699.
[27] Kulessa, B., A. Booth, M. O'Leary, D. McGrath, E. King, A. Luckman, P. Holland, D. Jansen, S. Bevan, S. Thompson, and B. Hubbard. 2019. Seawater softening of suture zones inhibits fracture propagation in Antarctic ice shelves. Nature Communications, 10, 5491, doi:10.1038/s41467-019-13539-x.
[26] McGrath, D., R. Webb, D. Shean, R. Bonnell, H.P. Marshall, T.H. Painter, N.P. Molotch, K. Elder, C. Hiemstra, and L. Brucker. 2019. Spatially extensive ground-penetrating radar snow depth observations during NASA's 2017 SnowEx Campaign: Comparison with in situ, airborne, and satellite observations. Water Resources Research, 55, doi:10.1029/2019WR024907.
[25] O'Neel, S., C. McNeil, L. Sass, C. Florentine, E. Baker, E. Peitzsch, D. McGrath, A. Fountain, and D. Fagre. 2019. Reanalysis of US Geological Survey Benchmark Glaciers: long-term insight into climate forcing of glacier mass balance. Journal of Glaciology, 1-17, doi:10.1017/jog.2019.66.
[24] McGrath, D., L. Sass, S. O'Neel, C. McNeil, S. Candela, E. Baker, and HP Marshall. 2018. Interannual snow accumulation variability on glaciers derived from repeat, spatially extensive ground-penetrating radar surveys. The Cryosphere, 12, 3617-3633. doi:10.5194/tc-12-3617-2018.
[23] Chaput, J., R. Aster, D. McGrath, M. Baker, R. Anthony, P. Gerstoft, P. Bromirski, A. Nyblade, R. Stephen, D. Wiens, S. Das, and L. Stevens. 2018. Near-surface environmentally forced changes in the Ross Ice Shelf observed with ambient seismic noise. Geophysical Research Letters, 45, doi:10.1029/2018GL079665.
[22] Fassnacht, S., N. Venable, D. McGrath, and G. Patterson. 2018. Sub-seasonal Snowpack Trends in Rocky Mountain National Park Area, Colorado, USA. Water, 10(5),562. doi:10.3390/w10050562.
[21] Fausto, R.S., J. Box, B. Vandecrux, D. Van As, K. Steffen, M. MacFerrin, H. Machguth, L. Koenig, D. McGrath, C. Charalampidis, and R. Braithwaite. 2018. A snow density dataset for improving surface boundary conditions in Greenland ice sheet firn modeling. Frontiers of Earth Sciences, 6(51), doi:10.3389/feart.2018.00051.
[20] Bevan, S., A. Luckman, B. Hubbard, B. Kulessa, D. Ashmore, P. Kuipers Munneke, M. O'Leary, A. Booth, H. Sevestre and D. McGrath. 2017. Centuries of intense surface melt on Larsen C Ice Shelf. The Cryosphere, 11, 2743-2753, doi:10.5194/tc-11-2743-2017.
[19] Kuipers Munneke, P., D. McGrath, B. Medley, A. Luckman, S. Bevan, B. Kulessa, D. Jansen, A. Booth, P. Smeets, B. Hubbard, D. Ashmore, M. van den Broeke, H. Sevestre, K. Steffen, A. Shepherd, and N. Gourmelen. 2017. Observationally constrained surface mass balance of Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica. The Cryosphere, 11, 2411-2426, doi:10.5194/tc-11-2411-2017.
[18] Beamer, J.P., D.F. Hill, D. McGrath, A. Arendt, and C. Kienholz. 2017. Hydrologic impacts of changes in climate and glacier extent in the Gulf of Alaska watershed. Water Resources Research, 53, 7502-7520, doi:10.1002/2016WR020033.
[17] Borstad, C., D. McGrath, and A. Pope. 2017. Fracture propagation and stability of ice shelves governed by ice shelf heterogeneity. Geophysical Research Letters, 44, doi:10.1002/2017GL072648.
[16] McGrath, D., L. Sass, S. O’Neel, A. Arendt, and C. Kienholz. 2017. Hypsometric control on glacier mass balance sensitivity in Alaska and northwest Canada. Earth’s Future, 5, 324-336, doi:10.1002/2016EF000479.
[15] Sass, L.C., M.G. Loso, J. Geck, E. Thomas, and D. McGrath. 2017. Geometry, mass balance, and thinning at Eklutna Glacier, Alaska: an altitude-mass-balance feedback with implications for water resources. Journal of Glaciology, 63(238), 343-354, doi:10.1017/jog.2016.146.
[14] Jacquet, J., S. McCoy, D. McGrath, D. Nimick, M. Fahey, J. O’Kuinghttons, B. Friesen and J. Leidich. 2017. Hydrologic and geomorphic change resulting from episodic glacial lake outburst floods: Rio Colonia, Patagonia, Chile. Geophysical Research Letters, 44, doi:10.1002/2016GL071374.
[13] Anthony, R., R. Aster, and D. McGrath. 2017. Links between atmosphere, ocean, and cryosphere from two decades of microseism observations on the Antarctic Peninsula. Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface, 122, doi:10.1002/2016JF004098.
[12] Nimick, D.A., D. McGrath, B.A. Friesen, S.A. Mahan and J. Leidich. 2016. Latest Pleistocene and Holocene glacial events in the Colonia Valley, Northern Patagonia Icefield, southern Chile. Journal of Quaternary Research, 31, 551-564, doi: 10.1002/jqs.2847.
[11] McGrath, D., S. O’Neel, L. Sass, A. Gusmeroli, A. Arendt, G. Wolken, C. Kienholz and C. McNeil. 2015. End-of-winter snow depth variability on glaciers in Alaska. Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface, 120, doi:10.1002/2015JF003539.
[10] Holland, P.R., A. Brisbourne, H.J.F. Corr, D. McGrath, K. Purdon, J. Paden, H.A. Fricker, and F. Paolo. 2015. Oceanic and atmospheric forcing of Larsen C Ice Shelf thinning. The Cryosphere, 9, 1005-1024, doi:10.5194/tc-9-1005-2015.
[9] McGrath, D., K. Steffen, P. Holland, T. Scambos, H. Rajaram, W. Abdalati and E. Rignot. 2014. The structure and effect of suture zones in Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica. Journal of Geophysical Research-Earth Surface, 119(3), 588-602, doi:10.1002/2013JF002935.
[8] Hudson, B., I. Overeem, D. McGrath, J.P.M. Syvitski and A. Mikkelsen. 2014. MODIS observed increase in duration and spatial extent of sediment plumes in Greenland Fjords. The Cryosphere, 8, 1161-1176, doi:10.5194/tc-8-1161-2014.
[7] McGrath D., N. Bayou, W. Colgan, A. Muto and K. Steffen. 2013. Recent warming at Summit, Greenland: Global context and implications. Geophysical Research Letters, 40, doi:10.1002/grl.50456.
[6] McGrath, D., K. Steffen, H. Rajaram, T. Scambos, W. Abdalati and E. Rignot. 2012. Basal crevasses on the Larsen C Ice Shelf, Antarctica: Implications for meltwater ponding and hydrofracture. Geophysical Research Letters, 39, doi:10.1029/2012GL052413.
[5] McGrath, D., K. Steffen, T. Scambos, H. Rajaram, G. Casassa and J.L. Rodriguez Lagos. 2012. Basal crevasses and associated surface crevassing on the Larsen C ice shelf, Antarctica and their role in ice-shelf instability. Annals of Glaciology, 58(60), doi:10.3189/2012AoG60A005.
[4] McGrath, D. and K. Steffen. 2012. Recent cooler conditions on the Northern Antarctic Peninsula [In “State of the Climate in 2011”]. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 93(7), S154-S155.
[3] McGrath, D., W.T. Colgan, K. Steffen, P. Lauffenburger and J. Balog. 2011. Assessing the summer water budget of a small moulin basin in the Sermeq Avannarleq ablation region, Greenland Ice Sheet. Journal of Glaciology, 57(205), 954-964, doi:10.3189/002214311798043735.
[2] T. Phillips, S. Leyk, H. Rajaram, W. Colgan, W. Abdalati, D. McGrath and K. Steffen. 2011. Modeling moulin distribution on Sermeq Avannarleq glacier using ASTER and WorldView imagery and fuzzy set theory. Remote Sensing of the Environment, 115, 2292-2301, doi:10.1016/j.rse.2011.04.029.
[1] McGrath, D., K. Steffen, I. Overeem, S. Mernild, B. Hasholt and M. van den Broeke. 2010. Sediment plumes as a proxy for local ice sheet runoff in Kangerlussuaq Fjord, West Greenland. Journal of Glaciology, 56(199), 813-821, doi:10.3189/002214310794457227.
Geologic Maps
[2] Friesen, B.A., D.A. Nimick, D. McGrath, C.J. Cole, E.M. Wilson, M.J. Fahey, S.M. Noble, J. Leidich and J.I. O’Kuinghttons Villena. 2015. Documenting 35 years of land cover changes - Lago Cachet Dos drainage, Chile, U.S. Geological Survey Science Investigations Map 3332, scale 1:24,000, 1 sheet, http://dx.doi.org/10.3.33/sim3332.
[1] Friesen, B.A., C.J. Cole, D.A. Nimick, E.M. Wilson, M.J. Fahey, D. McGrath and J. Leidich. 2015. Using satellite imagery to monitor glacial-lake outburst floods —Lago Cachet Dos drainage, Chile. U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 3322, scale 1:15,000, http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/sim3322.
Bolded names indicate members of the CSU Cryospheric Sciences Research Group.
PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS
I am always interested in having motivated students join my research group. In general, I am looking for students that:
If you're interested in applying, please email me with:
The application deadline for the Department of Geosciences is typically the first week of January. Further details can be found on the department website.
- are passionate about studying cryospheric, hydrologic, and earth surface processes
- have a background in geosciences or another basic science/quantitative field (e.g., physics, math).
- have quantitative and geospatial skills, and enjoy applying them
- are proficient in or keen to learn a programming language (e.g., Python, Matlab)
If you're interested in applying, please email me with:
- your general research interests or a specific project/idea you're interested in pursuing
- your academic background (unofficial transcripts)
- your CV
- any previous research/fieldwork experience
- why you're interested in pursuing a graduate degree at CSU
The application deadline for the Department of Geosciences is typically the first week of January. Further details can be found on the department website.
Contact: Dr. Dan McGrath
[email protected]
+1-970-491-5301
Department of Geosciences
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
[email protected]
+1-970-491-5301
Department of Geosciences
Colorado State University
Fort Collins, Colorado, USA