Glaciers provide windows into past and present behavior of the climate in the North Pacific region since they they are well distributed in western Canada and are sensitive to changes in precipitation and temperature. Glaciers are also important for western Canada since they serve as frozen reservoirs of freshwater.

In this context, the aim of the Western Canadian Cryospheric Network (WC2N) is to understand the behaviour of the climate system and its effects on glacier mass balance in the mountain ranges of British Columbia and western Alberta. Over the next five years, WC2N will:

• Use historical and contemporary datasets and satellite imagery to establish past and present glacier extent over the past 400 years;
• Document present and past North Pacific climate variability;
• Detail contemporary meteorological and climate processes and their importance for glacier nourishment;
• Model changes in glacier cover and glacier runoff based on possible future climates.