A new technique was developed and used to carry out an analysis of 35 small glaciers in the Columbia Icefield area, Alberta using 1992 colour 1:50,000 aerial photographs. This technique utilized a Geographic Information System and Digital Elevation Models to measure glacier area, linear distances and elevations for the Little Ice Age maximum and 1992. The developed technique offers an effective and inexpensive alternative to other methods of compensating for photographic distortion in the measurement of small scale objects.

The total glacierized area at present is ca 26 $\rm km\sp2,$ while the approximate total Little Ice Age area was ca 41 $\rm km\sp2.$ The mean loss in individual glacier area over the last 150 years was 47%, with the greatest losses occurring in smaller glaciers. The glaciers in this area had a strong negative mass balance in 1992, indicated by a mean August 13 Accumulation Area Ratio of ca 0.40 (estimated 0.20 for end of season).