Glacier Retreat in Glacier National Park

As the climate warms and becomes more variable, the glaciers of Glacier National Park (GNP) respond. Climate change models predict that by 2030 GNP will have lost all of its glaciers. USGS scientists are studying these ice age remnants to track climate change and assess the ecological and hydrological effects, and to predict future changes and effects.

	Glaciers as indicators of climate change Across the globe melting glaciers have become a symbol of climate change. Small alpine glaciers, like those in Glacier National Park, respond to climate trends and allow scientists to track climatic changes over centuries.		Impacts of receding glaciers Glacial runoff influences stream temperature and basin hydrology which can impact numerous species of aquatic insects and fish, as well as the animals that feed on them. In GNP, there are species at risk of extinction as glacial runoff dries up.

	History of glaciers in Glacier National Park Fluctuations in climate have influenced the growth and decline of Glacier National Park’s namesake features.		Sperry Glacier recession Sperry Glacier has been studied since the early 1900s. Currently, USGS scientists are conducting intensive studies to determine it’s annual mass balance and to monitor it’s recession.

	What do computer models predict? Glacier National Park’s glaciers are predicted to melt by 2030 under current warming trends.		Grinnell Glacier recession Grinnell Glacier has been reduced by nearly 90% over the past century. USGS scientists are documenting it’s retreat.

	What makes it a glacier? Glacier or snowfield? There are specific criteria used by USGS scientists to determine if a snow mass is a glacier.		Repeat Photographs document glacial recession Repeat photographs of many of the parks’ glaciers reveal what happens when the climate warms.

CCME

Glacier Retreat in Glacier National Park