2 More Glaciers Gone From Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park has lost two more of itssheeting to keep them cooler. It could prove a losing
namesake moving icefields to climate change, which isbattle: Scientists working for the United Nations say the
shrinking the rivers of ice until they grind to a halt, thelast period of widespread glacial growth was more
U.S. Geological Survey said Wednesday. Warmerthan three decades ago, lasting only for a few years.
temperatures have reduced the number of namedSince about 1850, when the Little Ice Age ended, the
glaciers in the northwestern Montana park to 25, saidtrend has been steadily downward. The area of the
Dan Fagre, an ecologist with the agency. He warnedRocky Mountains now within Glacier National Park
the rest of the glaciers may be gone by the end ofonce boasted about 150 glaciers, of which 37 were
the decade. "When we're measuring glacier margins,eventually named. Fagre said a handful of the park's
by the time we go home the glacier is already smallerlargest glaciers could survive past 2020 or even 2030,
than what we've measured," Fagre said. The latestbut by that point the ecosystem would already be
two to fall below the 25 acre threshold were Micheirreversibly altered. Fagre said geological evidence
Wabun and Shepard. Nike air max shoes 360 Eachpoints to the continual presence of glaciers in the air
had shrunk by roughly 55 percent since the mid-1960s.max Ltd 2area since at least 5000 B.C. "They've been
The largest remaining glacier in the park is Harrisonon this landscape continually for 7,000 years, and we're
Glacier, at about 465 acres. On a local scale, fewerlooking at them disappear in a couple of decades," he
glaciers means less water in streams for fish and asaid. A glacier needs to be 25 acres to qualify for the
higher risk for forest fires. More broadly, Fagre said thetitle. If it shrinks more, it does not always stop moving
fate of the glaciers offers a climate barometer,right away. A smaller mass of ice on a steep slope
indicating dramatic changes to some ecosystemswould continue to grind its way through the mountains,
already under way. While the meltoff shows thebut eventually could disappear completely. Smaller
climate is changing, it does not show exactly what isglaciers and warmer temperatures could lower stream
causing temperatures to rise. In alpine regions aroundflows, which in turn prompt fishing restrictions and
the world, glacier melting has accelerated in recenthobble whitewater rafting businesses, said Denny
decades as temperatures increased. Most scientistsGignoux, who runs an outfitting business in West
tie that warming directly to higher atmosphericGlacier. Tourism is a $1 billion-a-year industry in the
concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbonarea. "What happens when all these threats
dioxide. Some glaciers, such as in the Himalayas, couldincrease?" Gignoux asked. "We're losing a draw to
hold out for centuries in a warmer world. But moreGlacier." A report released Wednesday by two
than 90 percent of glaciers worldwide are in retreat,environmental groups highlighted the threat to tourism
with major losses already seen across much ofof fewer glaciers. The study by the Rocky Mountain
Alaska, the Alps, the Andes and numerous otherClimate Organization and Natural Resources Defense
ranges, according to researchers in the United StatesCouncil included an analysis of weather records that
and Europe. In some areas of the Alps, ski resorts setshowed Glacier was 2 degrees hotter on average
atop glaciers have taken drastic measures to stavefrom 2000 to 2009, compared with 1950 to 1979.
off the decline, such as draping glaciers in plastic