The nation’s largest glaciers are rapidly disappearing because of the effects of climate change, the U.S. Geological Survey said Wednesday.
A new report released by the agency looked at the glaciers in Montana’s Glacier National Park, some of which have shrunk by as much as 85 percent over the last 50 years.
The study, done in collaboration with Portland State University, showed that on average most glaciers have shrunk 39 percent. If the glaciers continue to shrink, it may mean they will lose their title as glaciers, according to the study. Only 26 glaciers are now larger than 25 acres, which is the guideline for deciding if a body of ice is large enough to be considered a glacier, according to the geological survey.
“The data include scientific information for the 37 named glaciers in Glacier National Park and two glaciers on U.S. Forest Service land,” the agency said. “The retreat of glaciers is significant in Montana because of the impact shrinking glaciers can have on tourism, as well as being a visual indicator of mountain ecosystem change in the northern Rocky Mountains.”
Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who hails from the state, has touted the park as a boon to its tourist economy, and has vowed to preserve the national parks as head of the agency. It is not clear how, or if, he will address the effects of climate change on the glaciers, which are the primary draw for visitors.
Daniel Fagre, the lead Geological Survey scientist, warned that the park’s loss of ice could begin to affect the park’s ecology and harm aquatic animal species.
“The park-wide loss of ice can have ecological effects on aquatic species by changing stream water volume, water temperature and runoff timing in the higher elevations of the park,” Fagre said.
Portland State geologist Andrew Fountain said the shrinkage in Montana is more severe than most other places in the nation, but it is “in line with trends that have been happening on a global scale.”
