all the glaciers are shrinking in the 1800’s they were estimated to be about
1800’s they were estimated to be about
1800’s they were estimated to be about 150 glaciers here however today we only
150 glaciers here however today we only
150 glaciers here however today we only have 25 glaciers
the glaciers are measured by a number of
the glaciers are measured by a number of different ways one of the most obvious
different ways one of the most obvious
different ways one of the most obvious ones is using repeat photography where
ones is using repeat photography where
ones is using repeat photography where we go and occupy a site from which a
we go and occupy a site from which a
we go and occupy a site from which a photographer took a picture in say
photographer took a picture in say
photographer took a picture in say nineteen ten and then weari photograph
nineteen ten and then weari photograph
nineteen ten and then weari photograph that from exactly the same spot
once you go every several years to five
once you go every several years to five years or ten years that’s when you see
years or ten years that’s when you see
years or ten years that’s when you see the really big changes when we first
the really big changes when we first
the really big changes when we first started this project we thought every
started this project we thought every
started this project we thought every other year was was going to be too much
other year was was going to be too much
other year was was going to be too much but recently we’ve seen so much glacier
but recently we’ve seen so much glacier
but recently we’ve seen so much glacier change that now we are increasing our
change that now we are increasing our
change that now we are increasing our frequency repeating photographs or
frequency repeating photographs or
frequency repeating photographs or visiting glaciers you can see that it’s
visiting glaciers you can see that it’s
visiting glaciers you can see that it’s all melted away the lake has gotten
all melted away the lake has gotten
all melted away the lake has gotten bigger all this Isis contributed to the
bigger all this Isis contributed to the
bigger all this Isis contributed to the to the water and is retreated back up
to the water and is retreated back up
to the water and is retreated back up towards the head while the mountain I
towards the head while the mountain I
towards the head while the mountain I also do things that are a little bit
also do things that are a little bit
also do things that are a little bit more modern such as taking precision
more modern such as taking precision
more modern such as taking precision global positioning systems and going
global positioning systems and going
global positioning systems and going along the margins of the ice so that we
along the margins of the ice so that we
along the margins of the ice so that we can look at changes in the area of the
can look at changes in the area of the
can look at changes in the area of the ice through time
Glacier National Park is an excellent
Glacier National Park is an excellent natural laboratory to examine the
natural laboratory to examine the
natural laboratory to examine the effects of climate change this area is
effects of climate change this area is
effects of climate change this area is actually warming at two to three times
actually warming at two to three times
actually warming at two to three times the rate of the global average rise in
the rate of the global average rise in
the rate of the global average rise in air temperatures so these increased air
air temperatures so these increased air
air temperatures so these increased air temperatures are decreasing the snowpack
temperatures are decreasing the snowpack
temperatures are decreasing the snowpack and the glaciers in the high country and
and the glaciers in the high country and
and the glaciers in the high country and increasing disturbance events like
increasing disturbance events like
increasing disturbance events like wildfires that we’re experiencing
some of the species that we’re studying
some of the species that we’re studying these aquatic insects might be the first
these aquatic insects might be the first
these aquatic insects might be the first species actually to go extinct and due
species actually to go extinct and due
species actually to go extinct and due to the effects of global climate change
to the effects of global climate change
to the effects of global climate change we’ve already seen a contraction in the
we’ve already seen a contraction in the
we’ve already seen a contraction in the distribution of some of these species in
distribution of some of these species in
distribution of some of these species in comparison to collections that were done
comparison to collections that were done
comparison to collections that were done back in the 1960s
back in the 1960s
back in the 1960s even though glaciers may seem
even though glaciers may seem
even though glaciers may seem disconnected and far away to people they
disconnected and far away to people they
disconnected and far away to people they actually affect a lot of things
actually affect a lot of things
actually affect a lot of things downstream and that’s even evident and
downstream and that’s even evident and
downstream and that’s even evident and other things such as the way that the
other things such as the way that the
other things such as the way that the snowpack affects the huckleberry crop
snowpack affects the huckleberry crop
snowpack affects the huckleberry crop and this is of course a vital food
and this is of course a vital food
and this is of course a vital food source for grizzly bears animals that
source for grizzly bears animals that
source for grizzly bears animals that live in these upper elevations are
live in these upper elevations are
live in these upper elevations are adapted to the colder temperatures there
adapted to the colder temperatures there
adapted to the colder temperatures there and because we’re predicting warmer
and because we’re predicting warmer
and because we’re predicting warmer temperatures they may be particularly
temperatures they may be particularly
temperatures they may be particularly vulnerable to these changes they also
vulnerable to these changes they also
vulnerable to these changes they also have very specific food needs and the
have very specific food needs and the
have very specific food needs and the food changes for them could also
food changes for them could also
food changes for them could also influence their ability to thrive in
influence their ability to thrive in
influence their ability to thrive in spite of the fact that will be different
spite of the fact that will be different
spite of the fact that will be different in the future it’s still going to be a
in the future it’s still going to be a
in the future it’s still going to be a valuable asset to Americans both as a as
valuable asset to Americans both as a as
valuable asset to Americans both as a as a research outdoor laboratory and and
a research outdoor laboratory and and
a research outdoor laboratory and and maybe as a kind of iconic lesson as to
maybe as a kind of iconic lesson as to
maybe as a kind of iconic lesson as to what climate change can do to natural
what climate change can do to natural
what climate change can do to natural landscapes
”
Be First to Comment