The change in climate has seen the effect of the Glacier National Park's historic glaciers disappearing so fast that only 26 remains out of the 150 in the 19th century. The rise of temperature in the climate change monitor measures at 1.5 degrees F since 1895. The past 50 years saw the merciless shrinking of 39 glaciers. Some left with just stubs and patches of ice.
According to Daniel Fagre, the scientist who is leading the US Geological Survey, Glacier National Park's glaciers condition is irreversible and won't last soon. The next generation won't be able to witness the beauty and splendor of their sceneries. The effect of the glaciers' loss will disrupt not only tourism but also the biological ecosystem that depends on the water cascading from the melted glacier.
Glacier National Park sits on a one million acre vicinity along the Montana-Canadian border. Heat trapped by greenhouse gasses caused the retreat of the pristine glaciers to up to 85 percent less than what it use to be. Because of its smaller size and short peaks, the glaciers in the parks are easily melted and leads the overall global effect in melting.
Fagre's team digitalized the mapping and poster scenes that compare the previous and present state of the melted glaciers at Glacier National Park. The researchers have on record of the glaciers had shrunk to 39 percent back in 1966. Tracking the meltdown of these glaciers are instrumental in measuring the effects of climate change, reports Climate Central.
The effect of climate change can be most felt on the Glacier National Park where drought and wildfire is a possibility any time, says Andrew Fountain, co-author of the USGS study. He further stated that warming trends are 1.8 times the global average, reports Inside Climate News.
The impact of the loss of glaciers at the Glacier National Park will alter the landscape of bio diversified ecological balance that depends on the water released by the melting glaciers along the riverbanks it is contributing upon.
