Washington: Reports indicate that most glaciers in Washington and Alaska in the US are dramatically shrinking in response to a warming climate.
During the past 50 years, USGS (US Geological Survey) scientists have measured changes in the mass (length and thickness) of three glaciers: Alaska’s Gulkana and Wolverine Glaciers and Washington’s South Cascade Glacier.
These are the longest such records in North America and among the longest in the world.
These three glaciers are known as benchmark glaciers because they are widely spaced, represent different climate regimes, and can be used to understand the thousands of other glaciers in nearby regions.
In addition to these three glaciers, more than 99 percent of America’s thousands of large glaciers have long documented records that show an overall shrinkage as climate warms.
ANI
First Published: Sunday, September 06, 2009, 11:58