Montana News

Glacier Park's shrinking glaciers a visible barometer of climate change

Montana Public Radio | By Sally Mauk

Published October 22, 2013 at 10:01 AM MDT

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Salamander Glacier sits 250 feet above Grinnell Glacier, which ends in a lake filled with icebergs sporting car-sized boulders.

Brianna Mills

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Dan Fagre, far right, and his research crew discuss survey methods on Grinnell Glacier.

Brianna Mills

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Researchers Erich Peitzsch, left, and Adam Clark, right, climb a ledge while marking Grinnell Glacier's edge with a GPS.

Brianna Mills

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Dan Fagre crosses a rocky path next to a waterfall on his way to Grinnell Glacier.

Brianna Mills

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Rock flour is ground up by glaciers, and when seen on a small boulder like this it means the rocks were only recently uncovered by the retreating ice.

Brianna Mills

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Survey work takes researchers into a melted out crevasse on Grinnell Glacier.

Brianna Mills

As part of our ongoing series in Montana Public Media's "Climate Week", tonight we focus on how climate change is impacting Glacier National Park.
Melting glaciers are one of the most tangible effects of climate change. Glacier National Park has been jokingly called "Glacier-less National Park" and "Dirty Sno-cone National Park" since the park's namesakes will melt away in just a few decades.
Reporter Allison Mills recently hiked up to Grinnell Glacier with researcher Dan Fagre and his crew to see what's happening to the retreating ice.