Grinnell Glacier, Glacier NP, 1936
First of 2 images for glacial retreat comparison. Upon close inspection of this photo pair, the viewer can appreciate the change in the volume of glacial ice that has melted from the Grinnell Glacier, In the 2010 image, the glacier's terminus can be seen along the edge of Upper Grinnell Lake, a feature that did not exist in 1936. Climate change research in Glacier National Park, Montana entails many methods of documenting the landscape change, including the decline of the parks namesake glaciers. While less quantitative than other high-tech methods of recording glacial mass, depth, and rate of retreat, repeat photography has become a valuable tool for communicating effects of global warming. With evidence of worldwide glacial recession and modeled predictions that all of the parks glaciers will melt by the year 2030, USGS scientists have begun the task of documenting glacial decline through photography. The striking images created by pairing historic images with contemporary photos has given global warming a face and made climate change a relevant issue to viewers. The images are an effective visual means to help viewers understand that climate change contributes to the dynamic landscape changes so evident in Glacier National Park.
Size: 4800px × 3000px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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