Activity 2.2 - Cryosphere: Boulder Glacier, Montana
- Brendan Allen
- Sep 13, 2021
- 2 min read
Original Photo: 1910
Second Photo: 2007
Google Earth View: 2019
Problem:
The Boulder glacier in Montana are a cirque type glacier meaning it’s a bowl shaped depression on the side of mountains. From the time that the first photo that was taken in 1910 to the photo that was taken in 2007 the glacier had receded back 515 meters which is more than 75% of its surface area, meaning on average the glacier was melting at about 16 meters per year. Now the glacier only covers 13 acres, and can no longer meet the 25 acre that most cite as an active glacier. According to research now the glacier is still not approaching equilibrium and will continue to recede until it compltely disappears which scientists say can be as early as 2030.
Explanation:
Boulder Glacier which is just north of Boulder Peak and west of the continental divide. Because of the type of glacier Boulder glacier is snow and ice accumulate fast because of avalanches from surrounding slopes making this part of boulder glacier the zone of accumulation. The only difference that this glacier has compared to other cirque glaciers is that because of the slope of the mountain boulder glacier is more prone to climate change resulting in the ice and snow to melt faster than it can accumulate, and doens’t connect to a lake or river.
Work Cited:
Vocabulary and Info:
Pelto , Mauri. “North Cascade Glacier Climate Project.” North Cascade Glacier Climate Project Mauri S. Pelto, NCGCP Director Founded in 1983, Nichols College, Dudley, MA Mspelto@Nichols.edu, 2021, glaciers.nichols.edu/boulder-glacier/.
Photo and Re-Photo:
Farge, Daniel. “Glacier Repeat Photography Project.” Glacier Repeat Photography Project // LandScope America, 2021, www.landscope.org/connect/find/partners/usgs/usgs_repeat_photo/.
Google View:
Google Maps. (2019). Boulder Glacier, Montana. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/place/Boulder+Glacier,+Montana+59936/@48.9574277,-114.0886601,16z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x536f5805cc3f1117:0xe85a099dc330f8b0
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