Grinnell Glacier

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Grinnell Glacier
Grinnell Glacier in background (2005)
Grinnell Glacier in background (2005)
Type Mountain Glacier
Location Montana, U.S.
Coordinates 48°45′10″N, 113°43′60″W
Area 217 acres (88 ha)
Terminus Proglacial lake
Status Retreating

Grinnell Glacier is located in the heart of Glacier National Park (US) in the U.S. state of Montana. The glacier is named for George Bird Grinnell, an early American conservationist and explorer, who was also a strong advocate of ensuring the creation of Glacier National Park. The glacier is in the Lewis Range and rests on the north flank of Mount Gould at an altitude averaging 7,000 feet (2,133 m), in the Many Glacier region of the park.

The glacier has been one of the most photographed glaciers in the park and many of these photographs date back to the mid 19th century. When compared with images taken over subsequent years, the glacier has obviously retreated substantially. This is a pattern repeated throughout the park and worldwide, strong evidence of a global climate change correlating with Global warming. In 1850, Grinnell Glacier measured 2.88 square kilometers, including the area of The Salamander. When last measured in 1993, Grinnell Glacier measured 0.88 square kilometers and The Salamander measured 0.23 square kilometers. Glaciologists that have researched the glaciers in the park believe that unless the climate cools and snowfall increases dramatically, all the glaciers in the park, including Grinnell, will disappear by the year 2030.

The glacier can be reached after a 6 mile (9.6 km) hike from a trailhead beginning at Swiftcurrent Lake. The trail has an altitude gain of just over 1,600 feet (487 m), with the majority of that in the second half of the hike. Above Grinnell Glacier is another glacier known as the Salamander which is an excellent example of a shelf or hanging glacier. The Salamander and Grinnell were believed to be attached at one time, but both have retreated and are no longer connected. Gem Glacier, the smallest remaining glacier in the park, is located on the Garden Wall above Grinnell. Repeat photography of the glacier taken between the years 1938 and 2005 (as shown below) demonstrate that the glacier has retreated significantly over the past 65 years. Interestingly, The Salamander and Gem Glacier have shown little change in area over the same period of time. The Salamander receives its name for its shape and its coloring, which comes from the serratia bacteria that grows on it.

1938 T.J. Hileman GNP 1981 Carl Key (USGS) 1998 Dan Fagre (USGS) 2005 Blase Reardon (USGS)

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