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| This picture shows the path of a glacier over the past 150 years. |
Glaciers are retreating very fast. They are currently decreasing at about 1% per year, and that percentage is still increasing.. Baraer, and collaborators Prof. "When a glacier starts to retreat, at some point you reach a plateau and from this point onwards, you have a decrease in the discharge of meltwater from the glacier," explained Baraer. "For almost all the watersheds we have studied, we have good evidence that we have passed peak water." This means that the people who rely on this water source could have some serious problems due to the lack of water.
I found a video on YouTube that shows the process of a particular retreating glacier in Juneau, Alaska. It shows how our rising temperatures are melting glaciers at an ever so accelerating rate which is also causing a dramatic rise in our global sea levels. Watch as you can see the progression of the melting ice of the glacier over time and how greatly it retreats from the land. Here is the link for the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dFbuaz130c
ReplyDeleteDear Dan Fagre,
ReplyDeleteHello, my name is Liz and I'm in 10th grade and I go to Hatboro-Horsham High School. In my environmental class we have an assignment to blog about different topics. The topic that was blogged this time was about glaciers threatening water supplies. Since you are a expert on glaciers I was wondering if you would take a look at our blog. Thank you. Here is a link to our blog:http://elitesciencesquad.blogspot.com/2012/10/retreating-glaciers-threaten-water.html
Sincerely,
Liz
Opinion: I think that this article is very important because decreasing glaciers are an important issue to look at. We receive so much fresh water from glaciers and if those glaciers are melting due to global warming or other factors then we will be losing a lot of our fresh water supply. This ties into class because we are learning about population and regulation and how our population will level off and what factors will tie into that. A decrease in our water supply is a big problem that could be a major factor in the leveling off of our human population.
ReplyDeleteNew Question: 1. How much of our fresh water is received from glaciers?
2. Where are these glaciers that are retreating located?
3. What are some factors as to why these glaciers are retreating?
Roman Dolinay
1. The total amount of water locked up in glaciers and ice caps around the world is very small, about 1.7%, but the total amount of fresh water locked up in glaciers and ice caps is much more than 68.7%.
ReplyDelete2. These glaciers are located all over the world and mainly places with cold climates. Places such as Alaska, Canada, Russia and etc.
3. Global warming may cause the glaciers to advance or retreat and also when elements of glacial movement melt under pressure and then refreeze.