Activity 2.2 - Cryosphere

Activity 2.2 - Cryosphere: Sperry Glacier, Montana

   

Morton J. Elrod, K. Ross Toole Archives, 1930

Problem

As you can see in the photo above capture by Morton Elrod in 1930, the alpine glacier known as Sperry Glacier is abundant in ice. The main issue at hand is that glaciers just like this one, are losing their size (melting). Which on the surface sounds pretty normal, I mean you leave an ice cold drink outside in the Texas heat you're lucky if your cup doesn't melt onto your lawn chair. Now that's an exaggeration obviously but what I'm trying to say is ice begins to melt when temperatures reach a certain threshold. The problem is these glaciers are losing their mass at a rapid rate, mainly due to climate change causing temperatures to rise.

Explanation

Lisa McKeon, USGS, 2008

As you can clearly see in the repeat photo captured above by Lisa McKeon, the ice is almost completely melted. A drastic change within the 78 year gap between these photos. "This glacier used to be closer," Fagre declares as we crest a steep section, his glasses fogged from exertion. He's only half joking. A trailside sign notes that since 1901, Sperry Glacier has shrunk from more than 800 acres to 300 acres. "That's out of date," Fagre says, stopping to catch his breath. "It's now less than 250 acres"(Glick, 2021).

This rapid loss isn't just happening at the Sperry glacier to all of the cryosphere. This doesn't just affect rising sea levels but glaciers impact our climate, ecosystems which therefore effector or wildlife. Below is a current (9/14/2023), google earth render of Sperry Glacier which I tried my best to get the same angle as the two images above. 

Google. (n.d.). Google earth. https://earth.google.com/web/search/Sperry+Glacier,+Montana/@48.63060159,-113.76872074,2260.19660946a,878.81187005d,35y,137.19733534h,83.34846801t,-0r/data=CoIBGlgSUgolMHg1MzY4YTcxMzBjZTBkZTQ3OjB4OTJiZTZmNmM1OTA1Zjk4OBnNyYtMwE9IQCGrksg-yHBcwCoXU3BlcnJ5IEdsYWNpZXIsIE1vbnRhbmEYASABIiYKJAmL_RP2kYZIQBFpvf622RdIQBkXn7c9pU9cwCGGFr_HwIRcwA

Works Cited

Glick, D. (2021, May 4). Sperry Glacier article, Glacier National Park Information, Glaciers Facts -- national geographic. Science. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/geo-signs-thaw