Global glaciers are eroding. Scientists predict that half of these glaciers will be gone by the end of the century. In Alaska, a lot of the ice that has been lost will also disappear.
Science published a cover story that used high-performance computers and high-performance computers for predicting the fate of 215,547 glaciers. They excluded Antarctica and Greenland’s great ice sheets.
Their conclusion: Say goodbye to Bird, Crow and Daisy, Dogshead. If not,
While most of us won’t be here in 77 year’s time, warmer temperatures will likely wipe out those Alaska glaciers, along with a few others — including the Anchorage water source Eklutna Glacier.
The study’s lead authors are UAF Geophysical Institute scientists Regine Hock and David Rounce (now at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh).
They used supercomputers at UAF to forecast the future of the glaciers of the world under several warming scenarios. Each scenario is one that humanity is moving past.
Hock stated that even under the optimistic scenario of Paris, half of the world’s glaciers will be gone by the end the century.
The scientists examined glaciers in a variety of regions around the globe, including those they call Arctic Canada North, Central Asia and Russian Arctic. Alaska is the place with the most ice. In the last two decades, Alaska’s glaciers already have a three-foot drop in elevation each year.
Because there are so many Alaska glaciers, they are a major contributor to global ice losses. A lot of Alaska glaciers can also be found at low elevations, where gravity transports their ice into melting zones.
If the planet’s temperature trajectory continues on its current course, beloved roadside glaciers may disappear from view. This will most likely happen in Alaska’s glacier-towns by the end century, including Juneau.
Hock stated that although the Mennonhall Glacier will not disappear entirely, it will retreat enough to be invisible from the visitor center even in the most optimistic scenario.
Why is the disappearance glacier ice important, other than for aesthetic reasons? Hock stated that the Gulf of Alaska’s freshwater dumps will have an impact on ocean circulation and ecosystems.
Worldwide seas could rise by half a foot due to the loss glacier ice in 2100.
Rounce created a list of over 200 Alaska glaciers named by Rounce. These glaciers will disappear before the end of this century if the average annual temperature on the planet rises 4 degrees Celsius from its level before the Industrial Revolution. This is a lot of saying goodbyes.
Here’s the complete list:
- Adams Glacier
- Aho Glacier
- Alexander Glacier
- Anderson Glacier
- Andrei Glacier
- Andrews Glacier
- Annin Glacier
- Arey Glacier
- Baby Glacier
- Baker Glacier
- Baldwin Glacier
- Barnard Glacier
- Bear Lake Glacier
- Bench Glacier
- Bettles Glacier
- Bird Glacier
- Boundary Glacier
- Bravo Glacier
- Brilliant Glacier
- Burns Glacier
- Cantwell Glacier
- Canyon Glacier
- Cap Glacier
- Carl Glacier
- Cascading Glacier
- Casey Glacier
- Chamberlain Glacier
- Charpentier Glacier
- Cheja West Glacier
- Chigmit North Glacier
- Chigmuit South Glacier
- Chikuminuk Glacier
- Clara Smith Glacier
- Claremont Glacier
- Clark Glacier
- Clear Glacier
- Coal Glacier
- College Glacier
- Concordia Glacier
- Contact Glacier
- Corbin Glacier
- Crab Glacier
- Crow Glacier
- Cul-de-sac Glacier
- Daisy Glacier
- Dartmouth Glacier
- Deadman Glacier
- Detached Glacier
- Dickinson Glacier
- Dixon Glacier
- Dogshead Glacier
- Doroshin Glacier
- Downer Glacier
- Eagle Glacier
- Eaglek Glacier
- East Alapah Glacier
- East Yakutat Glacier
- Echo Glacier
- Eklutna Glacier
- Exit Glacier
- Explorer Glacier
- Falling Glacier
- Ferguson Glacier
- Fleischmann Glacier
- Flute Glacier
- Fourth Glacier
- Girdled Glacier
- Gooseneck Glacier
- Gracey Creek Glacier
- Gray Glacier
- Greenpoint Glacier
- Heiden Glacier
- Henry Glacier
- Hidden Glacier
- Hogback Glacier
- Holyoke Glacier
- Hubley Glacier
- Hummel Glacier
- Hunter Creek Glacier
- Icicle Glacier
- Indian Glacier
- Irene Glacier
- Johnson Glacier
- Johnson Glacier
- Johnson Glacier
- Kachemak Glacier
- Kadachan Glacier
- Kashoto Glacier
- Killey Glacier
- Kings Glacier
- Koniag Glacier
- Kulavok Glacier
- Lafayette Glacier
- Lare Glacier
- Latouche Glacier
- Le Blondeau Glacier
- Leaking Glacier
- Lechner Glacier
- Leffingwell Glacier
- Lemon Creek Glacier
- Little Jarvis Glacier
- Loomis Glacier
- Lowell Glacier
- Marshall Glacier
- Martin Glacier
- Maynard Glacier
- McCall Glacier
- McCallum Glacier
- McCarthy Creek Glacier
- McCarty Glacier
- McCune Glacier
- Metal Creek Glacier
- Milk Glacier
- Mineral Creek Glacier
- Mint Glacier
- Morse Glacier
- Mother Goose Glacier
- Muth Glacier
- Neacola Glacier
- Nelson Glacier
- North Baird Glacier
- Nugget Creek Glacier
- Ogive Glacier
- Okpilak Glacier
- Organ Glacier
- Patton Glacier
- Pedro Glacier
- Pegmatite Glacier
- Penniman Glaciers
- Polychrome Glacier
- Popof Glacier
- Porcupine Glacier
- Prospect Glacier
- Ptarmigan Glacier
- Puget Glacier
- Rainbow Glacier
- Ranney Glacier
- Rasmuson Glacier
- Raven Glacier
- Red Glacier
- Rex Glacier
- Riley Creek Glacier
- Ripon Glacier
- Roaring Glacier
- Romer Glacier
- Saksaia Glacier
- Saussure Glacier
- Schubee Glacier
- Schwanda Glacier
- Scidmore Glacier
- Seefar Glacier
- Seth Glacier
- Shakespeare Glacier
- Shephard Glacier
- Shiels Glacier
- Silver Glacier
- Skee Glacier
- Slope Glacier
- South Glacier
- Split Glacier
- Split Glacier
- Split Thumb Icefall
- Spoon Glacier
- Stony Glacier
- Sumdum Glacier
- Sunrise Glacier
- Surprise Glacier
- Talkeetna Glacier
- Tasnuna Glacier
- Texas Glacier
- The Knife Creek Glaciers
- Thiel Glacier
- Glacier
- Thumb Glacier
- Tigertail Glacier
- Tikke Glacier
- Tired Pup Glacier
- Tkope Glacier
- TlikakilaNorthFork
- Toboggan Glacier
- Tok Glacier
- Toklat1
- Toklat2
- Tommy Glacier
- Tongue Glacier
- Tonsina Glacier
- Trail Glacier
- Truuli Glacier
- Tsina Glacier
- Twenty-seven Mile Glacier
- Twin Glacier
- Ultramarine Glacier
- Villard Glacier
- Warm Creek Glacier
- Wedge Glacier
- West Alapah Glacier
- West Gulkana Glacier
- West Yakutat Glacier
- Westbrook Glacier
- White Glacier
- Whittier Glacier
- Williams Glacier
- Windy Glacier
- Yuri Glacier
