Activity 2.2 - Cryosphere, Grinnell Glacier, Montana

Grinnell Glacier, 1938

(Hileman 1938)

Grinnell Glacier, 2016

(Fagre 2016)

Grinnell Glacier, 2018

(Chiang 2018)

Problem

    As climate warms, the cryosphere loses ice. The rise in temperatures causes glaciers all over the world to melt. There are quite a few negative effects of the melting cryosphere. Some of these include excess greenhouse gases, less solar radiation reflected back into space, and rising sea levels (UCAR 2019). These images show the drastic change in the amount of ice at Grinnell Glacier in Montana, USA. There is significantly less ice in 2016 than in 1938. The 1938 image shows a large structure of ice reaching almost halfway to the peak of the mountain behind it. In 2016, the structure is nearly all gone. There looks to be large pieces of ice peeking out of the water, seeming to be remnants of the original larger glacier. In the most recent image, those small remnants are entirely gone. Only a few small pieces of ice remain floating in the water. The ice to the left of the image is noticeably smaller as well.

Explanation

     The cryosphere is an important part of the earth's ecosystem. They help combat global warming by storing greenhouse gases and reflecting solar radiation back into space (UCAR 2019). When the sun radiates into the atmosphere, the waves are absorbed by the earth's surface and re-radiated into the atmosphere. Glaciers reflect the radiation back into space rather than absorbing it. Once radiation is absorbed and re-radiated from the earth's surface, greenhouse gases in the atmosphere absorb that radiation and release heat, warming the air (Freedman 2018). The cryosphere is responsible for storing greenhouse gases including methane and carbon dioxide. As the glaciers melt, these gases are released into the atmosphere, fueling the global warming phenomenon. The ice itself melts and turns into water which flows back into the ocean. This creates a rise in sea levels. The rising sea levels put coastal homes and businesses at risk. It also leads to the erosion of beaches and flooding of wetlands. As the oceans rise and flood coastal ecosystems, those aquifers may increase in salinity and deem the water unusable for humans and freshwater wildlife (Manion et al. 2000).

References

Chiang, B. (2018). Grinnell Glacier Photo Sphere View [Photograph]. Google Earth. https://earth.google.com/web/@48.76007586,-113.72937349,1987.69396386a,0d,59.99999999y,212.4584624h,98.16782878t,0r/data=IjAKLEFGMVFpcFBPcEhlUVVUTjFJdHB2YWxZd19jNXJYZmpYcmx2UlhMdXY5LWdUEAU

Fagre, D. (2016). Grinnell Glacier 2016 [Photograph]. USGS. https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/nature/glacier-repeat-photos.htm

Freedman, B. (2018). Environmental science: A Canadian perspective. Halifax, Canada: Dalhousie University Libraries.

Hileman, T. J. (1938). Grinnell Glacier 1938 [Photograph]. GNP Archives. https://www.nps.gov/glac/learn/nature/glacier-repeat-photos.htm

Manion, M., Neuman, J., Nicholls, R. & Yohe, G. (2000). Sea-Level Rise & Global Climate Change: A Review of Impacts to U.S. Coasts. Center for Climate and Energy Solutions.

UCAR. (2019). Climate and Ice. UCAR Center for Science Education. https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/climate-change-impacts/climate-and-ice