Alaska glaciers shrinking fast: survey

Alaska glaciers shrinking fast: survey

Thu Aug 6, 2009 8:24pm EDT

By Yereth Rosen

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) - Three major glaciers in Alaska and Washington state have thinned and shrunk dramatically, clear signs of a warming climate, according to a study released Thursday by the U.S. Geological Survey.

The three glaciers -- Gulkana and Wolverine in Alaska and South Cascade in Washington -- are considered benchmarks for those in alpine and maritime climates because they closely parallel other glaciers in their regions. They have also been the subject of close scientific scrutiny since 1957.

"These are the three glaciers in North America that have the longest record of mass change," said Shad O'Neel, a United States Geological Survey glaciologist in Anchorage who was one of the study authors.

"All three of them have a different climate from the other two, yet all three are showing a similar pattern of behavior, and that behavior is mass loss."

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