temperatures at the mountain top will cause it to precipitate as snow. The increased
amount of snow will feed the ice field, enough to offset the melting at the glacier's
terminus in warm weather. However, with global warming, this sustainable phenomenon will fade away if temperatures continue to climb, since the head of the
glacier will no longer have cold enough ambient temperatures to cause snow to
precipitate.
Although there are many negative effects of the recession of the Mendenhall
Glacier and glaciers in general, there are also a few positive outcomes. With the
retreat of a glacier, such as Mendenhall Glacier, a lake such as Mendenhall Lake
(Fig. 1.3) has formed. The lake is a result of the runoff from the glacier and is
increasing in size as the glacier continues to retreat. The lake began to form and has
continued to grow becoming a unique ecosystem or a nursery for a variety of aquatic
animals and plants, including several types of salmon, Dolly Varden char, and
cutthroat trout.
4.3 Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is located in Southeast Alaska west of
Juneau, USA . The park and preserve cover a total of 3,223,384 acres (5037
sq. mi; 13,045 km
2 ), with 2,770,000 acres (4328 sq. mi; 11,210 km
2 ) being designated as a wilderness area. Ecosystems in the park are wet tundra, Alpine tundra,
coastal forest, and glaciers and ice fields. Sport hunting and trapping are also allowed
in the preserve. Wildlife in Glacier Bay includes both brown and black bear species,
timber wolf, coyote, moose, black-tailed deer, red fox, porcupine, marmot, dall
sheep, beaver, lynx, two species of otter, mink, wolverine, and mountain goat.
Birds that nest in this park include the bald eagle, golden eagle, five species of
woodpecker, two species of hummingbird, raven, four species of falcon, six species
of hawk, osprey, and ten species of owl. Marine mammal species that swim offshore
are the sea otter, harbor seal, Steller sea lion, Pacific white-sided dolphin, orca,
minke whale, and humpback whale.
To hunt and trap, you must have all required licenses and permits and follow all
other state regulations. The National Park Service and the State of Alaska cooperatively manage the wildlife resources of the preserve.
The Park is named for its abundant tidewater and terrestrial glaciers, numbering
1045 in total. There are seven tidewater glaciers in the park: Margerie Glacier, Grand
Pacific Glacier, McBride Glacier, Lamplugh Glacier, Johns Hopkins Glacier, Gilman Glacier, and LaPerouse Glacier. In general, tidewater and terrestrial glaciers in
the Park have been thinning and slowly receding over the last several decades,
although some glaciers continue to advance, including Johns Hopkins Glacier and
glaciers in Lituya Bay.
The rapid advance and subsequent retreat of the glaciers in the Glacier Bay
National Park and Preserve area during several substages from 1680 to the present
time are recorded and illustrated by Fig. 1.4a, b.
14
L. K. Wang et al.
amount of snow will feed the ice field, enough to offset the melting at the glacier's
terminus in warm weather. However, with global warming, this sustainable phenomenon will fade away if temperatures continue to climb, since the head of the
glacier will no longer have cold enough ambient temperatures to cause snow to
precipitate.
Although there are many negative effects of the recession of the Mendenhall
Glacier and glaciers in general, there are also a few positive outcomes. With the
retreat of a glacier, such as Mendenhall Glacier, a lake such as Mendenhall Lake
(Fig. 1.3) has formed. The lake is a result of the runoff from the glacier and is
increasing in size as the glacier continues to retreat. The lake began to form and has
continued to grow becoming a unique ecosystem or a nursery for a variety of aquatic
animals and plants, including several types of salmon, Dolly Varden char, and
cutthroat trout.
4.3 Glacier Bay National Park and Reserve
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is located in Southeast Alaska west of
Juneau, USA . The park and preserve cover a total of 3,223,384 acres (5037
sq. mi; 13,045 km
2 ), with 2,770,000 acres (4328 sq. mi; 11,210 km
2 ) being designated as a wilderness area. Ecosystems in the park are wet tundra, Alpine tundra,
coastal forest, and glaciers and ice fields. Sport hunting and trapping are also allowed
in the preserve. Wildlife in Glacier Bay includes both brown and black bear species,
timber wolf, coyote, moose, black-tailed deer, red fox, porcupine, marmot, dall
sheep, beaver, lynx, two species of otter, mink, wolverine, and mountain goat.
Birds that nest in this park include the bald eagle, golden eagle, five species of
woodpecker, two species of hummingbird, raven, four species of falcon, six species
of hawk, osprey, and ten species of owl. Marine mammal species that swim offshore
are the sea otter, harbor seal, Steller sea lion, Pacific white-sided dolphin, orca,
minke whale, and humpback whale.
To hunt and trap, you must have all required licenses and permits and follow all
other state regulations. The National Park Service and the State of Alaska cooperatively manage the wildlife resources of the preserve.
The Park is named for its abundant tidewater and terrestrial glaciers, numbering
1045 in total. There are seven tidewater glaciers in the park: Margerie Glacier, Grand
Pacific Glacier, McBride Glacier, Lamplugh Glacier, Johns Hopkins Glacier, Gilman Glacier, and LaPerouse Glacier. In general, tidewater and terrestrial glaciers in
the Park have been thinning and slowly receding over the last several decades,
although some glaciers continue to advance, including Johns Hopkins Glacier and
glaciers in Lituya Bay.
The rapid advance and subsequent retreat of the glaciers in the Glacier Bay
National Park and Preserve area during several substages from 1680 to the present
time are recorded and illustrated by Fig. 1.4a, b.
14
L. K. Wang et al.