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| Blackfoot Glacier |
|
Blackfoot Glacier at left was once joined to Jackson Glacier on the right
|
| Type |
Mountain glacier |
| Location |
Montana, U.S. |
| Coordinates |
48°35′34″N, 113°40′07″W |
| Area |
430 acres (1.74 km²) |
| Length |
1 mile (1.6 km) |
| Terminus |
Moraine |
| Status |
Retreating |
Blackfoot Glacier is the largest of the remaining 27 glaciers in Glacier National Park and is located to the north of Blackfoot Mountain.[1] The glacier was most recently measured in 1993 at 430 acres (1.74 km²), yet when first documented in 1850, the glacier also included the now separate Jackson Glacier and together, they covered 1,875 acres (7.59 km².) Blackfoot Glacier is retreating rapidly, as are all of the glaciers in the park. In 1850, there were an estimated 150 glaciers in the park. Glaciologists have stated that by the year 2030, all the glaciers in the park may diisappear.[2] Jackson and Blackfoot glaciers have been selected for monitoring by the U.S. Geological Survey's Glacier Monitoring Research program, which is researching changes to the mass balance of glaciers in and surrounding Glacier National Park. The glacier is being monitored using remote sensing equipment and repeat photography, where images of the glacier are taken from identical locations periodically.[3]
The upper image shows how Blackfoot (on the left) and Jackson Glaciers (on the right) appeared in 1914. The lower image is taken from the same vantage point in 2001.
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