Harrison Glacier is a glacier located in the US state of Montana in Glacier National Park.[3] Situated on a southeast‐facing ridge immediately south of Mount Jackson, it is the largest remaining glacier in Glacier National Park, estimated in 2005 to have an area of 466 acres (1.89 km2).[2][4] Though many experts have stated that all the glaciers in Glacier National Park may disappear by the year 2030,[4] Harrison Glacier lost only 9 percent of its surface area in the 40-year period between 1966 and 2005 and will likely still exist well beyond 2030.[5] Compared to many of the vanishing glaciers in Glacier National Park, Harrison Glacier's accumulation zone is at a much higher altitude (approximately 9,000 feet (2,700 m)), which has allowed it to maintain some equilibrium in its glacier mass balance.[5] Comparisons of images of the glacier taken in 1913 with images from 2009 indicate that the glacier has experienced thinning and retreat.[6]
| Harrison Glacier | |
|---|---|
 Harrison Glacier centered, circa 1925 | |
  Harrison Glacier Location in Montana | |
| Type | Mountain glacier |
| Location | Glacier National Park, Flathead County, Montana, United States |
| Coordinates | 48°35′34″N 113°43′49″W / 48.59278°N 113.73028°W[1] |
| Area | 466 acres (189 ha) in 2005[2] |
| Length | .50 mi (0.80 km) |
| Terminus | Barren rock/talus |
| Status | Retreating |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Harrison Glacier". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
- ^ a b "Retreat of Glaciers in Glacier National Park" (PDF). United States Geological Survey. 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 11, 2012. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
- ^ Mount Jackson, MT (Map). TopoQwest (United States Geological Survey Maps). Retrieved September 22, 2012.
- ^ a b Brown, Matthew (April 7, 2010). "Glacier National Park loses two more glaciers". USA Today. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
- ^ a b Pelto, Mauri (April 8, 2010). "Harrison Glacier, Glacier National Park Slow Recession". From a Glaciers Perspective. WordPress. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
- ^ "Harrison Glacier 1913–2009". Repeat Photography Project. United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on February 19, 2013. Retrieved September 22, 2012.
.jpg){kind=small} | This article about a glacier in the United States is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
 | This Flathead County, Montana state location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |