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178-590: East Nooksack Glacier is in North Cascades National Park in the U.S. state of Washington , on the eastern slopes of Mount Shuksan . East Nooksack Glacier is only 0.70 mi (1.13 km), but fills the upper portions of the Nooksack Cirque , spanning more than 2 mi (3.2 km). East Nooksack Glacier is connected to Crystal Glacier at its uppermost section at 7,800 ft (2,400 m). East Nooksack Glacier extends from Nooksack Tower to

356-412: A diversity of animal species including 75 mammal species. A total of 18 species of carnivores including coyote , bobcat , lynx , cougar , mink , river otter and black bear have been reported within this park. Several species of deer such as the elk and moose , several more species of bovids including the mountain goat and bighorn sheep , and more than two dozen species of rodents like

534-480: A factor of two when comparing the periods from 1950 to 1995 (0.7 m (2.3 ft) per year) and 1995 to 2001 (1.8 m (5.9 ft) per year). This is a systemic trend with loss in mass equating to loss in thickness, which leads to increasing retreat—the glaciers are not only retreating, but they are also becoming much thinner. In Denali National Park , all glaciers monitored are retreating, with an average retreat of 20 m (66 ft) per year. The terminus of

712-608: A faster rate than a few decades ago. In a paper published in 2009 by the University of Zurich, the Swiss glacier survey of 89 glaciers found 76 retreating, 5 stationary and 8 advancing from where they had been in 1973. The Trift Glacier had the greatest recorded retreat, losing 350 m (1,150 ft) of its length between the years 2003 and 2005. The Grosser Aletsch Glacier is the largest glacier in Switzerland and has been studied since

890-749: A few decades. However, the Grinnell Glacier in Montana, U.S. will shrink at an increasing rate until it disappears. The difference is that the upper section of Easton Glacier remains healthy and snow-covered, while even the upper section of the Grinnell Glacier is bare, is melting and has thinned. Small glaciers with minimal altitude range are most likely to fall into disequilibrium with the climate. Methods for measuring retreat include staking terminus location , global positioning mapping, aerial mapping and laser altimetry . The key symptom of disequilibrium

1068-638: A food source for birds such as the Clark's nutcracker and mammals including red and Douglas squirrels . Scientists believe that increasing temperatures will have a negative impact on the habitat necessary to support whitebark pine, and therefore impact a wide array of other species. White pine blister rust and mountain pine beetles have devastated whitebark pine populations in many regions; as of 2018, "28 percent of whitebark pine trees are dead, 30 percent are infected with blister rust, and 1 percent have died from mountain pine beetles." This park has

1246-590: A frontal retreat of more than 100 m (330 ft). Overall, from 1999 to 2005, Briksdalsbreen retreated 336 metres (1,102 ft). Gråfjellsbrea, an outlet glacier of the Folgefonna ice cap , had a retreat of almost 100 m (330 ft). In the Spanish Pyrenees , recent studies have shown important losses in extent and volume of the glaciers of the Maladeta massif during the period 1981–2005. These include

1424-679: A general retreat of all glaciers in the Altai Mountains with the exception of volcanic glaciers in Kamchatka. Sakha's glaciers, totaling seventy square kilometers, have shrunk by around 28 percent since 1945 reaching several percent annually in some places, whilst in the Altai and Chukotkan mountains and non-volcanic areas of Kamchatka, the shrinkage is considerably larger. The Himalayas and other mountain chains of central Asia support large glaciated regions. An estimated 15,000 glaciers can be found in

1602-469: A general state of retreat. During the 20th century, the glaciers of Tajikistan lost 20 km (4.8 cu mi) of ice. The 70 km (43 mi) long Fedchenko Glacier , which is the largest in Tajikistan and the largest non-polar glacier on Earth, retreated 1 km (0.62 mi) between the years 1933 and 2006, and lost 44 km (17 sq mi) of its surface area due to shrinkage between

1780-440: A government-sponsored exploration that traversed the western boundary of the southern section of the current park, in search of transportation routes and natural resources. As with the party led by McClellan in the 1850s, Pierce failed to find a suitable route for a railway, and only marginally suitable routes for roads. However, the expedition discovered gold in a quartz vein on the slopes of Eldorado Peak . Further expeditions by

1958-411: A large iceberg calving front. By 1948 the adjacent fjord had filled in, and the glacier no longer calved and was able to continue its advance. By 2005 the glacier was only 1.5 km (0.93 mi) from reaching Taku Point and blocking Taku Inlet . The advance of Taku Glacier averaged 17 m (56 ft) per year between 1988 and 2005. The mass balance was very positive for the 1946–88 period fueling

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2136-476: A large reduction in the number of monitoring stations. Another factor is that in the Verkhoyansk and Cherskiy Ranges it was thought glaciers were absent before they were discovered during the 1940s, whilst in ultra-remote Kamchatka and Chukotka, although the existence of glaciers was known earlier, monitoring of their size dates back no earlier than the end of World War II. Nonetheless, available records do indicate

2314-537: A little over 2 feet (65 centimeters) and backstops neighboring glaciers that would raise sea levels an additional 8 feet (2.4 meters) if all the ice were lost." The fact that the IPCC estimates did not include rapid ice sheet decay into their sea level predictions makes it difficult to ascertain a plausible estimate for sea level rise but a 2008 study found that the minimum sea level rise will be around 0.8 metres (2.6 ft) by 2100. The continued retreat of glaciers will have

2492-670: A mean annual retreat rate of approximately 17 m (56 ft) per year. This long-term average was markedly surpassed in recent years with the glacier receding 30 m (98 ft) per year during the period between 1999 and 2005. Similarly, of the glaciers in the Italian Alps, only about a third were in retreat in 1980, while by 1999, 89% of these glaciers were retreating. In 2005, the Italian Glacier Commission found that 123 glaciers in Lombardy were retreating. A random study of

2670-574: A northern and a southern district or unit. These are separated by Ross Lake National Recreation Area. The southeast boundary of the southern district abuts Lake Chelan National Recreation Area; the park and two recreation areas are managed as the North Cascades National Park Complex. Most of the park complex was designated as the Stephen Mather Wilderness, preventing further human-induced alterations to 93 percent of

2848-444: A number of different quantitative effects. In areas that are heavily dependent on water runoff from glaciers that melt during the warmer summer months, a continuation of the current retreat will eventually deplete the glacial ice and substantially reduce or eliminate runoff. A reduction in runoff will affect the ability to irrigate crops and will reduce summer stream flows necessary to keep dams and reservoirs replenished. This situation

3026-532: A polar region, owing to the dryness of the winter climate and has glaciers only in the high Altai Mountains , Verkhoyansk Range , Cherskiy Range and Suntar-Khayata Range , plus possibly a few very small glaciers in the ranges near Lake Baikal , which have never been monitored and may have completely disappeared since 1989. Between the years 1952 and 2006, the glaciers found in the Aktru Basin region shrank by 7.2 percent. This shrinkage has been primarily in

3204-652: A portion of the southern district of the park, to the southwest. Along the southwest border is Wenatchee National Forest , within which lies the Glacier Peak Wilderness . The southern boundary of the park is shared with Lake Chelan NRA, and a small section of the eastern boundary is shared with the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest . The Lake Chelan-Sawtooth Wilderness lies in the Okanogan–Wenatchee National Forest along

3382-576: A reduction in area of 35.7%, from 2.41 km (600 acres) to 1.55 km (380 acres), a loss in total ice volume of 0.0137 km (0.0033 cu mi) and an increase in the mean altitude of the glacial termini of 43.5 m (143 ft). For the Pyrenees as a whole 50–60% of the glaciated area has been lost since 1991. The Balaitus, Perdigurero and La Munia glaciers have disappeared in this period. Monte Perdido Glacier has shrunk from 90 hectares to 40 hectares. As initial cause for glacier retreat in

3560-451: A series of flumes , the longest of which was over 3 miles (4.8 km), to transport lumber and to supply water for use in their hydraulic mining operation. During the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, larger operations mined silver and lead in addition to gold, mostly with little or no profitability. The demand for metals was not constant, and so prices tended to fluctuate too greatly for mining to be viable. Once

3738-510: A significant influence on river levels, accounting for about 30 percent of the late summer water flow, which directly impacted the supported ecosystems such as salmon fisheries. The National Park Service, United States Geological Survey (USGS) and glaciologists such as Mauri S. Pelto , who has led the North Cascades Glacier Climate Project since 1984, have continued research on North Cascade glaciers. Since 1993,

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3916-535: A state of retreat. This rate has increased rapidly since around 1980, and overall each decade since has seen greater rates of retreat than the preceding one. There are also small remnant glaciers scattered throughout the Sierra Nevada mountains of California and Nevada . The Cascade Range of western North America extends from southern British Columbia in Canada to northern California. Excepting Alaska, about half of

4094-476: A study of 16 glaciers between 1990 and 2001 found that 14 glaciers were retreating, one was advancing and one was stable. In Norway, glacier studies have been performed since the early 19th century, with systematic surveys undertaken regularly since the 1990s. Inland glaciers have had a generally negative mass balance, whereas during the 1990s, maritime glaciers showed a positive mass balance and advanced. The maritime advances have been attributed to heavy snowfall in

4272-502: A third of their former size when first studied in 1850, and numerous smaller glaciers have disappeared completely. Only 27% of the 99 km (38 sq mi) area of Glacier National Park covered by glaciers in 1850 remained covered by 1993. Researchers believe that between the year 2030 and 2080, that some glacial ice in Glacier National Park will be gone unless current climate patterns reverse their course. Grinnell Glacier

4450-814: Is Black Peak (8,970 ft (2,730 m)). Other prominent peaks in the southern section of the park include Boston Peak (8,894 ft (2,711 m)), Eldorado Peak (8,868 ft (2,703 m)) and Forbidden Peak (8,815 ft (2,687 m)). The northern region of the park contains the Picket Range , a subrange of the Skagit Range , which is in turn a subrange of the North Cascades. The Picket Range has numerous spires with ominous names such as Mount Fury , Mount Challenger , Poltergeist Pinnacle , Mount Terror , Ghost Peak and Phantom Peak , all of which exceed 8,000 ft (2,400 m). The Picket Range

4628-539: Is a particularly dramatic example. The glacier area shrank from 3.1 km (1.2 sq mi) in 1958 to 0.9 km (0.35 sq mi) by 2002. Between 1850 and 1950, the Boulder Glacier on the southeast flank of Mount Baker retreated 8,700 feet (2,700 m). William Long of the United States Forest Service observed the glacier beginning to advance due to cooler/wetter weather in 1953. This

4806-488: Is a prime habitat for grizzly bear, but the species was extirpated from the region by 1860. Only two grizzly bear sightings occurred in the decade before 2015, and these were outside the park boundary in Canada. In 1991, a decision was reached by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, a US Government land management agency committee, to make efforts to restore self-sustaining populations of grizzlies in

4984-495: Is allowed. Human history in North Cascades National Park and the surrounding region begins 8–10,000 years ago, after the end of the last glacial period . Paleo-Indians slowly advanced from Puget Sound into the interior mountain region as the glacial ice retreated. Archaeological evidence from other sites hundreds of miles away from the park indicate that Hozomeen chert , a type of rock well-suited to

5162-417: Is also out of equilibrium and will advance to reestablish equilibrium. Currently, nearly all glaciers have a negative mass balance and are retreating. Glacier retreat results in the loss of the low-elevation region of the glacier. Since higher elevations are cooler, the disappearance of the lowest portion decreases overall ablation, thereby increasing mass balance and potentially reestablishing equilibrium. If

5340-722: Is between June and September. Ross Lake NRA is easily accessible on State Route 20 (also called the North Cascades Highway), the only road which traverses the park complex; the highway lies entirely within the Ross Lake NRA. Only two primitive roadways enter the actual national park. The North Cascades National Park Complex had an operating base budget of $ 7,700,000 for fiscal year 2010, augmented by another $ 3,700,000 of non-base funding (which can fluctuate significantly on an annual basis), and additional funding from revenue generated from concessionaire contracts and user fees. Much of

5518-513: Is comparable to much taller mountain ranges. The tallest mountain in North Cascades National Park is Goode Mountain at 9,220 ft (2,810 m). It lies in a remote backcountry region of the southern section of the park. Nearby are several other peaks that exceed 9,000 ft (2,700 m), including Buckner Mountain (9,114 ft (2,778 m)) and Mount Logan (9,087 ft (2,770 m)). At about 9,000 ft (2,700 m), about 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Goode Mountain,

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5696-427: Is fed by three large glaciers— Guyot , Yahtse , and Tyndall Glaciers —all of which have experienced a loss in length and thickness and, consequently, a loss in area. Tyndall Glacier became separated from the retreating Guyot Glacier in the 1960s and has retreated 24 km (15 mi) since, averaging more than 500 m (1,600 ft) per year. The Juneau Icefield Research Program has monitored outlet glaciers of

5874-479: Is influenced by the great vertical relief, the amount of moisture an area receives, the slope and soil types as well as the fire ecology . This wide array of ecological niches has allowed a great biodiversity to evolve. Few other North American national parks have recorded as many vascular plant species as have been documented in North Cascades National Park. With 1,630 species documented, experts estimate adding non-vascular plants and fungi could more than double

6052-471: Is just one of many glaciers in Glacier National Park that have been well documented by photographs for many decades. The photographs below clearly demonstrate the retreat of this glacier since 1938. The semiarid climate of Wyoming still manages to support about a dozen small glaciers within Grand Teton National Park , which all show evidence of retreat over the past 50 years. Schoolroom Glacier

6230-542: Is located slightly southwest of Grand Teton is one of the more easily reached glaciers in the park and it is expected to disappear by 2025. Research between 1950 and 1999 demonstrated that the glaciers in Bridger-Teton National Forest and Shoshone National Forest in the Wind River Range shrank by over a third of their size during that period. Photographs indicate that the glaciers today are only half

6408-663: Is only 6 mi (9.7 km) long yet contains 21 peaks over 7,500 ft (2,300 m). North of the Picket Range and near the border with Canada lie Mount Redoubt (8,969 ft (2,734 m)), Mount Spickard (8,979 ft (2,737 m)) and the spires of the Mox Peaks (8,630 ft (2,630 m)). Isolated and dominating the northwestern reaches of the park lies the oft photographed Mount Shuksan (9,131 ft (2,783 m)), which towers more than 8,400 ft (2,600 m) above Baker Lake only 6 mi (9.7 km) to

6586-486: Is part of the area's economy and tourism. In 2008 an Environmental Impact Statement was produced that examined whether these lakes should continue to be stocked, and if so, what the impact would be on native species such as salamanders and other aquatic life. The North Cascades National Park Service Complex Fish Stocking Act, signed in 2014, directs the NPS to allow stocking of non-reproducing fish in no more than 42 lakes, making it

6764-695: Is particularly acute for irrigation in South America, where numerous artificial lakes are filled almost exclusively by glacial melt. Central Asian countries have also been historically dependent on the seasonal glacier melt water for irrigation and drinking supplies. In Norway, the Alps, and the Pacific Northwest of North America, glacier runoff is important for hydropower . In the Himalayas , retreating glaciers could reduce summer water flows by up to two thirds. In

6942-460: Is the largest of the three National Park Service units that comprise the North Cascades National Park Complex. North Cascades National Park consists of a northern and southern section, bisected by the Skagit River that flows through the reservoirs of Ross Lake National Recreation Area . Lake Chelan National Recreation Area lies on the southern border of the south unit of the park. In addition to

7120-608: Is the principal driver of changes to the cryosphere , of which glaciers are a part. The glacier mass balance is the key determinant of the health of a glacier. If the amount of frozen precipitation in the accumulation zone exceeds the quantity of glacial ice the ablation zone lost due to melting, a glacier will advance. If the accumulation is less than the ablation, the glacier will retreat. Glaciers in retreat will have negative mass balances. They will eventually disappear if they do not reach an equilibrium between accumulation and ablation. Mid-latitude mountain ranges show some of

7298-403: Is thinning along the entire length of the glacier. This indicates a diminishment of the accumulation zone. The result is marginal recession of the accumulation zone margin, not just of the terminus. In effect, the glacier no longer has a consistent accumulation zone and without an accumulation zone cannot survive. Water runoff from melting glaciers causes global sea level to rise , a phenomenon

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7476-551: The Aconcagua River Basin, glacier retreat has resulted in a 20% loss in glacier area, declining from 151 km (58 sq mi) to 121 km (47 sq mi). The Marinelli Glacier in Tierra del Fuego has been in retreat since at least 1960 through 2008. In New Zealand, mountain glaciers have been in general retreat since 1890, with an acceleration since 1920. Most have measurably thinned and reduced in size, and

7654-580: The Aleutian Low , has much more extensive glaciation totaling around 906 km (350 sq mi) with 448 known glaciers as of 2010. Despite generally heavy winter snowfall and cool summer temperatures, the high summer rainfall of the more southerly Kuril Islands and Sakhalin in historic times melt rates have been too high for a positive mass balance even on the highest peaks. In the Chukotskiy Peninsula small alpine glaciers are numerous, but

7832-682: The Alps ; the Pyrenees ; Rocky Mountains ; the Caucasus and Pacific Coast Ranges of North America; the Patagonian Andes in South America; and mountain ranges in New Zealand. Glaciers in these latitudes are more widespread and tend to be greater in mass the closer they are to the polar regions. They are the most widely studied over the past 150 years. As with examples located in the tropical zone, virtually all

8010-589: The Exxon Valdez oil spill, when the tanker changed course to avoid the ice tips. The Valdez Glacier is in the same area, and though it does not calve, has also retreated significantly. "A 2005 aerial survey of Alaskan coastal glaciers identified more than a dozen glaciers, many former tidewater and calving glaciers, including Grand Plateau, Alsek , Bear, and Excelsior Glaciers that are rapidly retreating. Of 2,000 glaciers observed, 99% are retreating." Icy Bay in Alaska

8188-672: The Ganges area, this would cause a water shortage for 500 million people. In the Hindu Kush Himalaya area, around 1.4 billion people are dependent on the five main rivers of the Himalaya mountains. Although the impact will vary from place to place, the amount of meltwater is likely to increase at first as glaciers retreat. Then it will gradually decrease because of the fall in glacier mass. Many species of freshwater and saltwater plants and animals are dependent on glacier-fed waters to ensure

8366-523: The Haidas , who lived to the north. They erected large houses or lodges that could house multiple families, each with their own partitioned area and entrance. The lodges were 100 feet (30 m) in length and 20 to 40 ft (6.1 to 12.2 m) in width, and the roofs were shed-styles , with a single pitch; structures built by other Puget Sound tribes usually had gable roofs with more than one pitch. The Skagits were generally lowlanders, who only ventured into

8544-451: The IPCC terms a "slow onset" event. The potential for major sea level rise depends mostly on a significant melting of the polar ice caps of Greenland and Antarctica, as this is where the vast majority of glacial ice is located. If all the ice on the polar ice caps were to melt away, the oceans of the world would rise an estimated 70 m (230 ft). Although previously it was thought that

8722-905: The Juneau Icefield since 1946. On the west side of the ice field, the terminus of the Mendenhall Glacier , which flows into suburban Juneau, Alaska , has retreated 580 m (1,900 ft). Of the nineteen glaciers of the Juneau Icefield, eighteen are retreating, and one, the Taku Glacier, is advancing. Eleven of the glaciers have retreated more than 1 km (0.62 mi) since 1948 – Antler Glacier, 5.4 km (3.4 mi); Gilkey Glacier, 3.5 km (2.2 mi); Norris Glacier, 1.1 km (0.68 mi) and Lemon Creek Glacier, 1.5 km (0.93 mi). Taku Glacier has been advancing since at least 1890, when naturalist John Muir observed

8900-621: The Selkirk Mountains (west of the Rockies) has retreated 2 km (1.2 mi) since first photographed in 1887. In Garibaldi Provincial Park in Southwestern British Columbia over 505 km (195 sq mi), or 26%, of the park, was covered by glacier ice at the beginning of the 18th century. Ice cover decreased to 297 km (115 sq mi) by 1987–1988 and to 245 km (95 sq mi) by 2005, 50% of

9078-539: The Sforzellina Glacier in the Italian Alps indicated that the rate of retreat from 2002 to 2006 was much higher than in the preceding 35 years. To study glaciers located in the alpine regions of Lombardy, researchers compared a series of aerial and ground images taken from the 1950s through the early 21st century and deduced that between the years 1954–2003 the mostly smaller glaciers found there lost more than half of their area. Repeat photography of glaciers in

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9256-691: The Svartisen ice cap , had several advances in the 20th century, though it retreated 200 m (660 ft) between 1999 and 2014. Brenndalsbreen glacier retreated 56 m (184 ft) between the years 2000 and 2014, while the Rembesdalsskåka glacier, which has retreated 2 km (1.2 mi) since the end of the Little Ice Age, retreated 200 m (660 ft) between 1997 and 2007. The Briksdalsbreen glacier retreated 230 m (750 ft) between 1996 and 2004 with 130 m (430 ft) of that in

9434-668: The Tien Shan mountains, which Kyrgyzstan shares with China and Kazakhstan , studies in the northern areas of that mountain range show that the glaciers that help supply water to this arid region, lost nearly 2 km (0.48 cu mi) of ice per year between 1955 and 2000. The University of Oxford study also reported that an average of 1.28% of the volume of these glaciers had been lost per year between 1974 and 1990. The Pamirs mountain range located primarily in Tajikistan , has approximately eight thousand glaciers, many of which are in

9612-410: The beaver , hoary marmot and pika are also present. Ten species of bats have been documented. The grey wolf is listed as an endangered species , while the grizzly bear is listed as threatened . North Cascade National Park has management plans in place to return grizzly bears to the park but not wolves, as the latter is seen as likely to reestablish themselves naturally over time. The park

9790-402: The diffuse knapweed and reed canary grass . True grass species number nearly 150 in the park; half of those are considered exotic and nonnative to the ecosystem. Whitebark pine is native to the park and grows at elevations over 5,000 ft (1,500 m) in the drier eastern region of the park. Whitebark pine is a stabilizing species for other species of high altitude flora and provides

9968-500: The largemouth bass and longnose dace . Seven species of reptiles and about a dozen species of amphibians have been documented. Reptiles such as the northern alligator lizard and the common garter snake and amphibians such as the western toad , Pacific giant salamander and rough-skinned newt reside in the park. More than 500 species of insects have been recorded, including at least two dozen species of butterflies. Around 250 species of aquatic invertebrates can be found in

10146-441: The oceans , may affect existing fisheries upon which humans depend as well. One major concern is the increased risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF), which have in the past had great effect on lives and property. Glacier meltwater left behind by the retreating glacier is often held back by moraines that can be unstable and have been known to collapse if breached or displaced by earthquakes, landslides or avalanches. If

10324-473: The pacific silver fir tree near State Route 20 at Rainy Pass. Also at this elevation, the western hemlock is replaced by the mountain hemlock as a dominant species. At elevations between 4,000 and 7,000 ft (1,200 and 2,100 m) in the subalpine zone, the forest gives way to meadows dominated by grasses and flowering plants and shrubs. Above 7,000 ft (2,100 m) lies the alpine zone where few plant species survive aside from some sparse grasses,

10502-461: The sooty grouse . The peregrine falcon is the only species found in the park that is federally designated as an endangered species, while the marbled murrelet and northern spotted owl are listed as threatened. There are at least 28 species of fish documented, including all five species of Pacific salmon: pink , chinook (king), sockeye , coho and chum . Various trout species including rainbow , lake and brook trout can be found as can

10680-512: The 1850 area. The 50 km (19 sq mi) loss in the last 20 years coincides with negative mass balance in the region. During this period all nine glaciers examined have retreated significantly. There are thousands of glaciers in Alaska but only few have been named. The Columbia Glacier near Valdez in Prince William Sound retreated 15 km (9.3 mi) in the 25 years from 1980 to 2005. Its calved icebergs partially caused

10858-401: The 21st century if current climate trends persist. The Bossons Glacier once extended from the summit of Mont Blanc at 4,807 m (15,771 ft) to an elevation of 1,050 m (3,440 ft) in 1900. By 2008 Bossons Glacier had retreated to a point that was 1,400 m (4,600 ft) above sea level. Other researchers have found that glaciers across the Alps appear to be retreating at

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11036-651: The 26 years from 1993 to 2018 were likely 5500 gigatons, or 210 gigatons per yr. The Little Ice Age was a period from about 1550 to 1850 when certain regions experienced relatively cooler temperatures compared to the time before and after. Subsequently, until about 1940, glaciers around the world retreated as the climate warmed substantially. Glacial retreat slowed and even reversed temporarily, in many cases, between 1950 and 1980 as global temperatures cooled slightly . Since 1980, climate change has led to glacier retreat becoming increasingly rapid and ubiquitous, so much so that some glaciers have disappeared altogether, and

11214-415: The Alps indicates that there has been significant retreat since studies commenced. Research, published in 2019 by ETH Zurich, says that two-thirds of the ice in the glaciers of the Alps is doomed to melt by the end of the century due to climate change. In the most pessimistic scenario, the Alps will be almost completely ice-free by 2100, with only isolated ice patches remaining at high elevation. Though

11392-569: The Department of Agriculture allowed commercial enterprises to log the forest with a permit, most of the timber taken from the region was used only locally for the construction of cabins and similar small-scale enterprises. Logging expanded when the Skagit River Hydroelectric Project was commenced by the public utility Seattle City Light in the 1920s. Almost 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) of timber would have been left underwater by

11570-633: The Greater Himalaya that has seen glacial advances is in the Karakoram Range and only in the highest elevation glaciers, but this has been attributed possibly increased precipitation as well as to the correlating glacial surges, where the glacier tongue advances due to pressure build up from snow and ice accumulation further up the glacier. Between the years 1997 and 2001, 68 km (42 mi) long Biafo Glacier thickened 10 to 25 m (33 to 82 ft) mid-glacier, however it did not advance. With

11748-642: The Happy Creek Forest Walk off State Route 20, the Shadows of the Sentinels at Baker Lake, Thunder Creek Trail at Diablo Lake and the Horseshoe Bend Trail from State Route 542 . In openings in the forest canopy, red alder and bigleaf maple can be found but throughout this dense forest, ferns, shrubs and mosses abound. Between 2,000 and 5,500 ft (610 and 1,680 m) the forest is dominated by

11926-536: The Mazamas Alpine Club lobbied for a bill to designate "Mount Baker National Park". The proposals failed to gain approval from the US Congress and were shelved for decades. Not all locals supported the idea of a national park, as they felt that such a designation would damage the economics of the region. The Forest Service was also not in favor of park designation, as they would have to relinquish control over

12104-606: The National Park Service has conducted rigorous studies on four park glaciers: Noisy Creek , Silver , North Klawatti and Sandalee Glaciers . The National Park Service research indicated that these four glaciers experienced rapid decrease in volumes between 1993 and 2011. In 1998, a National Park Service and Portland State University aerial photographic inventory showed a 13 percent loss in park-wide glacial volume since Austin Post's inventory in 1971. The NPS stated that in

12282-651: The North Cascade glaciers brought about some of the earliest series of scientific studies regarding glaciology in the United States. Beginning in 1955, the University of Washington sponsored Richard C. Hubley to undertake annual aerial photography expeditions designed to capture images of the glaciers and to show any alterations that might be occurring. In 1960, Austin Post expanded the aerial coverage to include other regions and he also used ground-based imagery to augment

12460-529: The North Cascade glaciers were retreating and the pace had increased each decade since the mid-1970s. Between 1984 and 2005 the North Cascade glaciers lost an average of more than 12.5 metres (41 ft) in thickness and 20–40 percent of their volume. Glaciologists researching the North Cascades found that all 47 monitored glaciers are receding while four glaciers— Spider Glacier , Lewis Glacier , Milk Lake Glacier and Mt. David Glacier—are almost completely gone. The White Chuck Glacier (near Glacier Peak )

12638-479: The North Cascade region was designated as a Forest Reserve in 1897, activists argued the region should be afforded the greater protection accorded from a National Park designation. Washingtonians submitted a petition in 1892 to establish a national park to the north of Lake Chelan , as many who had visited the region believed it to have scenery "greater than Switzerland's". Further efforts took place in 1906, and again between 1916 and 1921, when artist Julian Itter and

12816-514: The North Cascades during the summer months, and structures in the mountains were more modest, consisting mostly of temporary buildings erected with poles and covered with branches. The Skagits erected totem poles and participated in potlatch ceremonies, similar to the Haidas, but with less complexity and extravagance. By 1910, only about 56 Skagits remained in the region, but their numbers have since rebounded to several hundred. Inland and residing to

12994-477: The North Cascades region, which included the national park and surrounding national forests. In 1997, the North Cascades region was added to the National Grizzly Bear Recovery Plan; by 2017, the environmental impact statement for grizzly bear restoration was still in the public comment stage. Various action plans had been proposed to reestablish a self-sustaining population of 200 grizzlies in

13172-447: The North Cascades saw no further explorations until the 1850s. In 1853, US Army Captain George B. McClellan led a party that explored the area for potential locations for the construction of a railroad through the region. McClellan determined the mountains were too numerous and precipitous, and that any railway would have to be constructed well to the south. American and British disputes in

13350-553: The Ross Lake NRA and outside of the national park boundaries, but some of the creeks and streams that supply it originate within the national park; the Baker River is the largest of these tributaries. The Skagit River is the largest river that flows into Puget Sound to the west, and the dams located in Ross Lake National Recreation Area and impounding other lakes adjacent to the park supply nearly 90 percent of

13528-533: The Toklat Glacier has been retreating 26 m (85 ft) per year and the Muldrow Glacier has thinned 20 m (66 ft) since 1979. Well documented in Alaska are surging glaciers that have been known to rapidly advance, even as much as 100 m (330 ft) per day. Variegated , Black Rapids, Muldrow , Susitna and Yanert are examples of surging glaciers in Alaska that have made rapid advances in

13706-511: The United States and Canada; the latter manages adjoining Chilliwack Lake and Skagit Valley Provincial Park . The entire eastern and southern boundary of the north district is bordered by Ross Lake NRA. The western side of the north district is bordered by Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest , within which lies the Mount Baker and Noisy-Diobsud Wildernesses , both of which border the park. Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest also borders

13884-445: The ablation zone of the glaciers, with recession of several hundred meters being observed for some glaciers. The Altai region has also experienced an overall temperature increase of 1.2 degrees Celsius in the last 120 years according to a report from 2006, with most of that increase occurring since the late 20th century. In the more maritime and generally wetter Russian Far East , Kamchatka , exposed during winter to moisture from

14062-624: The advance; however, since 1988 the mass balance has been slightly negative, which should in the future slow the advance of this mighty glacier. Long-term mass balance records from Lemon Creek Glacier in Alaska show slightly declining mass balance with time. The mean annual balance for this glacier was −0.23 m (0.75 ft) each year during the period of 1957 to 1976. Mean annual balance has been increasingly negatively averaging −1.04 m (3.4 ft) per year from 1990 to 2005. Repeat glacier altimetry, or altitude measuring, for 67 Alaska glaciers find rates of thinning have increased by more than

14240-500: The alps since 1850, a decrease of the glaciers' albedo , caused by industrial black carbon can be identified. According to a report, this may have accelerated the retreat of glaciers in Europe which otherwise might have continued to expand until approximately the year 1910. All the glaciers in Turkey are in retreat and glaciers have been developing proglacial lakes at their terminal ends as

14418-455: The banks of the Skagit River in search of gold. In the 1870s, placer mining also commenced along Ruby Creek , and hundreds of miners came to the region even though it was difficult to access. Most mining activity along Ruby Creek had ended by the 1880s, but was soon replaced by hard rock mining for silver and other minerals. This second period of mining lasted from the 1890s to the 1940s, but

14596-583: The border should be. The Oregon boundary dispute between Britain and the United States eventually led to the Oregon Treaty of 1846, and the 49th parallel forms both the current international border as well as the northern limit of the current park. During the late 1850s, members of the US North West Boundary Commission explored the border region, attempting to identify which mountains, rivers and lakes belonged to which country. One party of

14774-438: The budget is for staffing, with 83 percent covering the cost of 81 permanent employees, not all of whom are employed year-round, and the nearly 250 seasonal and term employees who work primarily in the summer months. In 2017, the fiscal year budget was approximately 7.5 million dollars, and budgets have been stagnant overall for all National Park Service sites for many years. Although there are some gravel roads open to

14952-714: The climate continues to warm, but will be much reduced in size. On the sheltered slopes of the highest peaks of Glacier National Park in Montana , the eponymous glaciers are diminishing rapidly. The area of each glacier has been mapped for decades by the National Park Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. Comparing photographs from the mid-19th century with contemporary images provides ample evidence that they have retreated notably since 1850. Repeat photography since clearly show that glaciers such as Grinnell Glacier are all retreating. The larger glaciers are now approximately

15130-441: The cold water habitat to which they have adapted. Some species of freshwater fish need cold water to survive and to reproduce, and this is especially true with salmon and cutthroat trout . Reduced glacial runoff can lead to insufficient stream flow to allow these species to thrive. Alterations to the ocean currents , due to increased freshwater inputs from glacier melt, and the potential alterations to thermohaline circulation of

15308-423: The commission was led by explorer Henry Custer, and they explored the northern district of the park, publishing their report in the 1860s. Custer's party crossed Whatcom Pass in 1858, and were the first whites to see Challenger Glacier and Hozomeen Mountain. Impressed with the scenic grandeur of the region, Custer stated, "must be seen, it cannot be described". In 1882, US Army Lieutenant Henry Hubbard Pierce led

15486-539: The completion of the Ross Dam . A contract to extract the timber was awarded in 1945 and the project was completed in 1958. None of the dams or areas that were extensively logged are within the current boundaries of the national park, but they are in the adjoining Ross Lake National Recreation Area . The establishment of Yellowstone National Park in 1872, and Yosemite National Park in 1890, led preservationists to argue for similar protections for other areas. Even before

15664-500: The contiguous US, rising between 4,000 and 6,000 ft (1,200 and 1,800 m) above their bases. The park is home to over 300 glaciers as well as 300 lakes, and contains the headwaters for some streams that flow into the Skagit River, as well as the Stehekin and Nooksack Rivers . The ruggedness of the terrain was an obstacle to human encroachment and consequently, the park is almost entirely wilderness. North Cascades National Park

15842-574: The danger of future GLOFs. Middle latitude glaciers are located either between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle , or between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle . Both areas support glacier ice from mountain glaciers, valley glaciers and even smaller icecaps, which are usually located in higher mountainous regions. All are located in mountain ranges, notably the Himalayas ;

16020-470: The early 1970s and early 2000s, there had been a 9 percent reduction in ice mass, while there has been a significant increase in mass loss since the Little Ice Age with a 10-fold increase when compared to rates seen currently. Change in temperature has led to melting and the formation and expansion of glacial lakes which could cause an increase in the number of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). If

16198-543: The east. Chelan is located at the southeastern end of Lake Chelan where access to the park from Stehekin serves eastern Washington communities. The closest international airport is Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), which is 120 mi (190 km) from North Cascades Visitor Center and 190 mi (310 km) from Chelan. In Chelan, the Lady of the Lake is a passenger-only ferry that transports visitors to Stehekin, and

16376-679: The electricity used in Seattle. Other important rivers that originate in the park include the Chilliwack , Nooksack and the Stehekin rivers. With approximately 312 glaciers, North Cascades National Park has the most glaciers of any US park outside Alaska, and a third of all the glaciers in the lower 48 states. Counting a few glaciers in the adjoining National Recreation Areas, the North Cascades National Park Complex glaciers covered an expanse totaling 27,000 acres (110 km ) as of 2009. Boston Glacier , on

16554-421: The existence of many of the remaining glaciers is threatened. The mass balance, or difference between accumulation and ablation (melting and sublimation ), of a glacier is crucial to its survival. Climate change may cause variations in both temperature and snowfall, resulting in changes in mass balance. A glacier with a sustained negative balance loses equilibrium and retreats. A sustained positive balance

16732-409: The extent of glaciation, though larger than further west, is much smaller than in Kamchatka, totaling around 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi). Details on the retreat of Siberian and Russian Far East glaciers have been less adequate than in most other glaciated areas of the world. There are several reasons for this, the principal one being that since the collapse of Communism there has been

16910-487: The fabrication of implements, was mined from near Hozomeen Mountain , just east of the park border, for the last 8,400 years. Tools such as microblades made from Hozomeen chert are part of the archaeological record throughout the Skagit River Valley, west of the park and in regions to the east. Prehistoric micro blades 9,600 years old have been discovered at Cascade Pass , a mountain pass that connects

17088-496: The fossils and magnetism found in the rocks indicates that the terranes composing the North Cascades drifted thousands of miles north until they impacted the North American Plate 90 million years ago. The collision between the rocks caused fracturing and folding as well as uplift and the terranes were further fractured into north or south trending faults. The uplifted rocks mostly eroded away; 40 million years ago

17266-563: The front of the main Himalaya of 15 glaciers examined from 1976 to 2007 all retreated significantly and the average retreat was 28 m (92 ft) per year. The most famous of these, the Khumbu Glacier, retreated at a rate of 18 m (59 ft) per year from 1976 to 2007. In India, the Gangotri Glacier retreated 1,147 m (3,763 ft) between the years 1936 and 1996 with 850 m (2,790 ft) of that retreat occurring in

17444-411: The fur trading company. During one season, Ross traded 1,500 beaver pelts. In 1814, Ross became the first known white explorer to explore the valleys and high passes of the North Cascades, but he was less interested in exploration than discovering a route that would easily connect the fur trading posts of interior Washington with Puget Sound to the west. Ross was accompanied by three Indians, one of whom

17622-686: The glacial area in the U.S. is contained within the over 700 glaciers of the North Cascades , a portion of those located between the Canada–US border and I-90 in central Washington . These contain as much water as is found in all the lakes and reservoirs in the rest of the state, and provide much of the stream and river flow in the dry summer months, approximating some 870,000 m (1,140,000 cu yd). As recently as 1975 many North Cascade glaciers were advancing due to cooler weather and increased precipitation that occurred from 1944 to 1976. By 1987

17800-620: The glacial retreat over the past 20 years. Satellite imagery indicates that these lakes are continuing to expand. There has been significant and ongoing ice volume losses on the largest New Zealand glaciers, including the Tasman , Ivory, Classen, Mueller , Maud, Hooker , Grey, Godley, Ramsay, Murchison , Therma, Volta and Douglas Glaciers. The retreat of these glaciers has been marked by expanding proglacial lakes and terminus region thinning. The loss in Southern Alps total ice volume from 1976 to 2014

17978-790: The glaciers in the mid-latitudes are in a state of negative mass balance and are retreating. All the glaciers in the French alps are retreating. On Mont Blanc , the highest peak in the Alps, the Argentière Glacier has receded 1,150 m (3,770 ft) since 1870. Other Mont Blanc glaciers have also been in retreat, including the Mer de Glace , which is the largest glacier in France at 12 km (7.5 mi) in length but retreated 500 m (1,600 ft) between 1994 and 2008. The Argentière and Mer de Glace glaciers are expected to disappear completely by end of

18156-561: The glaciers of the Alps have received more attention from glaciologists than in other areas of Europe, research indicates that glaciers in northern Europe are also retreating. Since the end of World War II, Storglaciären in Sweden has undergone the longest continuous mass balance study in the world conducted from the Tarfala research station . In the Kebnekaise Mountains of northern Sweden ,

18334-587: The glaciers studied were retreating. After 1990, 95% of these glaciers were measured to be retreating, indicating that retreat of these glaciers was becoming more widespread. Glaciers in the Mount Everest region of the Himalayas are all in a state of retreat. The Rongbuk Glacier , draining the north side of Mount Everest into Tibet , has been retreating 20 m (66 ft) per year. In the Khumbu region of Nepal along

18512-417: The glaciers thin and retreat. Between the 1970s and 2013, the glaciers in Turkey lost half their area, going from 25 km (9.7 sq mi) in the 1970s to 10.85 km (4.19 sq mi) in 2013. Of the 14 glaciers studied, five had disappeared altogether. Mount Ararat has the largest glacier in Turkey, and that is forecast to be completely gone by 2065. Siberia is typically classified as

18690-491: The greater Himalayas, with double that number in the Hindu Kush and Karakoram and Tien Shan ranges, and comprise the largest glaciated region outside the poles. These glaciers provide critical water supplies to arid countries such as Mongolia , western China, Pakistan , Afghanistan and India . As with glaciers worldwide, those of the greater Himalayan region are experiencing a decline in mass, and researchers claim that between

18868-464: The greatest risk. In 1892 a GLOF released some 200,000 m (260,000 cu yd) of water from the lake of the Tête Rousse Glacier , resulting in the deaths of 200 people in the French town of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains . GLOFs have been known to occur in every region of the world where glaciers are located. Continued glacier retreat is expected to create and expand glacial lakes, increasing

19046-401: The heavier basaltic rocks of the ocean floor started to push the lighter granitic rocks that are the core of the mountains upward, a process that continues. Subjected to intense heat, rocks deep underground near the collision zone became recrystallized into granitic rocks, which comprise the backbone of the highest peaks. Continued uplift and erosion and finally the action of glacial ice on

19224-479: The highest degree of flora biodiversity of any American national park. The region was first settled by Paleo-Indian Native Americans ; by the time European American explorers arrived, it was inhabited by Skagit tribes . By the early 19th century, the region was visited by fur trappers and several British and American companies vied for control over the fur trade . After the Canada–United States border

19402-542: The lake had swollen to a length of 1.94 km (1.21 mi), 1.13 km (0.70 mi) in width and a depth of 107 m (351 ft). In 1994 a GLOF from Luggye Tsho, a glacial lake adjacent to Raphstreng Tsho, killed 23 people downstream. Glaciers in the Ak-shirak Range in Kyrgyzstan experienced a slight loss between 1943 and 1977 and an accelerated loss of 20% of their remaining mass between 1977 and 2001. In

19580-580: The land to the Park Service, which was not uncommon, since many parks being established were originally managed by the Forest Service. In an effort to appease their detractors, the Forest Service designated Primitive Areas which would provide increased protection to some of the most pristine regions they managed. By the mid-1930s, forester Bob Marshall argued that the region should be set aside as wilderness. Rival interests continued to argue over whether

19758-584: The lands should remain under the management of the Forest Service or the National Park Service, but by the 1960s the environmentalist argument advocating for a national park prevailed. President John F. Kennedy directed the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior to fund a joint study into a possible national park in the North Cascades region, which was completed in January 1966 and submitted to Congress. The size of

19936-460: The landscape during the Holocene exposed the rocks visible today. Much harder and more durable than the younger volcanic rocks of the southern Cascades, the North Cascades are consequently more rugged, with steep terrain being the norm due to heavy erosion from water and ice. Continued rising in conjunction with erosion from water and ice has created deep valleys and significant vertical relief that

20114-491: The large ice caps on the highest Andes will be gone if current climate trends continue. In Patagonia on the southern tip of the continent, the large ice caps have retreated a 1 km (0.62 mi) since the early 1990s and 10 km (6.2 mi) since the late 19th century. It has also been observed that Patagonian glaciers are receding at a faster rate than in any other world region. The Northern Patagonian Ice Field lost 93 km (36 sq mi) of glacier area during

20292-771: The largest proportionate glacial losses. Examples of such mountain ranges are the Himalayas in Asia, the Rocky Mountains and the Cascade Range in North America, the Alps in Europe, the Southern Alps in New Zealand, the southern Andes in South America, as well as isolated tropical summits such as Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa. Glacial ice is the largest reservoir of fresh water on Earth, holding with ice sheets about 69 percent of

20470-424: The last 150 years since the end of the Little Ice Age , a period of several centuries in which the earth experienced a cooling phase, glacial ice volumes in the North Cascades have been reduced by 40 percent. This loss of glacial ice has contributed to decreased melt in the summer. In a paper published in 2016, it was reported that since 1959 the Skagit River watershed has seen a 25 percent reduction in

20648-491: The last 25 years of the 20th century. However, the glacier is still over 30 km (19 mi) long. In Sikkim , 26 glaciers examined between the years 1976 and 2005 were retreating at an average rate of 13.02 m (42.7 ft) per year. Overall, glaciers in the Greater Himalayan region that have been studied are retreating an average of between 18 and 20 m (59 and 66 ft) annually. The only region in

20826-476: The last year of that study; the greatest annual retreat recorded on that glacier since studies began there in 1900. This figure was exceeded in 2006 with five glaciers retreating over 100 m (330 ft) from the fall of 2005 to the fall of 2006. Four outlets from the Jostedalsbreen ice cap, the largest body of ice in continental Europe, Kjenndalsbreen , Brenndalsbreen, Briksdalsbreen and Bergsetbreen had

21004-498: The late 19th century. Aletsch Glacier retreated 2.8 km (1.7 mi) from 1880 to 2009. This rate of retreat has also increased since 1980, with 30%, or 800 m (2,600 ft), of the total retreat occurring in the last 20% of the time period. The Morteratsch Glacier in Switzerland has had one of the longest periods of scientific study with yearly measurements of the glacier's length commencing in 1878. The overall retreat from 1878 to 1998 has been 2 km (1.2 mi) with

21182-531: The late 19th century. Its rate of retreat has increased since 1980, following a period of slow retreat from 1950 to 1980. The Peyto Glacier in Alberta covers an area of about 12 km (4.6 sq mi), and retreated rapidly during the first half of the 20th century, stabilized by 1966, and resumed shrinking in 1976. The Illecillewaet Glacier in British Columbia's Glacier National Park (Canada) , part of

21360-452: The lower 48 states. More than 200 species of birds that pass through or use the park as a breeding ground have been recorded. These bird species include both golden and bald eagle as well as northern spotted owl , harlequin duck , Clark's nutcracker , trumpeter swan and seasonal appearances of western tanager , Cassin's vireo , pine grosbeak , woodpeckers such as the pileated woodpecker and primarily ground-dwelling birds such as

21538-470: The mass balance of a significant portion of the accumulation zone of the glacier is negative, it is in disequilibrium with the climate and will melt away without a colder climate and/or an increase in frozen precipitation. For example, Easton Glacier in Washington state, U.S. will likely shrink to half its size but at a slowing rate of reduction and stabilize at that size despite the warmer temperature over

21716-490: The military in 1883 and 1887 also determined that the mountains were virtually impenetrable. Explorers continued to seek out routes for wagon roads and railways and by the end of the 19th century, much of the park had been explored, but it was not until 1972 that the North Cascades Highway bisected the mountains. Mineral prospectors entered the North Cascades region, and by the 1850s were doing placer mining along

21894-473: The moderating influence of the Pacific Ocean. Inland tribes rarely erected totem poles or participated in potlatch ceremonies. By the beginning of the 20th century, inland tribes, like their coastal neighbors, had experienced population decline from their first contact with white explorers a hundred years earlier, mostly due to smallpox and other diseases. The first white explorer to enter the North Cascades

22072-548: The national park was subject to debate locally and in Congress, as well as its effect on the local logging industry. The North Cascades National Park Act designated the region as a national park on October 2, 1968, and the National Park Service commenced direct management on January 1, 1969. The North Cascades National Park Act also designated Ross Lake and Lake Chelan National Recreation Areas . Redwood National Park in California

22250-610: The north and east of the Skagit tribe, the Nlaka'pamux (also known as the "Thompson Indians", named after explorer David Thompson ), Chelan , Okanogan and Wenatchi (Wenatchee) tribes lived partly or year-round in the eastern sections of the North Cascades. The Skagits and Nlaka'pamux often had disputes, and raided one another's camps in search of slaves or to exact retribution. Like the coastal-based Skagits, inland tribes also constructed long lodges which were occupied by numerous families, though

22428-539: The north slope of Boston Peak, is the largest glacier in the park, measured in 1971 to have an area of 1,730 acres (7.0 km ). Other glaciers that were measured in 1971 to be larger than 2 square kilometres (0.77 sq mi) include East Nooksack and Sulphide Glaciers on Mount Shuksan , McAllister and Inspiration Glaciers on Eldorado Peak, Redoubt Glacier on Mount Redoubt , Neve Glacier on Snowfield Peak , and Challenger Glacier on Mount Challenger. The dense concentration and relative ease of access to

22606-509: The northwest to Seahpo Peak to the southeast and meltwater from the glacier flows into the Nooksack River . This article about a glacier in Washington is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . North Cascades National Park North Cascades National Park is a national park of the United States in Washington . At more than 500,000 acres (200,000 ha), it

22784-675: The number of known plant species. The park contains an estimated 236,000 acres (960 km ) of old-growth forests . As little of the park was previously logged, significant stands of old growth forest can be found in the valleys and lower slopes up to the timberline at 7,000 ft (2,100 m). From the lowest valley floors to about 2,000 ft (610 m), virgin stands of western hemlock , red cedar and Douglas fir are common. These species are heavily dependent on deep soils, and red cedars 1,000 years old and over 200 ft (61 m) tall can be found on Big Beaver Creek. These lowest elevation forests can be accessed by trails, such as

22962-483: The occasional shrub and lichens. A warming climate has led to an altitude adjustment for many flora species, with the timberline reaching 415 ft (126 m) further up the mountain slopes since the 1960s. The biodiversity of the area is threatened by climate change and invasive exotic plant species. These plants have spread across the park through the inadvertent redistribution from human activities, attaching themselves to cars and hikers. Invasive plants include

23140-491: The only national park to continue to stock non-native fish in park lakes. The prior decision not to continue to stock the lakes with fish was part of a larger debate about what "natural" means in reference to national parks. Hundreds of creeks and streams and several rivers originate within the park. The streams at higher elevation are often directly supplied by meltwater from glaciers, and they carry finely ground rock particles commonly referred to as glacial flour . Turning

23318-510: The park are from the more recent Mesozoic, the oldest rocks are 400 million years old, dating from the Devonian . A complex assemblage of various rock formations have repeatedly been eroded, reburied, subjected to fracturing and heat, creating a geological puzzle that is one of the most complicated and least understood geological records in North America. These forces are ongoing and the region continues to see uplift and faulting. Evidence from

23496-412: The park has few structures, roads or other improvements. Visitors wishing to drive to a campground must do so in the adjacent national forests or national recreation areas. Camping inside the park requires hiking in by trail, horseback or boat, and camping is regulated by a permit system to ensure the wilderness is not over-exploited. Mountaineering is popular in the park and only unobtrusive clean climbing

23674-522: The park. When white explorers first entered the area in the late 18th century, an estimated thousand Native American Skagits lived in what is now North Cascades National Park as well as the surrounding area. Residing mainly to the west of the park near Puget Sound , the Skagits lived in settlements, culling their needs from the waterways and traveling by canoe. Skagits formed a loose confederation of tribes that united if threatened by outside tribes such as

23852-491: The park. The mandate of the National Park Service is to "preserve and protect natural and cultural resources". In keeping with this mandate, hunting is illegal in the park, as is mining, logging, oil and gas extraction, and removal of natural or cultural resources. In 2016, North Cascades National Park recorded 28,646 visitors, while adjoining Ross Lake National Recreation Area reported 905,418 visitors and Lake Chelan National Recreation Area had 45,514 visitors. Peak visitation

24030-490: The park. All backcountry access requires a permit, and most are obtained at the Wilderness Information Center near Marblemount. Full accessibility for all is not available in the park, but the adjacent National Recreation Areas have a few trails, and all visitor centers, campgrounds and restrooms are fully accessible. The nearest large town on the west side of the park is Sedro-Woolley, and Winthrop lies to

24208-551: The parks waterways. Glacial retreat On Earth, 99% of glacial ice is contained within vast ice sheets (also known as "continental glaciers") in the polar regions . Glaciers also exist in mountain ranges on every continent other than the Australian mainland, including Oceania's high-latitude oceanic island countries such as New Zealand . Glacial bodies larger than 50,000 km (19,000 sq mi) are called ice sheets . They are several kilometers deep and obscure

24386-433: The past. These glaciers are all retreating overall, punctuated by short periods of advance. A large region of population surrounding the central and southern Andes of Argentina and Chile reside in arid areas that are dependent on water supplies from melting glaciers. The water from the glaciers also supplies rivers that have in some cases been dammed for hydroelectric power. Some researchers believe that by 2030, many of

24564-623: The period 1947–96, with a net gain of 4.1 km (2.5 mi). This glacier has advanced since 1947, and has been essentially stable since 1992. Perito Moreno Glacier is one of three glaciers in Patagonia known to have advanced, compared to several hundred others in retreat. The two major glaciers of the Southern Patagonia Icefield to the north of Moreno, Upsala and Viedma Glacier have retreated 4.6 km (2.9 mi) in 21 years and 1 km (0.62 mi) in 13 years respectively. In

24742-451: The period 1989–1995. However, reduced snowfall since has caused most Norwegian glaciers to retreat significantly. A survey of 31 Norwegian glaciers in 2010 indicated that 27 were in retreat, one had no change and three advanced. Similarly, in 2013, of 33 Norwegian glaciers surveyed, 26 were retreating, four showed no change and three advanced. Engabreen Glacier in Norway, an outlet glacier of

24920-442: The plant and animal species native to the park region are still found there, though climate change and pollutants from industrialized regions to the west pose risks to the environment. The park has one of the earliest and longest lasting research programs dedicated to studying climate change, primarily through examining the effects of glacial retreat . North Cascades National Park is almost entirely protected as wilderness , and so

25098-473: The polar ice caps were not contributing heavily to sea level rise (IPCC 2007), recent studies have confirmed that both Antarctica and Greenland are contributing 0.5 millimetres (0.020 in) a year each to global sea level rise. The Thwaites Glacier alone, in Western Antarctica is "currently responsible for approximately 4 percent of global sea level rise. It holds enough ice to raise the world ocean

25276-756: The present trends persist the ice mass will gradually be reduced, and will affect the availability of water resources, though water loss is not expected to cause problems for many decades. In the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan 28 of 30 glaciers examined retreated significantly between 1976 and 2003, with an average retreat of 11 m (36 ft) per year. One of these glaciers, the Zemestan Glacier , retreated 460 m (1,510 ft) during this period, not quite 10% of its 5.2 km (3.2 mi) length. In examining 612 glaciers in China between 1950 and 1970, 53% of

25454-816: The public that enter the park, such as the Cascade River Road beginning at Marblemount , and the Thornton Lakes Road near Newhalem , most automobile traffic travels on State Route 20, which passes through the Ross Lake National Recreation Area. The visitor center at Newhalem on the North Cascades Highway is open in the summer. Some of the best views of Mount Shuksan are from the Heather Meadows Visitor Center in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest well outside of

25632-539: The region became a national park, some privately owned mining inholdings remained. One such inholding, the Thunder Creek mine, was still privately owned as of 1997. Unlike in many other regions of the Pacific Northwest, logging had little impact on the future park. The ruggedness of the terrain and the existence of more economically viable timber resources that were closer to transportation routes largely dissuaded

25810-658: The region centered on the fur trade, and the Treaty of 1818 allowed for joint administration of Oregon Country , as it was referred to in the United States ;– the British Empire referred to the region as the Columbia District . The treaty set the international border at the 49th parallel , but this was disputed west of the Rocky Mountains , since the rival fur trading outfits had their own ideas about where

25988-453: The region. Wolverines are one of the rarest and most elusive mammals in North America. They are seldom sighted in the park, both due to the limited numbers of the species and the habitats they prefer, which are snowy high-altitude regions far removed from human encroachment. Approximately nine wolverines were captured in the national forest east of the park and fitted with transmitters that were tracked by Argos satellite telemetry. Four of

26166-771: The remaining glaciers in Wyoming will disappear by the middle of the 21st century if the current climate patterns continue. In the Canadian Rockies , glaciers are generally larger and more widespread than to the south in the Rocky Mountains. One of the more accessible in the Canadian Rockies is the Athabasca Glacier , which is an outlet glacier of the 325 km (125 sq mi) Columbia Icefield . The Athabasca Glacier has retreated 1,500 m (4,900 ft) since

26344-416: The remaining wilderness, culminating on October 2, 1968, with the designation of North Cascades National Park. Heavy snows and a high risk of avalanches due to the steep terrain, especially on the western slopes, severely limit visitation in the winter. Most access to the park is from State Route 20 , which follows the Skagit River, though even this road is closed for months at a time in the winter. Most of

26522-478: The research. In 1971, based on the photographs and other data collected since 1955, Post and others wrote a report that documented the number and scale of glaciers in the North Cascades. At the time of Austin Post's inventory, their study concluded that some North Cascades glaciers had experienced a period of minor growth or equilibrium in the mid-20th century, after undergoing decades of retreat. The study concluded that annual glacial melt due to seasonal variations has

26700-488: The retreat of glaciers in the Himalayas, a number of glacial lakes have been created. A growing concern is the potential for GLOFs researchers estimate 21 glacial lakes in Nepal and 24 in Bhutan pose hazards to human populations should their terminal moraines fail. One glacial lake identified as potentially hazardous is Bhutan's Raphstreng Tsho , which measured 1.6 km (0.99 mi) long, 0.96 km (0.60 mi) wide and 80 m (260 ft) deep in 1986. By 1995

26878-408: The route followed by members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition of 1804–1806, and also north of Fort Vancouver , on the Columbia River . Fort Okanogan was later owned by the North West Company , and then the Hudson's Bay Company , both of which were British-owned. Both Native American and white trappers conducted fur transactions at the trading post, which was staffed by representatives of

27056-510: The same period. The reduced snowpack has occurred despite a small increase in winter precipitation—thus, it reflects warmer winter temperatures leading to rainfall and melting on glaciers even during the winter. As of 2005, 67% of the North Cascade glaciers observed are in disequilibrium and will not survive the continuation of the present climate. These glaciers will eventually disappear unless temperatures fall and frozen precipitation increases. The remaining glaciers are expected to stabilize, unless

27234-458: The size as when first photographed in the late 1890s. Research also indicates that the glacial retreat was proportionately greater in the 1990s than in any other decade over the last 100 years. Gannett Glacier on the northeast slope of Gannett Peak is the largest single glacier in the Rocky Mountains south of Canada. It has reportedly lost over 50% of its volume since 1920, with almost half of that loss occurring since 1980. Glaciologists believe

27412-445: The snow accumulation zones have risen in elevation as the 20th century progressed. Between 1971 and 1975 Ivory Glacier receded 30 m (98 ft) from the glacial terminus, and about 26% of its surface area was lost. Since 1980 numerous small glacial lakes formed behind the new terminal moraines of several of these glaciers. Glaciers such as Classen, Godley and Douglas now all have new glacial lakes below their terminal locations due to

27590-448: The south. More than 500 lakes and ponds are located within North Cascades National Park. Many of these are devoid of fish, not uncommon in steep terrain where fish may not be able to access high altitude waterways. Around 240 of these lakes exist in the higher elevations and stocking of some of these lakes with fish has been ongoing since the late 19th century. Fishing in these lakes, which, without fish stocking, do not have native fish,

27768-430: The southeastern park boundary. North Cascades National Park has nearly 9,000 feet (2,700 m) of vertical relief, with the park's highest point atop Goode Mountain , and the western valleys situated at only around 400 ft (120 m) above mean sea level , the park has a highly varied ecosystem, including eight life zones . Erosion from water and glacial ice have created some of the steepest mountain ranges in

27946-451: The spine of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada, and the Pacific Coast Ranges extending from northern California to Alaska . While Greenland is geologically associated with North America, it is also a part of the Arctic region. Apart from the few tidewater glaciers such as Taku Glacier , in the advance stage of their tidewater glacier cycle prevalent along the coast of Alaska, virtually all of those in North America are in

28124-540: The style of construction was slightly different as the lodges did not have partitions separating one family from another, and were frame constructed and covered with reed mats rather than from cedar planking. One Wenatchee tribal lodge was described by Thompson as being 240 ft (73 m) long. Inland tribes were more likely to travel on foot or horseback than by canoe since the inland regions were less densely forested. Inland tribes also had less bountiful fisheries and greater weather extremes due to being further away from

28302-430: The summertime streamflow. Geographical features in the area can be found in this clickable map: Eight distinctive life zones support thousands of different plant and animal species in the North Cascades National Park ecosystem . With an elevation gain of nearly 9,000 ft (2,700 m), the park has one of the largest ranges of biodiversity found in any US national park. The flora in North Cascades National Park

28480-419: The terminal moraine is not strong enough to hold the rising water behind it, it can burst, leading to a massive localized flood. The likelihood of such events is rising due to the creation and expansion of glacial lakes resulting from glacier retreat. Past floods have been deadly and have resulted in enormous property damage. Towns and villages in steep, narrow valleys that are downstream from glacial lakes are at

28658-436: The timber industry from logging in the area. In 1897 the Washington Forest Reserve was set aside, preserving the forestland that would later become the park. By 1905, the management of the reserve was transferred from the Department of the Interior to the Department of Agriculture . The Forest Service was subsequently created to administer these forest reserves nationwide, which were redesignated as National Forests. Though

28836-405: The trailheads hikers can use to access the southern end of the park. North Cascades National Park is located in portions of Whatcom , Skagit , and Chelan counties in the U.S. state of Washington. Bisected by Ross Lake National Recreation Area (NRA), the park consists of two districts; the northern and southern. The northern boundary of the north district is also the international border between

29014-431: The two national recreation areas , other protected lands including several national forests and wilderness areas , as well as Canadian provincial parks in British Columbia , nearly surround the park. North Cascades National Park features the rugged mountain peaks of the North Cascades Range , the most expansive glacial system in the contiguous United States , the headwaters of numerous waterways, and vast forests with

29192-416: The underlying topography. Deglaciation occurs naturally at the end of ice ages . But the current glacier retreat is accelerated by global warming due to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions . Human activities since the start of the industrial era have increased the concentration of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the air, causing current global warming. Human influence

29370-420: The water a turquoise hue at times, this finely ground powder remains suspended in lakes the creeks flow into, also causing some of them to appear turquoise. Thunder Creek is particularly well known for this attribute, as it is supplied melt water from dozens of glaciers and transports the suspended particles into Diablo Lake . The Skagit River divides the park into the north and south districts; it lies within

29548-405: The western lowlands to the interior regions of the park and the Stehekin River Valley. The microblades are part of an archaeological assemblage that includes five distinct cultural periods, indicating that people were traveling into the mountains nearly 10,000 years ago. As well as the archaeological excavation at Cascade Pass, there are another 260 prehistoric sites that have been identified in

29726-553: The wolverines frequented the southern sections of North Cascades National Park, and of those, two spent the majority of their time there; researchers were unable to determine if these study animals had reproduced in the park. A warming climate may impact any wolverine recovery efforts implemented due to the loss of snow cover this species needs to reproduce. Research indicates that wolverines den in deep snow at least 5 ft (1.5 m) deep that lasts well into May, and as climate warms, these regions are becoming less common, especially in

29904-411: The world's freshwater. The retreat of glaciers has near term impacts on the availability of fresh water for drinking water and irrigation . For example, in the Andes and Himalayas the demise of glaciers will affect water supplies for people in that region. Melting glaciers also lead the sea level rise. Excluding peripheral glaciers of ice sheets , the total cumulated global glacial losses over

30082-420: The years 1966 and 2000. Tajikistan and neighboring countries of the Pamir Range are highly dependent upon glacial runoff to ensure river flow during droughts and the dry seasons experienced every year. The continued demise of glacier ice will result in a short-term increase, followed by a long-term decrease in glacial melt water flowing into rivers and streams. North American glaciers are primarily located along

30260-407: The years between 1944 and 1986. The largest retreat was on O'Higgins Glacier , which during the period 1896–1995 retreated 14.6 km (9.1 mi). The Perito Moreno Glacier is 30 km (19 mi) long and is a major outflow glacier of the Patagonian ice sheet, as well as the most visited glacier in Patagonia. Perito Moreno Glacier is in equilibrium, but has undergone frequent oscillations in

30438-401: The years between 1945 and 1975, and 174 km (67 sq mi) from 1975 to 1996, which indicates that the rate of retreat is increasing. This represents a loss of 8% of the ice field, with all glaciers experiencing significant retreat. The Southern Patagonian Ice Field has exhibited a general trend of retreat on 42 glaciers, while four glaciers were in equilibrium and two advanced during

30616-442: Was a guide who led the party to a high pass in the North Cascades. Ross and the guide may have traveled as far west as the Skagit River, but failed to get to Puget Sound. Fur trading slowed considerably as demand for furs decreased in the 1840s, but a few residents continued to augment their income by trapping for furs in the area until 1968, when the park was established, rendering the activity illegal. Aside from isolated trappers,

30794-426: Was also signed into existence on the same day as the North Cascades. By 1988, much of Bob Marshall's original plan to set aside the future park as wilderness was achieved when almost all of North Cascades National Park was designated as the Stephen Mather Wilderness . North Cascades National Park is managed by the National Park Service, and the park headquarters is in Sedro-Woolley, Washington . The park consists of

30972-419: Was followed by a 743 metres (2,438 ft) advance by 1979. The glacier again retreated 450 m (1,480 ft) from 1987 to 2005, leaving barren terrain behind. This retreat has occurred during a period of reduced winter snowfall and higher summer temperatures. In this region of the Cascades, winter snowpack has declined 25% since 1946, and summer temperatures have risen 0.7  °C (1.2  °F ) during

31150-426: Was most likely a Scotsman named Alexander Ross , who was in the employ of the American-owned Pacific Fur Company . To the southeast of the modern park boundary, Ross and other members of the company constructed Fort Okanogan in 1811, as a base from which to operate during the early period of the Pacific Northwest fur trade. Fort Okanogan was the first American settlement in present-day Washington State, well north of

31328-426: Was named after the North Cascades mountains, which are a subsection of the Cascade Range that extends from northern California into British Columbia. The North Cascades are the northernmost section of the range and unlike their southern counterparts that consist of Tertiary to Holocene volcanic rocks, the North Cascades are composed primarily of Mesozoic crystalline and metamorphic rocks . Though most rocks in

31506-433: Was only marginally more lucrative. Miners were hampered by short working seasons, difficult terrain, low quantities of ore and a lack of financial investment. Miners built some of the first trails and roads into portions of the backcountry, some of which involved intricate engineering, including bridges over the numerous streams and dynamiting rock ledges above steep gorges during trail construction. One mining company built

31684-426: Was set at the 49th parallel in 1846, explorers came to chart potential routes through the mountains for roads and railroads. Limited mining and logging occurred from the late 19th century to the early 20th century. The first significant human impact in the region occurred in the 1920s when several dams were built in the Skagit River valley to generate hydroelectric power. Environmentalists then campaigned to preserve

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