We have visited Glacier Bay on a previous trip to Alaska and stayed at the Glacier Bay Lodge. Like so many of our early trips, I am certain I took photos which probably resulted in prints, but I have no idea where these keepsakes are. Go digital. The opportunity for beautiful photos is endless.
When we visit Glaciers I cannot help think of what the glaciers tell us about climate change. Any time we have had a guide or descriptive signs available when viewing glaciers the topic of receding glaciers and climate change has been part of the message. We seem more aware of the issue now, but sadly it has become politicized even though scientists overwhelmingly accept the reality.
Internet access allows me to do some research as we travel and here are some climate change findings related to Alaska.
Over a 50-year interval—between the 1950s and early 2000s—glaciers within Alaska national parks shrank by 8%. From 1985 to 2020, glacier-covered area in Alaska decreased by 13%, indicating that the rate of glacier loss accelerated in recent decades. Talks presented while we were in the Bay pointed to areas in which glaciers no longer exist.
Climate change is a reality in Alaska. Sea ice loss has caused the polar regions to warm over twice as much as the rest of the Earth. Alaska has experienced a 5ºF (~3ºC) increase since 1949. Some climate change topics bring up the possibility of a tipping point. For example, as the temperature rises more areas of land become exposed which means less sunlight is reflected and more heat is absorbed. As this trend continues, the rise in temperature begins to feed upon itself.
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