Grinnell Glacier with glacier retreat since 1850 of 1.1 km (0.7 miles). The Salamander, a glacier that used to be connected to Grinnell Glacier lies on the rock shelf above. USGS

Grinnell Glacier is located in the heart of Glacier National Park (US) in the U.S. state of Montana. The glacier is named for George Bird Grinnell, an early American conservationist and explorer, who was also a strong advocate of ensuring the creation of Glacier National Park. The glacier is in the Lewis Range and rests on the north flank of Mount Gould at an altitude averaging 7,000 feet (2,133 m), in the Many Glacier region of the park. Image File history File links Grinnell_Glacier2. ... Image File history File links Grinnell_Glacier2. ... The United States Geological Survey (USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. ... Glacier National Park is located in the U.S. state of Montana, on the international border with the Canadian provinces of Alberta and British Columbia. ... A state of the United States (a U.S. state) is any one of the fifty states (four of which officially favor the term commonwealth) which, along with the District of Columbia, form the United States of America. ... Official language(s) English Capital Helena Largest city Billings Area  - Total  - Width  - Length  - % water  - Latitude  - Longitude Ranked 4th 381,156 km² 410 km 1,015 km 1 44°26 N to 49° N 104°2 W to 116°2 W Population  - Total (2000)  - Density Ranked 44th 1,087,340 2. ... George Bird Grinnell (1849 – 1938) was an American anthropologist, historian, naturalist, and writer. ... Conservationists are those people who tend to more highly rank the wise use of the Earths resources and ecosystems. ...

The glacier has been one of the most photographed glaciers in the park and many of these photographs date back to the mid 19th century. When compared with images taken over subsequent years, the glacier has obviously retreated substantially. This is a pattern repeated throughout the park and worldwide, strong evidence of a global climate change correlating with Global warming. In 1850, Grinnell Glacier measured 2.88 square kilometers, including the area of The Salamander. When last measured in 1993, Grinnell Glacier measured 0.88 square kilometers and The Salamander measured 0.23 square kilometers. Glaciologists that have researched the glaciers in the park believe that unless the climate cools and snowfall increases dramatically, all the glaciers in the park, including Grinnell, will disappear by the year 2030. Global mean surface temperatures 1856 to 2005; this map shows mean surface temperature anomalies during the period 1995 to 2004 with respect to the average temperatures from 1940 to 1980 Global warming refers to the increases in the average temperature of the Earths atmosphere and oceans that has been...

The glacier can be reached from a trailhead beginning at Swiftcurrent Lake. Follow the Grinnell Glacier Trail for 6 mile (9.6 km). The trail has an altitude gain of just over 1,600 feet (487 m), with the majority of that in the second half of the hike. Above Grinnell Glacier is another glacier known as the Salamander which is an excellent example of a shelf or hanging glacier and was once attached to Grinnell Glacier, but both have retreated and are no longer connected. Another associated glacier in the area, know as Gem Glacier, disappeared in the 1990's.

Grinnell Glacier above Lake Josephine Grinnell Glacier at Glacier National Park File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

External links

• Topozone. Logan Pass Quad. USGS. URL accessed on 2006-04-29.
• Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center. Grinnell Glacier Photo Gallery. U.S. Geological Survey. URL accessed on 2006-04-29.
• Big Sky Fishing.com. Hiking the Grinnell Glacier Trail. URL accessed on 2006-04-29.
• Key, C.H.; D.B. Fagre; R.K. Menicke (2003). Glacier Retreat in Glacier National Park. U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center. URL accessed on 2006-05-01.