Chaney Glacier
Encyclopedia
Chaney Glacier is located in the U.S. state
of Montana
in Glacier National Park (U.S.). The glacier is situated in a cirque
to the northeast of Mount Kipp
on the eastern side (Glacier County
) of the Continental Divide
. Chaney Glacier is one of several glaciers that 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.
Since 1911, Chaney glacier has retreated considerably. Between 1966 and 2005, the glacier lost over 29 percent of its surface area. The repeat photographs below document the changes to the glacier from 1911 to 2005.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Montana
Montana
Montana is a state in the Western United States. The western third of Montana contains numerous mountain ranges. Smaller, "island ranges" are found in the central third of the state, for a total of 77 named ranges of the Rocky Mountains. This geographical fact is reflected in the state's name,...
in Glacier National Park (U.S.). The glacier is situated in a cirque
Cirque
Cirque may refer to:* Cirque, a geological formation* Makhtesh, an erosional landform found in the Negev desert of Israel and Sinai of Egypt*Cirque , an album by Biosphere* Cirque Corporation, a company that makes touchpads...
to the northeast of Mount Kipp
Mount Kipp
Mount Kipp is located in the Lewis Range, Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana. Immediately east of the summit lies the retreating Chaney Glacier. Mount Kipp is situated along the Continental Divide....
on the eastern side (Glacier County
Glacier County, Montana
-National protected areas:* Glacier National Park * Lewis and Clark National Forest -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 13,247 people, 4,304 households, and 3,245 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile . There were 5,243 housing units...
) of the Continental Divide
Continental Divide
The Continental Divide of the Americas, or merely the Continental Gulf of Division or Great Divide, is the name given to the principal, and largely mountainous, hydrological divide of the Americas that separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain...
. Chaney Glacier is one of several glaciers that have been selected for monitoring by the U.S. Geological Survey's Glacier Monitoring Research program, which is researching changes to the mass balance
Glacier mass balance
Crucial to the survival of a glacier is its mass balance, the difference between accumulation and ablation . Climate change may cause variations in both temperature and snowfall, causing changes in mass balance. Changes in mass balance control a glacier's long term behavior and is the most...
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.
Since 1911, Chaney glacier has retreated considerably. Between 1966 and 2005, the glacier lost over 29 percent of its surface area. The repeat photographs below document the changes to the glacier from 1911 to 2005.
See also
- List of glaciers in the United States
- Glaciers in Glacier National Park (U.S.)Glaciers in Glacier National Park (U.S.)There are at least 35 named glaciers in Glacier National Park . In 1850, Glacier had 150 glaciers. There are 25 active glaciers remaining in the park today. Since the ice ages stopped 10,000 years ago, there have been many slight climate shifts causing periods of glacier growth or melt-back...