Rapid Decline of North American Benchmark Glaciers

Nature Scientific Reports, 17 March 2026

Nine North American glaciers surveyed in 1957 during the International Geophysical Year as long-term benchmarks have experienced substantial losses in both volume and area due to global warming. Using satellite technology, researchers closely documented the evolution of these glaciers over the past seven decades and found that all have lost ice mass, shrinking on average by 33%; and cumulatively have lost 1.4 gigatons of freshwater. Based on projected temperature increases, only 3 of these 9 glaciers are expected to remain by 2100, underscoring the importance of rapid global emission reductions to help preserve some of these remaining glaciers of North America.

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