The US west has lost nearly 300 glaciers since the 1960s. Climate crisis is drastically shrinking what’s left
A new study reveals that nearly 300 glaciers have disappeared from the western United States since the 1960s. The climate crisis is rapidly shrinking the remaining glacial mass across six western states, including Oregon. At the midpoint of the last century, the American west maintained more than 1,450 glaciers. Now, the total area covered by glaciers in the region has plummeted by roughly one-third. Surviving glaciers often shrink down to the size of two football fields and stop moving under their own weight as the planet warms.
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- ✓ The American west has lost nearly 300 glaciers since the 1960s.
- ✓ Six western states, including Oregon, have lost more than a third of their glacial cover since the 1950s.
- ✓ The region held more than 1,450 glaciers at the midpoint of the last century.
- ✓ Many of the functionally disappeared glaciers have shrunk down to roughly the size of two football fields and no longer move under their own weight.
What changed
A first-of-its-kind inventory and analysis published in PNAS quantified the scale of glacial loss across the western United States.
Live updates
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US West Loses Hundreds of Glaciers
A new study reveals that nearly 300 glaciers have disappeared from the western United States since the 1960s. The climate crisis is rapidly shrinking the remaining glacial mass across six western states, including Oregon. At the midpoint of the last century, the American west maintained more than 1,450 glaciers. Now, the total area covered by glaciers in the region has plummeted by roughly one-third. Surviving glaciers often shrink down to the size of two football fields and stop moving under their own weight as the planet warms.
Why it matters
Mountain glaciers historically function as natural reservoirs, storing freezing water to keep rivers flowing during dry summer months. This glacial runoff supports downstream ecosystems, agriculture, and species such as salmon. Warming temperatures, shifting snowfall patterns, and prolonged melt seasons are accelerating the disappearance of these frozen formations.
What is confirmed
- The American west has lost nearly 300 glaciers since the 1960s.
- Six western states, including Oregon, have lost more than a third of their glacial cover since the 1950s.
- The region held more than 1,450 glaciers at the midpoint of the last century.
- Many of the functionally disappeared glaciers have shrunk down to roughly the size of two football fields and no longer move under their own weight.
Still unconfirmed
- Yahoo reported a total loss of 400 glaciers in the United States.
What to watch next
- Further regional studies detailing the impact of glacial loss on summer river flows and salmon populations.
- Additional policy or conservation responses from western states facing diminished glacial water reserves.
confidence 95%Sources used for this update (8)
- The Guardian — The US west has lost nearly 300 glaciers since the 1960s. Climate crisis is drastically shrinking what’s left
- Yahoo — US Loses 400 Glaciers
- Magzter — Climate crisis threatens what's left of America’s once mighty glaciers | The Guardian - newspaper
- www.envirolink.org — US West Has Lost Nearly 300 Glaciers Since the 1960S, Study ...
- www.kuow.org — More than a third of western states’ glacial cover has been ...
- www.globaloceanhealth.org — No River? No Salmon. — Global Ocean Health
- scienceofficial.org — Nearly 300 Western US Glaciers Lost Since 1960s, Study Finds
- wvtra.org — The US West Has Lost Nearly 300 Glaciers · WVTRA - World ...
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