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Gannett Glacier

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Gannett Glacier

Gannett Glacier is the largest glacier in the Rocky Mountains within the United States. The glacier is located on the east and north slopes of Gannett Peak, the highest mountain in Wyoming, on the east side of the Continental Divide in the Wind River Range. Gannett is but one of dozens of glaciers l

ocated in the Fitzpatrick Wilderness of Shoshone National Forest. Like many glaciers around the world, Gannett Glacier is slowly disappearing. Photographic evidence clearly demonstrates that there has been an enormous reduction in the area of the glacier since the 1920s. The estimated area of the glacier in 1950 was 4.6 square kilometres (1,137 acres) and was measured in 1999 to be 3.63 square kilometres (897 acres). Measurements from 1958 and 1983 showed a depth reduction of 18.6 metres (61 ft) over 25 years. A general warming pattern and a reduction in moisture is widely believed to be the reason for the glacier retreating. Numerous other glaciers are located nearby, including six more that rank among the top ten largest in the U.S. Rocky Mountains. In a 1989 study, both Gannett and Dinwoody glaciers were researched to determine the amount of melt water they supplied to streams. Both glaciers...

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