The Glacier National Park may soon have to change its name: How global warming has taken its toll on America's wilderness

A century ago the Montana nature reserve had 150 glaciers; now only 25 remain within its borders

Expert from the U.S. Geological Survey predicts the last of Glacier National Park's ice will be gone in decades

The disappearance of the glaciers threatens to disrupt ecosystems and change the environment of the park




These photographs capture the retreat of glaciers in one of America's most beautiful national parks.

After 100 years of climate change, only 25 out of the 150 glaciers recorded at the Glacier National Park in Montana still exist.

As these pictures show, places where the ice was once many metres thick have been replaced with sediment, pastures and lakes.

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Even further down: A man stands at Grinnell glacier overlook, observing the large glacier that fills the basin at Lewis mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in 1920, left. Right, by 2008 a man looks down from the same spot and can see lakes and sediment there were previously hidden beneath metres of ice



Awe-inspiring: The Grinnell glacier fills the basin at Lewis mountain range in the Rocky Mountains in 1900 Shrunken: The Grinnell glacier had greatly receded by 2008 Icy: A third view of the Grinnell glacier showing how it filled the basin of the Lewis mountain range in 1900 Going: By 2010 it had receded to reveal the great swathes of sediment beneath Dr Dan Fagre, who leads the U.S. Geological Survey Team responsible for researching glaciers in the park, predicts that its glaciers will completely disappear in the coming decades. He believes they are melting because of natural climate changes 'accelerated' by human influence. 'The mountains are still very beautiful and they are a legacy of glaciers carving them and sculpting them,' he said.

'But there would most definitely be an irony that it was a glacier-less glacier national park.'

Once mighty: The large Chaney glacier stretches far at Glacier National Park in 1911

No longer: By 2005, when this picture was taken, the glacier has shrunk dramatically

Deep freeze: A large Iceberg Glacier located at Glacier National Park in 1940

Since thawed: That glacier as photographed by researchers in 2008

You wouldn't get far on skis: The Logan glacier stretches far at Glacier National Park in 1914, left. Right, the same glacier had nearly disappeared by 2009



The disappearance of the ice is likely to further affect the wider ecosystem and could threaten species of fish adapted to living in waters kept cold by the glaciers, he added.

The USGS yesterday warned as much as 44billion tons of nitrogen and 850billion tons of carbon could be released into the environment as permafrost thaws over the next century.

This release of greenhouse gases could make much worse and threaten delicate water systems on land and offshore, the scientists said.

Their warning came after the UN last week warned of record levels of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which will likely remain trapped there causing temperatures to continue to rise for centuries.

Snowy peaks: The Blackfoot glacier and Jackson glacier join together at Glacier National Park in 1914

Now just a sprinkle: The Blackfoot glacier and Jackson glacier have greatly receded and are no longer connected

Ice age: The Sperry glacier fills the basin in Glacier National Park in 1913

Heating up: The glacier has shrunk greatly and only patches remain

Chilled: The Harrison glacier, the largest in the park, spreads out across the Rockies

Global warming: The glacier is still the park's largest, but its disappearance now leaves massive sections of mountain visible

These photographs, known as glacier pairs or repeat photographs, show the tangible effects of the rising climate believed to be caused by the accumulation of so many pollutants.

They have been taken from the same vantage points or fields of view, but with some of the originals dating back as far as 1900, to document how global warming is affecting glaciers.

And the same phenomenon is being repeated all over the world, according to Dr Jonathan Bamber, a glacier expert from the University of Bristol.

'The retreating glaciers seen in these photos are common to most mountain glaciers around the world including examples from the European Alps, the Himalaya and tropical glaciers in the Andes,' he said.

'Part of the retreat is likely due to natural causes but part is also likely due to human induced warming of the planet over the last century.'