Park Information
© George Ostrom
Created in 1910, Glacier National Park provides over one million acres of habitat and protection for a wonderful variety of wildlife and wildflowers. Historic lodges preserve the ambience of nineteenth century travel for twentieth century visitors.
The geologic history of Glacier National Park is read in the numerous exposed layers of Precambrian sedimentary formations. These extremely well preserved sediments date back to over 1 billion years. Subsequent sculpting by massive bodies of ice has transformed this area into a dramatic example of glacial landforms. Today several small alpine glaciers of relatively recent origin dot the mountains. Due to its geographic location and geologic history, Glacier National Park contains a particularly rich biological diversity of plant and animal species. This combination of spectacular scenery, diverse flora and fauna, and relative isolation from major population centers have combined to make Glacier National Park the center of one of the largest and most intact ecosystems in North America.
Glacier National Park and Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta were joined together by the governments of Canada and the United States in 1932 as Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the first park of its kind in the world.
Both parks have been designated Biosphere Reserves. In December of 1995 they were jointly designated the "Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park World Heritage Site".Glacier National Park is located in northwestern Montana on the U.S./Canadian border.
Weather
© George OstromGlacier's weather is as varied as its landscape. In the valleys daytime temperatures can exceed 90 degrees F. Up slope, in areas above treeline, it is frequently 10 to 15 degrees cooler. Strong winds predominate on the east side of the park. Overnight lows throughout the park can drop to near 20 degrees F, and snow can fall anytime. In August of 1992, a foot of snow fell on the northeastern corner of Glacier. Summer rainfall averages around two to three inches per month
Glaciers
What is a Glacier? A glacier forms when more snow falls each winter than melts the next summer. The accumulation of snow above presses down on the layers below, and compacts them into ice. Ice near the surface of the glacier is often hard and brittle but, due to the pressure of ice above, the ice near the bottom of the glacier becomes flexible. This flexible layer allows the ice to move. Depending on the amount of ice, the angle of the mountainside, and the pull of gravity, the ice may start to move downhill. Once this mass of snow and ice begins to move, it is called a glacier.
The glaciers in Glacier National Park today are all geologically new having formed in the last few thousand years. Presently, all the glaciers in the park are shrinking. More snow melts each summer than accumulates each winter. As the climate changed over the last two million years, glaciers formed and melted away several times. What will happen to today's glaciers if the climate becomes colder, wetter, or warmer?
Geologists theorize that about 20,000 years ago the climate became cooler and/or wetter. This allowed for the formation of huge glaciers that filled the valleys with thousands of feet of ice. Imagine the valleys of Glacier National Park filled with ice, and just the tops of the highest peaks sticking out. These giant rivers of ice sculpted the mountains and valleys into their present appearance. Today's glaciers are carving at the mountains as well. Although smaller, they work in the same way as the larger glaciers of the past, and teach us about Glacier National Park's geologic history.
Source
Glacier National Park, website: http://www.nps.gov/glac/ (copied with permission)
