Shrinking Ice Animals aren’t the only ones who need glaciers. People do, too. Glaciers are like giant water towers. T ey store much of Earth’s fresh water. During the summer, some of the


ice melts. T e melting ice flows into rivers. People, plants, and animals need this water to live. A glacier that melts too quickly


can cause problems. Lakes overflow. Avalanches tumble down. Icebergs crash into the sea. Scariest of all, fresh water supplies dry up. Koppes is aware of this problem.


She has been studying it for a long time. Her data shows something alarming. Tyndall Glacier is melting. She knows it’s getting smaller.


Melting Glaciers Almost every glacier is shrinking. T is has happened before. Earth’s climate changes over long periods of time. It warms up. Glaciers melt a little. T en the climate cools again. Glaciers grow. T is time, humans are causing the


problem. Our cars and factories make gases. T ese gases rise into the sky. Some of these gases trap heat, so


Earth gets warmer. T is can cause glaciers to melt more quickly. T e water flows into the ocean. T ere, it becomes salt water. Koppes finally reaches the top of


the glacier. She has collected lots of new data. It could help protect glaciers and fresh water worldwide.


A melting ice shelf forms at the foot of this glacier.


22 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER


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