Upclose: Alaska Glaciers at Risk Of Melting...

[liveweatherman]

They’re large, rock-hard and grand spectacles — but Alaska’s great glaciers are in grave danger. The glacier recession rate accelerates every year, losing an average of 20 inches — almost twice the rate of loss seen in the 1980s and 1990s. Weekend TODAY’s Lester Holt joined acclaimed scientist Dr. Doug Causey, professor of biology at the University of Alaska Anchorage, for a close look at Alaska’s great natural wonders. They visited Spencer Glacier, which is now breaking off and calving due to rapid melting. While calving is normal for glaciers, the melting has been accelerated by climate change. continue..