Bering Glacier
The glacier in 2002
The Bering Glacier is a glacier in the U.S. state of Alaska. With an area of 5175 km2 and a length of 190 km, it is the largest glacier in North America. It flows about 10 km from the Gulf of Alaska and is fed by the Bagley Icefield in the south of the Wrangell-St Elias National Park which gives Vitus Lake.
Decline of the glacier
The end of the glacier has indeed retreated by 12 km since 1900, but he has - like other glaciers in the region also - in time irregular intervals (approximately every 20 years ) waves, which increase its flow rate, indicating the end further advances. In this waves is usually followed by a decline, which leads despite the periodic advances to a regression of the glacier. The decline of the Bering Glacier has in the 1990s - as a possible consequence of global warming - accelerated. Scientists at Michigan Technological University, cooperating with the United States Geological Survey and Bureau of Land Management have found out in 2007 that the Bering Glacier releases annually about 30 km3 of water.
Causation of earthquakes
With the retreat of the glaciers, an increase in the frequency of earthquakes in the region was found. The ice of the glacier is sufficient to depress the earth's crust and thus stabilize the boundary between tectonic plates. However, losing the glaciers to the ground, the pressure exerted by the ice on the earth's crust pressure is also reduced. Due to the reduced soil compaction, the plates can move more freely and the probability of collision increases. In this way, the Wrangell Mountains and Elias chain have emerged, namely by collisions of the Pacific and North American plate.
Bering Glacier Program
The Michigan Tech Research Institute worked until 2008 in the so-called Bering Glacier Program. Among other things, the decline of the glacier and its hydrological composition were investigated. For the purpose of acquisition of seismic waves also another research station was built.