According to a recent report by the US Geological Survey, ninety-nine percent of
Alaska's glaciers are either retreating or diminaishing. This diminishing seems mainly
due to the increase in global temperatures. Since the 1960s, the average year-round
temperatuee has increased by almost 3' C. Additionally, the average winter temperature
has increased by over 6'c. Presently, an estimated 100 cubic kilometers of ice is
disappearing from Alaskan glaciers every year. It may be even more in the near future,
as some scientists predict that the average world temperature could go up 4 to 7'C by the year 2100.