The glacial margin of Shepard Glacier is the edge where the glacier terminates, and it has been receding since the Little Ice Age, reflecting wider patterns of glacial retreat in Glacier National Park.
The glacial margin refers to the end or the edge of a glacier, where ice terminates and often where moraines form as a result of the glacier's past activity.
The Shepard Glacier, like others in Glacier National Park (GNP), has undergone significant changes since the last glaciation which ended roughly 12,000 years ago.
Despite their relatively young geological age of approximately 7,000 years, these alpine glaciers expanded significantly during the Little Ice Age (LIA) but have since been in retreat.
By examining moraines and utilizing aerial photography, scientists have been able to infer the maximum sizes of over 150 glaciers in GNP around the end of the LIA, circa 1850 AD.
Comparatively, by 2015, the number of active named glaciers, including Shepard Glacier, had diminished to only 26.
These changes are indicative of a broader pattern of glacial retreat due to climatic fluctuations and possibly global warming.
While the specific details of Shepard Glacier's margin are not provided, the context of glacial retreat in GNP suggests that its margin has similarly receded post-LIA, mirroring the general trend of glaciation in the region.
Complete question:
What is Glacial margin for Shepard glacier?