Sierra Glacier Update, 26" H x 30" Embroidery on silk & velvet

Glaciers provide some of the most visible evidence of climate change. They respond to the combination of winter snow and spring and summer temperatures. Over the twentieth century, with few exceptions, alpine glaciers throughout the world have retreated in response to a warming climate. The surface area of seven Sierra Nevada glaciers has decreased dramatically since the beginning of the twentieth century. The graph shows the fraction of the area of these glaciers relative to the year 1903. These glaciers are among the largest at higher elevations for which data are available. Historical photographs and field measurements were used to estimate the surface area of each glacier.