Melting masses: Study demotes 52 glaciers to snowfields

<p>It's no secret that glaciers in Montana and the world over are disappearing. But now a new study puts a number to the losses, at least for the Western U.S. </p> <p>Of the West's 612 officially named glaciers, 52 no longer qualify as glaciers. That's according to a study released last month by Portland State University.</p> <p>The research, published in the journal Earth System Science Data, delineates a glacier as a slowly moving mass of ice with an area of at least 25 acres, and a snowfield a stationary area of snow and ice that persists all year. The study found 52 glaciers have been demoted to snowfields.</p> <p>Six of those 52 demoted glaciers are in Montana.</p> <p>With me today to talk again about receding ice is Joshua Murdock, natural resources reporter and Rob Chaney, managing editor of the Missoulian newspaper.</p><p>See <a href="https://omnystudio.com/listener">omnystudio.com/listener</a> for privacy information.</p>