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Small mountain glaciers play a big role in recharging vital aquifers and in keeping rivers flowing during the winter, according to a new study. A research team looked at how meltwater from two small mountain glaciers flowed through the system and influenced the mountain streams, rivers and groundwater all year long.
The study suggests that the accelerated melting of mountain glaciers in recent decades may explain a phenomenon that has long puzzled scientists--why Arctic and sub-Arctic rivers have increased their water flow during the winter even without a correlative increase in rain or snowfall.Image credit: Todd Paris
