Sitting at 3,350 meter ( 11,000 feet ) above sea stage is a glacier resemble “ the skin of an elephant ” – and it ’s pullulate with the preserved remains of an extinct coinage . A survey conductedin 1914conducted by US Geological Survey excavation geologist Dr J. P. Kimball led to the finding that gave Grasshopper Glacier its very literal name .
situate in the Beartooth Mountains of Custer National Forest , southwest of Billings , Montana , the Grasshopper Glacier is approachable for just2 months out of the year . However , those lucky enough to hit the peak might just see the treasures conceal within .
jam inside the glacier for hundreds – possibly thousands – of class , are million of perfectly preserve Rocky Mountain locust tree . Upon first identification in 1914 by the US Bureau ofEntomology , the locusts had n’t been see in large numbers since theend of the 19th century , with thelast live specimenhaving been collected in 1902 .
Image credit: Grasshopper Glacier 1990 J.E. Haynes. St. Paul, Official Photographer of Yellowstone National Park
While it is unclear what conduct to the demise of this huge cloud , it ’s speculated that they yield to extreme weather condition while flying over the glacier ’s frosty peaks . Heavy snow and crank piece of paper continue them just beneath the surface perpetually .
That is , until trusty climate change decided to get involved .
In the twelvemonth of the glacier ’s breakthrough , the glacial structurestretched for8 kilometer ( 5 miles ) – but as global temperatures turn out the glacier shrunk rapidly , now span just 0.32 kilometers ( 0.2 mi ) .
As the ice thawing , the preserved specimens are revealed and exposed to the ever - warming weather . Once deice , the window for accumulate specimen is short . Due to the difficulty reaching the site , many of these treasured locusts are never pick up , and or else slowly rot atop the glacier .
Before their extinction , theRocky Maintain locustwas jazz for its vast swarm numbers . The notorious " Albert ’s horde " of 1875 saw an estimated area of 177 kilometers ( 110 air mile ) wide and 2,896 kilometer ( 1,800 sea mile ) long filled with 12.5 trillion locusts .
Their abundance meant few specimen were ever accumulate or studied before their extinction , making sites of their preserved remains even more vital for gathering data about this once - thriving metal money .
