Warmer temperatures and changes in precipitation over the past century have thinned the Bering Glacier by several thousand meters.

[2] The glacial retreat has an interesting side effect, an increase in the frequency of earthquakes in the region.

The weight of the vast amount of ice in the Bering Glacier is enough to depress the Earth's crust, stabilizing the boundary between the two plates.

Scientists from the Michigan Tech Research Institute, working with U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Bureau of Land Management have recently discovered that the glacier is releasing approximately 30 cubic kilometres (7.2 cu mi) of water a year, more than twice the amount of water in the entire Colorado River.

[3] Meltwater at the terminus collects in Vitus Lake, which flows via the Seal River to the Gulf of Alaska.