 The melting of Alaska's Juneau Ice Field, home to more than 1,000 glaciers, is accelerating. The snow-covered area is now shrinking 4.6 times faster than it was in the 1980s, according to a new study. Researchers meticulously tracked snow levels in the nearly 1,500-square-mile icy expanse going back to 1948, with added data back to the 18th century.