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Was all of Alaska covered by glaciers during the Pleistocene Ice Age?

No--most of interior Alaska, south of the Brooks Range and north of the Alaska Range, was a non-glaciated grassland refuge habitat for a number of plant and animal species during the maximum Pleistocene glaciation. This ice-free corridor also provided one route for humans to move into North America.

Learn more: USGS Water Science School - Glaciers: Things to Know

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Mount Rainier seen from Puyallup, Washington

Which mountain in the conterminous U.S. has the most glaciers?

Mount Rainier, Washington, at 14,410 feet (4,393 meters), the highest peak in the Cascade Range, is a dormant volcano whose glacier ice cover exceeds that of any other mountain in the conterminous United States. Mount Rainier has approximately 26 glaciers. It contains more than five times the glacier area of all the other Cascade volcanoes combined. Mount Baker (Washington) at 10,778 feet (3,285...

link

Which mountain in the conterminous U.S. has the most glaciers?

Mount Rainier, Washington, at 14,410 feet (4,393 meters), the highest peak in the Cascade Range, is a dormant volcano whose glacier ice cover exceeds that of any other mountain in the conterminous United States. Mount Rainier has approximately 26 glaciers. It contains more than five times the glacier area of all the other Cascade volcanoes combined. Mount Baker (Washington) at 10,778 feet (3,285...

Learn More
link
Image: Layers of Ice, Hayden Glacier

How old is glacier ice?

The age of the oldest glacier ice in Antarctica may approach 1,000,000 years oldThe age of the oldest glacier ice in Greenland is more than 100,000 years oldThe age of the oldest Alaskan glacier ice ever recovered (from a basin between Mt. Bona and Mt. Churchill) is about 30,000 years old.Glacier flow moves newly formed ice through the entire length of a typical Alaskan valley glacier in 100 years...

link

How old is glacier ice?

The age of the oldest glacier ice in Antarctica may approach 1,000,000 years oldThe age of the oldest glacier ice in Greenland is more than 100,000 years oldThe age of the oldest Alaskan glacier ice ever recovered (from a basin between Mt. Bona and Mt. Churchill) is about 30,000 years old.Glacier flow moves newly formed ice through the entire length of a typical Alaskan valley glacier in 100 years...

Learn More
link
Lyell and Maclure glaciers, as they were mapped in 1883 by Willard D. Johnson of the U.S. Geological Survey

Are today's glaciers leftovers from the Pleistocene ice age?

Yes and no. It depends on which glaciers you are considering. Parts of the Antarctic Continent have had continuous glacier cover for perhaps as long as 20 million years. Other areas, such as valley glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula and glaciers of the Transantarctic Mountains may date from the early Pleistocene. For Greenland, ice cores and related data suggest that all of southern Greenland and...

link

Are today's glaciers leftovers from the Pleistocene ice age?

Yes and no. It depends on which glaciers you are considering. Parts of the Antarctic Continent have had continuous glacier cover for perhaps as long as 20 million years. Other areas, such as valley glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula and glaciers of the Transantarctic Mountains may date from the early Pleistocene. For Greenland, ice cores and related data suggest that all of southern Greenland and...

Learn More
link
Juneau Icefield

Is glacier ice a type of rock?

Glacier ice, like limestone (for example), is a type of rock. Glacier ice is actually a mono-mineralic rock (a rock made of only one mineral, like limestone which is composed of the mineral calcite). The mineral ice is the crystalline form of water (H2O). Most glacier ice forms through the metamorphism of tens of thousands of individual snowflakes into crystals of glacier ice. Each snow flake is a...

link

Is glacier ice a type of rock?

Glacier ice, like limestone (for example), is a type of rock. Glacier ice is actually a mono-mineralic rock (a rock made of only one mineral, like limestone which is composed of the mineral calcite). The mineral ice is the crystalline form of water (H2O). Most glacier ice forms through the metamorphism of tens of thousands of individual snowflakes into crystals of glacier ice. Each snow flake is a...

Learn More
link
Gilkey Glacier, Juneau Icefield, Alaska

Where are glaciers found in continental North America?

Glaciers exist in both the United States and Canada. Most U.S. glaciers are in Alaska; others can be found in Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nevada (Wheeler Peak Glacier in Great Basin National Park).Utah’s Timpanogos Glacier is now a rock glacier (in which the ice is hidden by rocks), and Idaho’s Otto Glacier has melted away.Canada has glaciers in Alberta, British...

link

Where are glaciers found in continental North America?

Glaciers exist in both the United States and Canada. Most U.S. glaciers are in Alaska; others can be found in Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nevada (Wheeler Peak Glacier in Great Basin National Park).Utah’s Timpanogos Glacier is now a rock glacier (in which the ice is hidden by rocks), and Idaho’s Otto Glacier has melted away.Canada has glaciers in Alberta, British...

Learn More
link
lone road lined by palm trees on a small flat island, with water from the sea washing over the road

How would sea level change if all glaciers melted?

There is still some uncertainty about the full volume of glaciers and ice caps on Earth, but if all of them were to melt, global sea level would rise approximately 70 meters (approximately 230 feet), flooding every coastal city on the planet.Learn more:USGS Water Science School: Glaciers and IcecapsNational Snow and Ice Data Center: Facts about GlaciersU.S. Global Change Research Program: Sea...

link

How would sea level change if all glaciers melted?

There is still some uncertainty about the full volume of glaciers and ice caps on Earth, but if all of them were to melt, global sea level would rise approximately 70 meters (approximately 230 feet), flooding every coastal city on the planet.Learn more:USGS Water Science School: Glaciers and IcecapsNational Snow and Ice Data Center: Facts about GlaciersU.S. Global Change Research Program: Sea...

Learn More
link
Image: Surprise Glacier

What is a glacier?

A glacier is a large, perennial accumulation of crystalline ice, snow, rock, sediment, and often liquid water that originates on land and moves down slope under the influence of its own weight and gravity. Typically, glaciers exist and may even form in areas where:mean annual temperatures are close to the freezing pointwinter precipitation produces significant accumulations of snowtemperatures...

link

What is a glacier?

A glacier is a large, perennial accumulation of crystalline ice, snow, rock, sediment, and often liquid water that originates on land and moves down slope under the influence of its own weight and gravity. Typically, glaciers exist and may even form in areas where:mean annual temperatures are close to the freezing pointwinter precipitation produces significant accumulations of snowtemperatures...

Learn More
link
Tidewater glaciers of south-central Alaska

How long can we expect the present Interglacial period to last?

No one knows for sure. In the Devils Hole, Nevada, paleoclimate record, the last four interglacials lasted over ~20,000 years with the warmest portion being a relatively stable period of 10,000 to 15,000 years duration. This is consistent with what is seen in the Vostok ice core from Antarctica and several records of sea level high stands. These data suggest that an equally long duration should be...

link

How long can we expect the present Interglacial period to last?

No one knows for sure. In the Devils Hole, Nevada, paleoclimate record, the last four interglacials lasted over ~20,000 years with the warmest portion being a relatively stable period of 10,000 to 15,000 years duration. This is consistent with what is seen in the Vostok ice core from Antarctica and several records of sea level high stands. These data suggest that an equally long duration should be...

Learn More
link
Alaska Interior mountain range shot with snow capped mountains.

How many glaciers currently exist in Alaska?

Based on the most recent comprehensive survey in 2011, there were about 27,000 glaciers in Alaska. However, the number of glaciers is a misleading statistic. Scientists are more interested in total glacial land coverage as a measure. The number of glaciers is less important since large ones can split up into several as they retreat. The amount of area glaciers occupy in Alaska is trending downward...

link

How many glaciers currently exist in Alaska?

Based on the most recent comprehensive survey in 2011, there were about 27,000 glaciers in Alaska. However, the number of glaciers is a misleading statistic. Scientists are more interested in total glacial land coverage as a measure. The number of glaciers is less important since large ones can split up into several as they retreat. The amount of area glaciers occupy in Alaska is trending downward...

Learn More
link

How much of the Earth's water is stored in glaciers?

About 2.1% of all of Earth's water is frozen in glaciers.97.2% is in the oceans and inland seas2.1% is in glaciers0.6% is in groundwater and soil moistureless than 1% is in the atmosphereless than 1% is in lakes and riversless than 1% is in all living plants and animals.About three-quarters of Earth's freshwater is stored in glaciers. Therefore, glacier ice is the second largest reservoir of water...

link

How much of the Earth's water is stored in glaciers?

About 2.1% of all of Earth's water is frozen in glaciers.97.2% is in the oceans and inland seas2.1% is in glaciers0.6% is in groundwater and soil moistureless than 1% is in the atmosphereless than 1% is in lakes and riversless than 1% is in all living plants and animals.About three-quarters of Earth's freshwater is stored in glaciers. Therefore, glacier ice is the second largest reservoir of water...

Learn More
link
Image: Surprise Glacier

Why is glacier ice blue?

Glacier ice is blue because the red (long wavelengths) part of white light is absorbed by ice and the blue (short wavelengths) light is transmitted and scattered. The longer the path light travels in ice, the more blue it appears.Learn more: USGS Water Science School - Glaciers: Things to Know

link

Why is glacier ice blue?

Glacier ice is blue because the red (long wavelengths) part of white light is absorbed by ice and the blue (short wavelengths) light is transmitted and scattered. The longer the path light travels in ice, the more blue it appears.Learn more: USGS Water Science School - Glaciers: Things to Know

Learn More
Gilkey Glacier, Juneau Icefield, Alaska
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Coring on the Juneau Icefield
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Image shows a satellite view of Glacier Bay National Park
link
Alaska Topographic Map Contours on Glacier
link
Image: Alaskan Glacier
link
Image: Central Alaska Range
link
Image: Muir and Riggs Glaciers, Muir Inlet, Alaska - 1941
link
Image: Exit Glacier, Alaska (In Full Retreat)
link

Sculpted by water, elevated by earthquakes—The coastal landscape of Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Within Glacier Bay National Park in southeastern Alaska, the Fairweather Fault represents the onshore boundary between two of Earth’s constantly moving tectonic plates: the North American Plate and the Yakutat microplate. Satellite measurements indicate that during the past few decades the Yakutat microplate has moved northwest at a rate of nearly 5 centimeters per year relative to the North Ameri
By
Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Alaska Science Center

State of the Earth’s cryosphere at the beginning of the 21st century : glaciers, global snow cover, floating ice, and permafrost and periglacial environments: Chapter A in <i>Satellite image atlas of glaciers of the world</i>

This chapter is the tenth in a series of 11 book-length chapters, collectively referred to as “this volume,” in the series U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1386, Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World. In the other 10 chapters, each of which concerns a specific glacierized region of Earth, the authors used remotely sensed images, primarily from the Landsat 1, 2, and 3 series of sp
By
Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

The United States National Climate Assessment - Alaska Technical Regional Report

The Alaskan landscape is changing, both in terms of effects of human activities as a consequence of increased population, social and economic development and their effects on the local and broad landscape; and those effects that accompany naturally occurring hazards such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Some of the most prevalent changes, however, are those resulting from a changi
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Why Study Paleoclimate?

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers are at the forefront of paleoclimate research, the study of past climates. With their unique skills and perspective, only geologists have the tools necessary to delve into the distant past (long before instrumental records were collected) in order to better understand global environmental conditions that were very different from today's conditions. Paleocl

Glaciers of North America - Glaciers of Alaska

Glaciers cover about 75,000 km2 of Alaska, about 5 percent of the State. The glaciers are situated on 11 mountain ranges, 1 large island, an island chain, and 1 archipelago and range in elevation from more than 6,000 m to below sea level. Alaska's glaciers extend geographically from the far southeast at lat 55 deg 19'N., long 130 deg 05'W., about 100 kilometers east of Ketchikan, to the far southw

A Century of Retreat at Portage Glacier, South-Central Alaska

Introduction: The Portage Glacier, in south-central Alaska, is viewed by thousands of visitors annually who come to the U.S. Forest Service Begich, Boggs Visitor Center located on the road system between Anchorage and Whittier, Alaska. During the past century, the terminus of the glacier has retreated nearly 5 kilometers to its present location (fig. 1). Like other glaciers that terminate in water
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Satellite image atlas of glaciers of the world -- North America

By
Ecosystems, Fort Collins Science Center

The Sun and climate

Many geologic records of climatic and environmental change based on various proxy variables exhibit distinct cyclicities that have been attributed to extraterrestrial forcing. The best known of these are the changes in Earth’s orbital geometry called Milankovitch Cycles, with periodicities of tens to hundreds of thousands of years. However, many cycles seem to have subMilankovitch periodicities, c
link

EarthView–As Glaciers Worldwide Are Retreating, One Defies the Trend

In this Landsat EarthView, one glacier in Chile bucks the global trend:

Read Article
link

Fifty Years of Glacier Change Research in Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the longest continuous glacier research efforts in North America.

Read Article
link

First Ever Digital Geologic Map of Alaska Published

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A new digital geologic map of Alaska is being released today providing land users, managers and scientists geologic information...

Read Article
link

First Ever Digital Geologic Map of Alaska Published

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A new digital geologic map of Alaska is being released today providing land users, managers and scientists geologic information...

Read Article
link

From Icefield to Ocean - What Glacier Change Might Mean for the Future of Alaska

Frozen bodies of ice cover nearly 10 percent of the state of Alaska, but the influence of glaciers on the environment, tourism, fisheries, hydropower...

Read Article
link

Melting Glaciers Increase the Flow of Carbon to Downstream Ecosystems

ANCHORAGE, Alaska Melting glaciers are not just impacting sea level, they are also affecting the flow of organic carbon to the world’s oceans...

Read Article

Related Content

  • FAQ
    link
    Mount Rainier seen from Puyallup, Washington

    Which mountain in the conterminous U.S. has the most glaciers?

    Mount Rainier, Washington, at 14,410 feet (4,393 meters), the highest peak in the Cascade Range, is a dormant volcano whose glacier ice cover exceeds that of any other mountain in the conterminous United States. Mount Rainier has approximately 26 glaciers. It contains more than five times the glacier area of all the other Cascade volcanoes combined. Mount Baker (Washington) at 10,778 feet (3,285...

    link

    Which mountain in the conterminous U.S. has the most glaciers?

    Mount Rainier, Washington, at 14,410 feet (4,393 meters), the highest peak in the Cascade Range, is a dormant volcano whose glacier ice cover exceeds that of any other mountain in the conterminous United States. Mount Rainier has approximately 26 glaciers. It contains more than five times the glacier area of all the other Cascade volcanoes combined. Mount Baker (Washington) at 10,778 feet (3,285...

    Learn More
    link
    Image: Layers of Ice, Hayden Glacier

    How old is glacier ice?

    The age of the oldest glacier ice in Antarctica may approach 1,000,000 years oldThe age of the oldest glacier ice in Greenland is more than 100,000 years oldThe age of the oldest Alaskan glacier ice ever recovered (from a basin between Mt. Bona and Mt. Churchill) is about 30,000 years old.Glacier flow moves newly formed ice through the entire length of a typical Alaskan valley glacier in 100 years...

    link

    How old is glacier ice?

    The age of the oldest glacier ice in Antarctica may approach 1,000,000 years oldThe age of the oldest glacier ice in Greenland is more than 100,000 years oldThe age of the oldest Alaskan glacier ice ever recovered (from a basin between Mt. Bona and Mt. Churchill) is about 30,000 years old.Glacier flow moves newly formed ice through the entire length of a typical Alaskan valley glacier in 100 years...

    Learn More
    link
    Lyell and Maclure glaciers, as they were mapped in 1883 by Willard D. Johnson of the U.S. Geological Survey

    Are today's glaciers leftovers from the Pleistocene ice age?

    Yes and no. It depends on which glaciers you are considering. Parts of the Antarctic Continent have had continuous glacier cover for perhaps as long as 20 million years. Other areas, such as valley glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula and glaciers of the Transantarctic Mountains may date from the early Pleistocene. For Greenland, ice cores and related data suggest that all of southern Greenland and...

    link

    Are today's glaciers leftovers from the Pleistocene ice age?

    Yes and no. It depends on which glaciers you are considering. Parts of the Antarctic Continent have had continuous glacier cover for perhaps as long as 20 million years. Other areas, such as valley glaciers of the Antarctic Peninsula and glaciers of the Transantarctic Mountains may date from the early Pleistocene. For Greenland, ice cores and related data suggest that all of southern Greenland and...

    Learn More
    link
    Juneau Icefield

    Is glacier ice a type of rock?

    Glacier ice, like limestone (for example), is a type of rock. Glacier ice is actually a mono-mineralic rock (a rock made of only one mineral, like limestone which is composed of the mineral calcite). The mineral ice is the crystalline form of water (H2O). Most glacier ice forms through the metamorphism of tens of thousands of individual snowflakes into crystals of glacier ice. Each snow flake is a...

    link

    Is glacier ice a type of rock?

    Glacier ice, like limestone (for example), is a type of rock. Glacier ice is actually a mono-mineralic rock (a rock made of only one mineral, like limestone which is composed of the mineral calcite). The mineral ice is the crystalline form of water (H2O). Most glacier ice forms through the metamorphism of tens of thousands of individual snowflakes into crystals of glacier ice. Each snow flake is a...

    Learn More
    link
    Gilkey Glacier, Juneau Icefield, Alaska

    Where are glaciers found in continental North America?

    Glaciers exist in both the United States and Canada. Most U.S. glaciers are in Alaska; others can be found in Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nevada (Wheeler Peak Glacier in Great Basin National Park).Utah’s Timpanogos Glacier is now a rock glacier (in which the ice is hidden by rocks), and Idaho’s Otto Glacier has melted away.Canada has glaciers in Alberta, British...

    link

    Where are glaciers found in continental North America?

    Glaciers exist in both the United States and Canada. Most U.S. glaciers are in Alaska; others can be found in Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nevada (Wheeler Peak Glacier in Great Basin National Park).Utah’s Timpanogos Glacier is now a rock glacier (in which the ice is hidden by rocks), and Idaho’s Otto Glacier has melted away.Canada has glaciers in Alberta, British...

    Learn More
    link
    lone road lined by palm trees on a small flat island, with water from the sea washing over the road

    How would sea level change if all glaciers melted?

    There is still some uncertainty about the full volume of glaciers and ice caps on Earth, but if all of them were to melt, global sea level would rise approximately 70 meters (approximately 230 feet), flooding every coastal city on the planet.Learn more:USGS Water Science School: Glaciers and IcecapsNational Snow and Ice Data Center: Facts about GlaciersU.S. Global Change Research Program: Sea...

    link

    How would sea level change if all glaciers melted?

    There is still some uncertainty about the full volume of glaciers and ice caps on Earth, but if all of them were to melt, global sea level would rise approximately 70 meters (approximately 230 feet), flooding every coastal city on the planet.Learn more:USGS Water Science School: Glaciers and IcecapsNational Snow and Ice Data Center: Facts about GlaciersU.S. Global Change Research Program: Sea...

    Learn More
    link
    Image: Surprise Glacier

    What is a glacier?

    A glacier is a large, perennial accumulation of crystalline ice, snow, rock, sediment, and often liquid water that originates on land and moves down slope under the influence of its own weight and gravity. Typically, glaciers exist and may even form in areas where:mean annual temperatures are close to the freezing pointwinter precipitation produces significant accumulations of snowtemperatures...

    link

    What is a glacier?

    A glacier is a large, perennial accumulation of crystalline ice, snow, rock, sediment, and often liquid water that originates on land and moves down slope under the influence of its own weight and gravity. Typically, glaciers exist and may even form in areas where:mean annual temperatures are close to the freezing pointwinter precipitation produces significant accumulations of snowtemperatures...

    Learn More
    link
    Tidewater glaciers of south-central Alaska

    How long can we expect the present Interglacial period to last?

    No one knows for sure. In the Devils Hole, Nevada, paleoclimate record, the last four interglacials lasted over ~20,000 years with the warmest portion being a relatively stable period of 10,000 to 15,000 years duration. This is consistent with what is seen in the Vostok ice core from Antarctica and several records of sea level high stands. These data suggest that an equally long duration should be...

    link

    How long can we expect the present Interglacial period to last?

    No one knows for sure. In the Devils Hole, Nevada, paleoclimate record, the last four interglacials lasted over ~20,000 years with the warmest portion being a relatively stable period of 10,000 to 15,000 years duration. This is consistent with what is seen in the Vostok ice core from Antarctica and several records of sea level high stands. These data suggest that an equally long duration should be...

    Learn More
    link
    Alaska Interior mountain range shot with snow capped mountains.

    How many glaciers currently exist in Alaska?

    Based on the most recent comprehensive survey in 2011, there were about 27,000 glaciers in Alaska. However, the number of glaciers is a misleading statistic. Scientists are more interested in total glacial land coverage as a measure. The number of glaciers is less important since large ones can split up into several as they retreat. The amount of area glaciers occupy in Alaska is trending downward...

    link

    How many glaciers currently exist in Alaska?

    Based on the most recent comprehensive survey in 2011, there were about 27,000 glaciers in Alaska. However, the number of glaciers is a misleading statistic. Scientists are more interested in total glacial land coverage as a measure. The number of glaciers is less important since large ones can split up into several as they retreat. The amount of area glaciers occupy in Alaska is trending downward...

    Learn More
    link

    How much of the Earth's water is stored in glaciers?

    About 2.1% of all of Earth's water is frozen in glaciers.97.2% is in the oceans and inland seas2.1% is in glaciers0.6% is in groundwater and soil moistureless than 1% is in the atmosphereless than 1% is in lakes and riversless than 1% is in all living plants and animals.About three-quarters of Earth's freshwater is stored in glaciers. Therefore, glacier ice is the second largest reservoir of water...

    link

    How much of the Earth's water is stored in glaciers?

    About 2.1% of all of Earth's water is frozen in glaciers.97.2% is in the oceans and inland seas2.1% is in glaciers0.6% is in groundwater and soil moistureless than 1% is in the atmosphereless than 1% is in lakes and riversless than 1% is in all living plants and animals.About three-quarters of Earth's freshwater is stored in glaciers. Therefore, glacier ice is the second largest reservoir of water...

    Learn More
    link
    Image: Surprise Glacier

    Why is glacier ice blue?

    Glacier ice is blue because the red (long wavelengths) part of white light is absorbed by ice and the blue (short wavelengths) light is transmitted and scattered. The longer the path light travels in ice, the more blue it appears.Learn more: USGS Water Science School - Glaciers: Things to Know

    link

    Why is glacier ice blue?

    Glacier ice is blue because the red (long wavelengths) part of white light is absorbed by ice and the blue (short wavelengths) light is transmitted and scattered. The longer the path light travels in ice, the more blue it appears.Learn more: USGS Water Science School - Glaciers: Things to Know

    Learn More
  • Multimedia
    Gilkey Glacier, Juneau Icefield, Alaska
    link
    Coring on the Juneau Icefield
    link
    Image shows a satellite view of Glacier Bay National Park
    link
    Alaska Topographic Map Contours on Glacier
    link
    Image: Alaskan Glacier
    link
    Image: Central Alaska Range
    link
    Image: Muir and Riggs Glaciers, Muir Inlet, Alaska - 1941
    link
    Image: Exit Glacier, Alaska (In Full Retreat)
    link
  • Publications

    Sculpted by water, elevated by earthquakes—The coastal landscape of Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

    Within Glacier Bay National Park in southeastern Alaska, the Fairweather Fault represents the onshore boundary between two of Earth’s constantly moving tectonic plates: the North American Plate and the Yakutat microplate. Satellite measurements indicate that during the past few decades the Yakutat microplate has moved northwest at a rate of nearly 5 centimeters per year relative to the North Ameri
    By
    Groundwater and Streamflow Information Program, Alaska Science Center

    State of the Earth’s cryosphere at the beginning of the 21st century : glaciers, global snow cover, floating ice, and permafrost and periglacial environments: Chapter A in <i>Satellite image atlas of glaciers of the world</i>

    This chapter is the tenth in a series of 11 book-length chapters, collectively referred to as “this volume,” in the series U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1386, Satellite Image Atlas of Glaciers of the World. In the other 10 chapters, each of which concerns a specific glacierized region of Earth, the authors used remotely sensed images, primarily from the Landsat 1, 2, and 3 series of sp
    By
    Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

    The United States National Climate Assessment - Alaska Technical Regional Report

    The Alaskan landscape is changing, both in terms of effects of human activities as a consequence of increased population, social and economic development and their effects on the local and broad landscape; and those effects that accompany naturally occurring hazards such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis. Some of the most prevalent changes, however, are those resulting from a changi
    By
    Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

    Why Study Paleoclimate?

    U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers are at the forefront of paleoclimate research, the study of past climates. With their unique skills and perspective, only geologists have the tools necessary to delve into the distant past (long before instrumental records were collected) in order to better understand global environmental conditions that were very different from today's conditions. Paleocl

    Glaciers of North America - Glaciers of Alaska

    Glaciers cover about 75,000 km2 of Alaska, about 5 percent of the State. The glaciers are situated on 11 mountain ranges, 1 large island, an island chain, and 1 archipelago and range in elevation from more than 6,000 m to below sea level. Alaska's glaciers extend geographically from the far southeast at lat 55 deg 19'N., long 130 deg 05'W., about 100 kilometers east of Ketchikan, to the far southw

    A Century of Retreat at Portage Glacier, South-Central Alaska

    Introduction: The Portage Glacier, in south-central Alaska, is viewed by thousands of visitors annually who come to the U.S. Forest Service Begich, Boggs Visitor Center located on the road system between Anchorage and Whittier, Alaska. During the past century, the terminus of the glacier has retreated nearly 5 kilometers to its present location (fig. 1). Like other glaciers that terminate in water
    By
    Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

    Satellite image atlas of glaciers of the world -- North America

    By
    Ecosystems, Fort Collins Science Center

    The Sun and climate

    Many geologic records of climatic and environmental change based on various proxy variables exhibit distinct cyclicities that have been attributed to extraterrestrial forcing. The best known of these are the changes in Earth’s orbital geometry called Milankovitch Cycles, with periodicities of tens to hundreds of thousands of years. However, many cycles seem to have subMilankovitch periodicities, c
  • News
    link

    EarthView–As Glaciers Worldwide Are Retreating, One Defies the Trend

    In this Landsat EarthView, one glacier in Chile bucks the global trend:

    Read Article
    link

    Fifty Years of Glacier Change Research in Alaska

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska — This year marks the 50th anniversary of one of the longest continuous glacier research efforts in North America.

    Read Article
    link

    First Ever Digital Geologic Map of Alaska Published

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A new digital geologic map of Alaska is being released today providing land users, managers and scientists geologic information...

    Read Article
    link

    First Ever Digital Geologic Map of Alaska Published

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A new digital geologic map of Alaska is being released today providing land users, managers and scientists geologic information...

    Read Article
    link

    From Icefield to Ocean - What Glacier Change Might Mean for the Future of Alaska

    Frozen bodies of ice cover nearly 10 percent of the state of Alaska, but the influence of glaciers on the environment, tourism, fisheries, hydropower...

    Read Article
    link

    Melting Glaciers Increase the Flow of Carbon to Downstream Ecosystems

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska Melting glaciers are not just impacting sea level, they are also affecting the flow of organic carbon to the world’s oceans...

    Read Article