List of glaciers in the United States

Last updated

Exit Glacier, Alaska 1055 - exit glacier.jpg
Exit Glacier, Alaska

Glaciers are located in ten states, with the vast majority in Alaska. [1] The southernmost named glacier is the Lilliput Glacier in Tulare County, east of the Central Valley of California.

Contents

Apart from Alaska, around 1330 glaciers, 1175 perennial snow fields, and 35 buried-ice features have been identified. [2] [3]

Glaciers of Alaska

The Homer Spit is believed to be the remains of a glacial moraine. Homer Alaska Spit Panorama.jpg
The Homer Spit is believed to be the remains of a glacial moraine.

There are approximately 664 named glaciers in Alaska according to the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). [4]

Gulkana glacier in the Alaska Range Gulkanaglacier.JPG
Gulkana glacier in the Alaska Range
Johns Hopkins Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve A045, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, USA, Johns Hopkins Glacier, 2002.jpg
Johns Hopkins Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Matanuska Glacier and peaks of the Chugach Mountains Matanuska Glacier 8859s.JPG
Matanuska Glacier and peaks of the Chugach Mountains
Mendenhall Glacier and the Coast Mountains, Juneau, Alaska A041, Juneau, Alaska, USA, Mendenhall Glacier, 2002.jpg
Mendenhall Glacier and the Coast Mountains, Juneau, Alaska
Ocean liner and Taku Glacier in art for Canadian Pacific Ocean liner and glacier in art detail, Alaska via Canadian Pacific. Taku Glacier (3531517944) (cropped).jpg
Ocean liner and Taku Glacier in art for Canadian Pacific

Glaciers of the Pacific Coast Ranges

The Pacific Coast Ranges include glaciers in the three states on the Pacific Coast.

Washington

Boulder Glacier, Mount Baker Boulder Glacier 3593.JPG
Boulder Glacier, Mount Baker

There are around 880 glaciers in Washington state, with 186 named according to the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). [6] However, the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens eliminated nine of its eleven named glaciers and only the new glacier known as Crater Glacier has been reestablished since.

Olympic Mountains
Mount Olympus
Other peaks in the Olympic Mountains
North Cascades (non-volcanoes)
Company Glacier Bonanza Peak Washington.jpg
Company Glacier
Mount Baker
Glacier Peak
Mount Rainier
Sarvent Glacier, Cowlitz Chimneys. Sarvent Glacier 23012.JPG
Sarvent Glacier, Cowlitz Chimneys.
Goat Rocks
Mount Adams
Mount St. Helens

Mount St. Helens once had eleven named glaciers, [7] but the 1980 eruption of the volcano eliminated nine glaciers and the two remaining aren't recognized. One newly formed glacier now resides in the caldera of the volcano.

Oregon

There are up to 42 glaciers in Oregon, with 35 named according to the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). [8]

Wallowa Mountains
Mount Hood [9]
Mount Jefferson
Three Sisters Region
Other Cascade Peaks

California

There are around 75 glaciers in California, with 20 named according to the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). [10]

Mount Shasta

Mount Shasta is a volcano with seven named glaciers in the northern region of California.

Sierra Nevada

Glaciers of Nevada (in the Basin and Range Province)

Wheeler Peak Glacier in Nevada 2014-09-15 12 59 34 View of the Wheeler Peak Glacier in Great Basin National Park, Nevada.JPG
Wheeler Peak Glacier in Nevada

Basin and Range Province lies east of the Coast Ranges and west of the Rockies. There are no active glaciers in the Basin and Range Province and Wheeler Peak Glacier is considered by some to be a rock glacier.

Glaciers of the Rocky Mountains

Colorado

Andrews Glacier in Colorado Andrews Glacier.jpg
Andrews Glacier in Colorado

According to the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), there are sixteen named glaciers in Colorado. [11] According to early mountain explorers and scientists, Colorado once had more than eighteen glaciers before 1880.

See also Glaciers of Colorado See also

Idaho

Montana

Grinnell Glacier with proglacial lake and The Salamander Glacier on high ledge Grinnell Glacier 2009.jpg
Grinnell Glacier with proglacial lake and The Salamander Glacier on high ledge

There are around 210 glaciers in Montana, with 60 named glaciers according to the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). [13]

Utah

There are no visible glaciers in Utah. Timpanogos Glacier article is documentation of a buried glacier.

Wyoming

Gannett Glacier is the largest glacier in the American Rockies and is located in the remote Wind River Range, Wyoming. Gannet Peak with Gannett Glacier.jpg
Gannett Glacier is the largest glacier in the American Rockies and is located in the remote Wind River Range, Wyoming.

There are around 105 glaciers in Wyoming, with 37 named glaciers according to the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). [14]

Hikers head towards Schoolroom Glacier at right while the terminal moraine and proglacial lake can be seen at left Schoolroom Glacier from Hurricane Pass.jpg
Hikers head towards Schoolroom Glacier at right while the terminal moraine and proglacial lake can be seen at left

See also

Notes

^A Reported in 2020 to have disappeared. [15]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Coast Ranges</span> Series of mountain ranges along the Pacific coast of North America

The Pacific Coast Ranges are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico. Although they are commonly thought to be the westernmost mountain range of the continental United States and Canada, the geologically distinct Insular Mountains of Vancouver Island lie farther west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenai Peninsula</span> Large peninsula in south central Alaska, United States

The Kenai Peninsula is a large peninsula jutting from the coast of Southcentral Alaska. The name Kenai is derived from the word "Kenaitze" or "Kenaitze Indian Tribe", the name of the Native Athabascan Alaskan tribe, the Kahtnuht’ana Dena’ina, who historically inhabited the area. They called the Kenai Peninsula Yaghanen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Elias Mountains</span> Mountain range in Canada and USA

The Saint Elias Mountains are a subgroup of the Pacific Coast Ranges, located in southeastern Alaska in the United States, Southwestern Yukon and the very far northwestern part of British Columbia in Canada. The range spans Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve in the United States and Kluane National Park and Reserve in Canada and includes all of Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska. In Alaska, the range includes parts of the city/borough of Yakutat and the Hoonah-Angoon and Valdez-Cordova census areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenai Fjords National Park</span> National park in Alaska, United States

Kenai Fjords National Park is a national park of the United States that comprises the Harding Icefield, its outflowing glaciers, and coastal fjords and islands. The park covers an area of 669,984 acres on the Kenai Peninsula in south-central Alaska, west of the town of Seward.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenai Mountains</span> Mountain range in Alaska, United States

The Kenai Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Alaska. They extend 192 km (120 mi) northeast from the southern end of the Kenai Peninsula to the Chugach Mountains, and have an average elevation of 3,000 to 5,000 feet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ice field</span> Large area of interconnected glaciers

An ice field is a mass of interconnected valley glaciers on a mountain mass with protruding rock ridges or summits. They are often found in the colder climates and higher altitudes of the world where there is sufficient precipitation for them to form. The higher peaks of the underlying mountain rock that protrude through the icefields are known as nunataks. Ice fields are larger than alpine glaciers, but smaller than ice caps and ice sheets. The topography of ice fields is determined by the shape of the surrounding landforms, while ice caps have their own forms overriding underlying shapes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harding Icefield</span> Ice field in Alaska, United States

The Harding Icefield is an expansive icefield located in the Kenai Mountains of the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. It is also partially located in Kenai Fjords National Park. It is named for U.S. President Warren G. Harding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exit Glacier</span> Glacier on the Kenai Peninsula in southern Alaska

Exit Glacier is a glacier derived from the Harding Icefield in the Kenai Mountains of Alaska and one of Kenai Fjords National Park's major attractions. It is one of the most accessible valley glaciers in Alaska and is a visible indicator of glacial recession due to climate change. Exit Glacier retreated approximately 187 feet (57 m) from 2013 to 2014 and park scientists continue to monitor and record the glacier's accelerating recession.

Sheep Mountain may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kichatna Spire</span> Mountain in Alaska, United States of America

Kichatna Spire, sometimes called the Kichatna Spires, is a 7,684-foot (2,342 m) spire-shaped peak in the Kichatna Mountains of the Alaska Range, in Denali National Park and Preserve, southwest of Denali. Cul-de-sac, Shelf and Shadows Glaciers originate at Kichatna Spire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Alice (Alaska)</span> Mountain summit in Alaska, US

Mount Alice is a 5,318-foot (1,621 m) mountain summit in the U.S. state of Alaska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McGinnis Mountain</span> Mountain in the state of Alaska

McGinnis Mountain, also known as Mount McGinnis, is a 4,232-foot (1,290 m) mountain summit located in the Boundary Ranges, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated near the toe of the Mendenhall Glacier, within Tongass National Forest, 11 mi (18 km) north-northwest of Juneau, Alaska, and 6 mi (10 km) north of Juneau International Airport. Although modest in elevation, relief is significant since the mountain rises up from sea level at Auke Bay in less than five miles. McGinnis Mountain is often seen and photographed with Stroller White Mountain, a 5,118-foot (1,560 m) summit 1.6 mi (3 km) to the north because they are together in the background behind Mendenhall Lake, a popular tourist and recreation area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Ascension</span> Mountain in the state of Alaska

Mount Ascension is a prominent 5,710-foot (1,740 m) mountain summit located in the Kenai Mountains, on the Kenai Peninsula, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The mountain is situated in Chugach National Forest, 6.8 mi (11 km) south of Mount Adair, 3.5 mi (6 km) north of Resurrection Peaks, and 10 mi (16 km) north of Seward, Alaska. The peak is near the mouth of Resurrection River into Resurrection Bay. The name Resurrection, referring to the Resurrection of Jesus, is overused for nearby landforms on the Kenai peninsula, as the mountain to the immediate south is Resurrection Peaks. This Ascension name is a variation of the theme. Mount Ascension's name was proposed in 1968 by the Mountaineering Club of Alaska, and officially adopted in 1969 by the United States Geological Survey. Access to the peak is via the Lost Lake Trail, and mountaineering skills are needed to reach the summit. In clear weather the immense Harding Icefield can be seen from the top. The first ascent of this peak was made October 6, 1968, by John Vincent Hoeman and his wife, Dr. Grace (Jansen) Hoeman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phoenix Peak (Alaska)</span> Mountain in the state of Alaska

Phoenix Peak is a 5,187-foot (1,581 m) mountain summit located in the Kenai Mountains, on the Kenai Peninsula, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Kenai Fjords National Park, 2 mi (3 km) southwest of Mount Benson, 1.1 mi (2 km) northwest of Marathon Mountain, and 3.5 mi (6 km) west of Seward, Alaska. Precipitation runoff from the mountain and meltwater from its glaciers drains into tributaries of the Resurrection River. The first ascent of the peak was made July 23, 1964, by Don Stockard of the Mountaineering Club of Alaska. The peak was named in 1965 by the Mountaineering Club of Alaska for the first ship ever built in Russian America, the Phoenix, which was constructed in 1794 by Russians in nearby Resurrection Bay. The mountain's toponym was officially adopted in 1966 by the United States Geological Survey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bear Mountain (Seward, Alaska)</span> Mountain in Alaska, United States

Bear Mountain is a 4,019-foot (1,225 m) mountain summit located in the Kenai Mountains, on the Kenai Peninsula, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Chugach National Forest, 5 mi (8 km) northeast of Bear Glacier, 2.1 mi (3 km) south-southeast of Marathon Mountain, and 5 mi (8 km) southwest of Seward, Alaska. The peak's local name was reported in 1951 by the U.S. Geological Survey. The months May and June offer the most favorable weather for viewing the mountain. In fair weather, the Harding Icefield can be seen from the summit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lowell Peak</span> Mountain in the state of Alaska

Lowell Peak is a 4,416-foot (1,346 m) mountain summit located in the Kenai Mountains, on the Kenai Peninsula, in the U.S. state of Alaska. The peak is situated in Chugach National Forest, 1.2 mi (2 km) northwest of Bear Mountain, 1.5 mi (2 km) south-southwest of Marathon Mountain, 2.2 mi (4 km) south of Phoenix Peak, and 3 mi (5 km) west-southwest of Seward, Alaska. The months May and June offer the most favorable weather for viewing the mountain. In fair weather, the Harding Icefield can be seen from the summit, as well as Mount Alice on the opposite side of Resurrection Bay. This unofficially named peak takes its name from Franklin G. Lowell and his family who were the first homesteaders to settle the Seward area in 1883.

Truuli Peak is a mountain summit located in the Kenai Mountains, in the U.S. state of Alaska. At 6,612 ft, Truuli Peak is the highest mountain in the Kenai Mountains on the Kenai Peninsula in southern Alaska. It is located in the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge in the southwest of the Harding Icefield between the Chernof and Truuli glaciers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Eva</span> Mountain in Alaska, U.S.

Mount Eva is a 5,019-foot-elevation (1,530-meter) mountain summit in Alaska, United States.

References

  1. Krimmel, R. (2002) Glaciers of North America USGS
  2. Fountain, A. G., Glenn, B., and McNeil, C. (2023) Inventory of glaciers and perennial snowfields of the conterminous USA Earth System Science Data v15 #9: 4077–4104
  3. States With Glaciers Portland State University
  4. "Alaska State Glaciers Feature Query Results". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
  5. Murkowski, Lisa (October 18, 2010). "Ted Stevens Mountain, Ice Field Signed Into Law". U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski press release. U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski press release. Retrieved October 14, 2021.
  6. "Washington State Glaciers Feature Query Results". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
  7. Phillips, William M. (October 1987). "Geologic Guide to the Monitor Ridge Climbing Route, Mount St. Helens, Washington" (PDF). Washington Geologic Newsletter. 15 (4): 3–13.
  8. "Oregon State Glaciers Feature Query Results". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
  9. "Glaciers at Mount Hood, Oregon". Volcano Hazards Program. United States Geological Survey. September 28, 2012. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
  10. "California State Glaciers Feature Query Results". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
  11. "Colorado State Glaciers Feature Query Results". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
  12. Drew, Micah (2022) Lonely Life of Idaho's Only Glacier IdaHome vol 3 issue 10 p29
  13. "Montana State Glaciers Feature Query Results". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
  14. "Wyoming State Glaciers Feature Query Results". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
  15. "Lathrop Glacier is Gone". Oregon Glacier Institute. Retrieved December 28, 2020.