Riggs Glacier, 1992

Glacier Bay is a bay in southeastern Alaska. It runs north northwest to south southeast for about 105 km (65 miles) between two peninsulas of Alaska. It ranges from 5-30 km (3-20 miles) wide. Glacier Bay and the surrounding land is the site of the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. Jump to: navigation, search Image File history File links NOAA_Riggs_Glacier_1992. ... Jump to: navigation, search Image File history File links NOAA_Riggs_Glacier_1992. ... Jump to: navigation, search Riggs Glacier, 1992 The Riggs Glacier is a glacier located in Glacier Bay National Monument in Alaska. ... In geography, a bay or gulf is a collection of water that is surrounded by land on three sides. ... Jump to: navigation, search State nickname: The Last Frontier, The Land of the Midnight Sun Other U.S. States Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Governor Frank Murkowski (R) Senators Ted Stevens (R) Lisa Murkowski (R) Official languages English Area 1,067,653 mi² / 1,717,854 km² (1st)  - Land 1... The area around Glacier Bay in southeastern Alaska was first proclaimed a U.S. National Monument on February 25, 1925. ...

The explorer Captain George Vancouver found Icy Strait, at the south end of Glacier Bay, choked with ice in 1794. Glacier Bay itself was almost entirely iced over. In 1879 naturalist John Muir found that the ice had retreated almost all the way up the bay. By 1916 the Grand Pacific Glacier was at the head of Tarr Inlet about 100 km (65 miles) from Glacier Bay's mouth. This is the fastest documented glacial retreat ever. Scientists are hoping to learn how glacial activity relates to climate changes from the retreat. John Muir (April 21, 1838 – December 24, 1914) was an environmentalist, naturalist, traveler, writer, inventor, and scientist. ...

As the glacier retreated a progression of plants has occurred. So that presently fully fledged, 200 year old Spruce & Hemlock forest exists at the entrance grading to more primative plants such as mosses & lichens at the head of the bay.

Glacier Bay contains 16 glaciers, 12 of which calve (shed broken pieces of ice) to produce icebergs. Austrias longest glacier, the Pasterze, winds its 8 km (5 mile) route at the foot of Austrias highest mountain, the Grossglockner A glacier is a large, long-lasting river of ice that is formed on land and moves in response to gravity. ... An iceberg (berg is the German word for mountain) is a large piece of ice that has broken off from a glacier or ice shelf and is floating in open water. ...