Agassiz Glacier (Alaska)

Agassiz Glacier
Malaspina Glacier is a compound glacier, formed by the merger of several valley glaciers, the most prominent of which seen here are Agassiz Glacier (left) and Seward Glacier (right).
Map showing the location of Agassiz Glacier
Map showing the location of Agassiz Glacier
Agassiz Glacier
TypeValley glacier
LocationValdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, U.S.
Coordinates60°11′00″N 140°48′00″W / 60.18333°N 140.80000°W / 60.18333; -140.80000
Length25 km
Terminusoutwash plains
Statusretreating
Map

Agassiz Glacier is a valley glacier in the Saint Elias Mountains in southern Alaska (USA) and to a lesser extent on to Canadian territory. [1]

The glacier was named by William Libbey, a member of The New York Times expedition in 1886,[2] after Louis Agassiz (1807–1873), a Swiss-American naturalist.[3]

Geography

Agassiz Lakes near the confluence of Libbey Glacier and Agassiz Glacier.

The agglomeration of the Agassiz Glacier is located on the southern flank of Mount Malaspina north of the Canada–United States border. The 25 km long glacier is fed by the Newton Glacier. The three kilometres-wide glacier flows initially in a southwesterly direction, later in a south-easterly direction. From the west, the Libbey Glacier meets the Agassiz Glacier. This finally merges into the Malaspina Glacier, which finally flows into the Gulf of Alaska.[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ "USGS Agassiz Glacier Topo Map in Yakutat County AK Topo Map". TopoZone. Retrieved 2018-05-10.
  2. ^ "THE ST. ELIAS FLAT LANDS; "THE TIMES" ALASKA EXPEDITION ON THE MARCH. PUSHING TOWARD THE GLACIER STRUGGLING WITH THE UNDERBRUSE OF THE ALASKAN FORESTS--ASCENDING THE WINDING BANKS OF JONES RIVER TO THE MORAINE--ICE-COLD STREAMS CROSSED ON THE BACKS OF INDIANS--PECULIARITIES OF ALASKAN SCENERY". The New York Times. 1886. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-05-10.
  3. ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Agassiz Glacier


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