How Many Glaciers Are In Alaska?
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Alaska has about 100,000 glaciers, more than any other US state. They cover about 25,000 square miles, roughly 5% of Alaska's land area. Most are small alpine glaciers, but Alaska also has some of the largest temperate glaciers in the world. The ice is losing mass rapidly due to climate change.
Alaska has more glaciers than any other US state by a wide margin, with extensive ice covering parts of the state's mountain ranges and coastal areas. The estimated 100,000 glaciers range from small unnamed ice patches to massive valley glaciers extending many miles. Understanding the scale of Alaska's glaciers helps explain why the state is so important for monitoring climate change effects on ice.
How many glaciers does Alaska have?
According to USGS Alaska Science Center data on the state's glaciers, Alaska contains approximately 100,000 glaciers (though only about 600 have official names). The exact count is impossible to determine precisely because many small ice patches sit on the boundary between glaciers and non-flowing permanent snow. The glaciers cover about 25,000 square miles total, roughly 5% of Alaska's land area, equivalent to the size of West Virginia. Alaska's glaciers represent about 13% of the world's mountain glacier ice (excluding the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets), making the state globally important for glaciology and climate research.
How big are Alaska's glaciers?
Alaska's glaciers range from small unnamed ice patches less than an acre to massive valley glaciers tens of miles long. The Hubbard Glacier in southeast Alaska is the longest tidewater glacier in North America at about 76 miles long. The Bering Glacier is the largest by area, covering about 1,900 square miles. Many glaciers are concentrated in specific mountain ranges: the Wrangell-St. Elias Mountains, the Alaska Range, the Chugach Mountains, and the Coast Mountains. The Juneau Icefield alone covers about 1,500 square miles with dozens of named glaciers.
What are the most famous Alaska glaciers?
Several Alaska glaciers are famous for accessibility, dramatic features, or research importance. Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau is visited by hundreds of thousands of tourists annually due to its accessibility from the city. Exit Glacier in Kenai Fjords National Park near Seward is one of the few drive-up glaciers in Alaska. Worthington Glacier near Valdez is similarly accessible. Hubbard Glacier is famous for being one of the few advancing glaciers. Columbia Glacier has been studied intensively as it rapidly retreats. Each major glacier offers different visitor experiences and scientific interest.
How fast are they changing?
Alaska's glaciers are losing mass rapidly due to climate change. The state's glaciers contributed about 20% of measured global sea level rise from glacier loss in recent decades, despite containing only 13% of mountain glacier ice. Average thinning rates are over 2 feet per year for many glaciers, with some losing much more. Some glaciers have retreated miles in just decades. The Columbia Glacier retreated about 13 miles between 1980 and 2010. Continued warming is expected to drive further rapid loss, with significant implications for sea level, river flows, and ecosystems.
Alaska has about 100,000 glaciers covering 25,000 square miles, more than any other US state. The glaciers represent about 13% of the world's mountain glacier ice. Famous glaciers include Mendenhall, Exit, Hubbard, and Columbia. Alaska's glaciers are losing mass rapidly due to climate change, contributing significantly to global sea level rise despite their relatively small share of total global ice.
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