Columbia Glacier — Attraction in Alaska

An enormous Alaskan glacier that moves quickly but is also rapidly shortening in length

The Columbia Glacier is one of Alaska’s largest glaciers, with an area of about 360 square miles (920 square km) and a length of 25 miles (40 km). It descends from the Chugach Mountains in southern Alaska to Prince William Sound (an inlet of the Gulf of Alaska), where it calves large numbers of icebergs into the sea.

Shrinking record The Columbia Glacier is one of the fastest moving in North America, but its fast forward movement is offset by extremely rapid calving of icebergs at its terminus, at the rate of some 14 million tons (13 million tonnes) every day. As a result, since the 1960s, the glacier’s terminus has moved backward, and since 2011 it has become detached from some of its largest tributary glaciers. The retreat cannot be attributed solely to global warming, as other nearby glaciers are not shrinking at the same pace. Instead, experts believe it is connected to the shape of the bedrock channel under...

It was incredible experience!! We booked tickets for one day trip in Summer on August 2020, with Lu-Lu Belle. During The trip we saw whale, seals, sea lions, otters and bald eagles. Boat was very nice and Captain very experienced and shared many interesting strories. Columbia Glacier is MUST see with your own eyes if you visiting Alaska!!!! Pictures doesn’t...

The Columbia Glacier is one of the most rapidly changing glaciers in Alaska according to the U.S.G.S. Make sure you get your photographs now and then you can compare decades into the future to see how much the glacier has retreated.

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