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Alaska Glacier Bay National
Park, Set 2
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About this image: Greenery
in Glacier Bay
One of the most striking things about Glacier Bay National
Park is the relatively young age of the entire biosphere.
About 220 years ago, Glacier Bay consisted of a small 5 mile
/ 9 km "dent" in the coast line. The entire Glacier Bay was
covered and buried under 4,000 feet / 1,200 m of ice. Since
then the ice has melted and retreated to provide this
incredible region. Once the ice retreated the mosses and
lichens started to grow and feed on the nutrient rich soil.
These gave way to low brushes, followed by alder trees and
dry as (which provided nitrogen to the soil) which give way
to Sitka spruce trees and finally to hemlocks. As you travel
further into the Bay it is as if you are travelling
backwards in time to see the beginnings of a forest. This
photo shows a broad diversity of these lower plants and
alders as well as the first few spruce trees. |
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About this image:
Ice Cap in Glacier Bay
With many of the mountains in Glacier Bay rising from below
the water to soar high in the sky, there are many photos of
these majestic mountains towering over us. Some of the
waters in the bay are almost 1,700 feet / 520 m deep and
give way to mountain ranges and mountains such as Mt.
Fariweather that peaks at over 15,300 feet/ 4,670 m. These
differences make for some dramatic "vertical" rises within
only a couple miles of shore. This mountain peak is packed
with snow and glacier ice. |
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About this image:
Mountain peak showing through the clouds
This mountain took a moment to show itself through the
clouds in order that we could have a good look at it. You
can see remnants of glacier faces still on the mountain and
can just imagine what this same view would have looked like
at the peak of the Little Ice Age, just 4,000 years ago. |
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About this image:
Sharp mountain peak
A zoomed in picture of a mountain peak. The ice and snow
seem to be solidly attached, but you can see evidence of
cracks and slides that give way to some thunderous collapse
of the ice cap. Incredibly enough, although these snow caps
look frozen in time (excuse the pun), they are following
nature's course and some are melting and retreating to
nothing while others are growing and expanding. |
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About this image:
Anchored near Reid Glacier
Here is Mad Dog anchored near Reid Glacier. This Glacier has
retreated recently and the surrounding area is changing from
the "moon rock" look to areas of greenery and growth.
Although we were in Glacier Bay Park in mid-July, the cold
winds blowing down the glaciers are a little more than just
refreshing, they're pretty chilly! At the base of Reid
Glacier there is a "river" gushing out of what looks like a
melted cave, apparently carrying melted ice from higher up
the glacier. |
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About this image:
Reid Glacier up close
Great slabs of ice give way to nature on the leading
edge of Reid Glacier. While not as active as some of the
other glaciers, you can see that it routinely gives way
to collapses and disintegration of the leading edge.
Reid Glacier is not as high as some of the other
glaciers, but it was still an amazing sight to see. |
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