Margerie Glacier

Glacier Bay: Hoonah–Angoon Census Area Census Area of the Unorganized Borough, Alaska, USA (August 1995)

Margerie Glacier
Posing by Margerie Glacier

Margerie Glacier (map) is one of the most magnificent and dramatic ice flows into Glacier Bay National Park. It features sheer green and blue walls smudged by black debris carried down from the mountainside. The size is amazing. It is a mile wide, 180 feet high and stretches 21 miles (34 km.) from the south slope of Mount Root on the Alaska-Canada boarder down to Tarr Inlet.


Margerie Glacier Icefield
Margerie Glacier and Icefield

At one time Margerie was a tributary of the Grand Pacific Glacier and was identified this way during the Harriman Alaska Expedition of 1899. Since that time Grand Pacific Glacier has retreated dramatically and Margarie Glacier became totally independent.

You may also be interested in my Grand Pacific Glacier page.


Margerie Glacier Face
The Face of the Margerie Glacier

Sheer glacial walls tower from the water’s surface. As we watched, sections calved from the glacier and fell into the sea. They floated freely through the inlet.


Margerie Glacier Vista
Margerie Glacier from a Distance

Glaciers have a profound impact on the surrounding terrain. The discoloration in the water is due to fine silt that has been ground and scrapped from the surrounding mountains by the relentless force and weight of glacial ice.


Margerie Glacier from a Distance
Departing Margerie Glacier

Shimmering blue ice receded into the background as we began to sail back down Tarr Inlet.


Margerie Glacier Recedes
Still further away from Margerie Glacier

And if you look closely in this image you can see the wake trail left behind by our ship as we got even further away.

See the article index from the 1995 Southeast Alaska trip.


Posted

in

,

by

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Comments

  1. Does anyone have actual music to the song – Tanaha ,Timpson. Bobo and Blair ?? It was recorded by Tex…

  2. I am a grandchild of Jury and David Adams of BoBo Tx Shelby County we still have the family home…