Top 30 of the most picturesque glaciers in our land
Combining cold temperatures and precipitation, nature has created one of its most impressive forms of art. From Mexico to the Himalayas, from East Africa to Patagonia, glaciers exist in different shapes and colours ice caps, ice fields, polar caps (inlandsis), ice trays, and ice rivers with blue and white shades.
99% of glaciers on Earth are found in ice layers in polar regions. What about the remaining 1%? They are scattered in all continents except Australia. Unfortunately, we're seeing one glacier declines since 1850 due to climate change.
Hurry! Discover these 30 glaciers in photo before they disappear...
Jakobshavn Glacier (Jakobshavn Isbræ), Greenland
Flickr – Baron Reznik
10% of the Greenland icebergs are produced by the Jakobshavn glacier. Many of the icebergs like this are of enormous proportion, reaching a kilometre high.
Mendenhall Glacier, Alaska, United States
Credit: galleryhip.com
Located near Juneau, the capital of Alaska, the Mendenhall glacier is 19 kilometres long. The most seasoned mountaineers can climb into the ice caves under the glacier.
Perito Moreno Glacier, Patagonia, Argentina
Flickr – Trey Ratcliff
One of the most visited sites in Argentine Patagonia , the Perito Moreno glacier is a short drive from El Calafate and is the third largest reserve of fresh water in the world.
Matanuska Glacier, Alaska, United States
Flickr – Dhilung Kirat
The Matanuska glacier in Alaska is more than 43 km long and 6.5 km wide, making it the largest glacier in the United States accessible by car.
Glacier de Biafo, Pakistan
Flickr – Ben Tubby
Located in the mountains of Pakistan, the Biafo glacier is the third longest glacier in the world outside the polar regions, with 68 kilometers long.
Glacier Kaskawulsh, Canada
Flickr – Richard Droker
The Kaskawulsh Glacier runs through Kluane Lake in Yukon Territory, with 80% of the glacier melting reaching the lake. The remaining 20% flow through the Pacific Ocean via the Kaskawulsh and Alsek rivers.
Glacier Pastoruri, Peru
Flickr – Ministerio del Ambiente
The Pastoruri Glacier, located in the Andes Mountains, is popular with tourists, snow surfers, and ice climbers. 22% of Peruvian glaciers have disappeared over the last 30 years.
Glacier Grey, Chile
Flickr – NASA Earth Observatory
Part of Patagonia’s South Ice Field and located in Torres del Paine National Park, the Grey Glacier (here seen from space) is thrown into Grey Lake. The glacier is 30 metres high and six kilometres wide.
Vatnajökull Glacier, Iceland
Flickr – Alain Tougas
The Vatnajökull is the largest ice cap in Iceland, covering more than 8% of the entire country. The average ice thickness is 400 metres.
Margerie Glacier, Alaska, United States
Flickr – Jarrod Erbe
Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, the Margerie Glacier in Alaska is a tidal water glacier measuring 34 km long. A geological study within Glacier Bay National Park shows that the glacier contains important copper deposits.
Aletsch Glacier, Switzerland
Flickr – Daniel Pfund
The Aletsch glacier is the largest in the Alps, covering more than 117 km2. In 2001, the site Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch , which surrounds the glacier, was part of UNESCO’s world heritage.
Eyjafjallajökull Glacier, Iceland
Flickr – Sverrir Thorolfsson
Its name means in Icelandic “mountain glacier of the island”. Eyjafjallajökull is one of the smallest ice caps in Iceland, covering the caldeira of a volcano (the glacier is often covered with ashes). The last eruption of the volcano took place in 2010 and paralyzed the air traffic for several days at the time.
Fox Glacier, New Zealand
Flickr – Will Prescott
Located in Westland Tai Poutini National Park on New Zealand’s South Island, the Fox Glacier is powered by four alpine glaciers. Unlike most glaciers, the Fox glacier has progressed since 1985.
Glacier Saskatchewan, Canada
Flickr – Christie
Known for its coloured blue-green glacial lakes, Banff National Park in Alberta is home to the Sakwatchewan Glacier. The glacier is the main source of water in the North Saskatchewan River.
Midui Glacier, Tibet
Flickr – Jan Reurink
The Midui Glacier is located in Yupu Township in Tibet. The altitude of the main peak of the glacier is over 6700 m. It was only open to tourists in 2007.
Glacier du Géant, France
Flickr – Masa Sakano
The Glacier du Géant is located on the French side of Mont Blanc. The glacier feeds the Ice Sea, which is the longest glacier in France.
Skaftafell Glacier (Skaftafellsjökull), Iceland
Flickr – batintherain
In the Skaftafell National Park, south of Iceland, Skaftafellsjokull has declined significantly in recent years, but remains a show to be seen. In particular, here we find some Ice caves .
Glacier San Rafael, Chile
Flickr – Philip Oyarzo Calisto
The San Rafael glacier in southern Chile flows into the San Rafael lagoon over 60 metres. Visitors can see it closer on a cruise, or even closer by motorized inflatable boat.
Glacier de l’Île du Pin, Antarctica
Flickr – August Allen
One of the many glaciers in Antarctica, the glacier of the island of Pin ( Pine Island Glacier ) is one of the most remote of the earth. The nearest busy search station is Rothera, which is 1300 km away. No country claims the region.
Hubbard Glacier, United States and Canada
Flickr – Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
The Hubbard Glacier is located in eastern Alaska and part of the Yukon Territory in Canada. The largest tidal glacier in North America, Hubbard is 122 km long and 11 km wide.
Glacier Victoria, Canada
Flickr – David Grant
The Victoria Glacier is located above Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta. The color of the lake is derived from the rock flour deposited in the lake by ice melting.
Surprise Glacier, Alaska, United States
Flickr -
The Surprise Glacier is part of Denali National Park in Alaska. The glacier is known to be an extraordinary site to attend the glaciers (loss of glacier fragments).
Yulong snowy mountain, China
Flickr – Pete Robbins
Known as the "Jade Dragon snowy mountain", the Yulong glacier reaches an altitude of 3660 m.
Upsala Glacier, Argentina
Flickr – David
Located in Los Glaciares National Park, the Upsala Glacier is also part of Patagonia’s South Ice Field. The glacier feeds the most famous Perito Moreno glacier.
Glacier Nigardsbreen, Norway
Flickr – Guttorm Flatabo
Nigardsbreen is an arm of the Jostedalsbreen glacier, much larger in Norway, located in Jostedalsbreen National Park. There are large ice caves under the glacier.
Glacier François-Joseph, New Zealand
Flickr – Tom Coates
Located in the same national park as the Fox Glacier, François-Joseph is 19 km north. It has undergone a cyclical evolution of decline and icy advancement in recent years.
Baltoro Glacier, Pakistan
Flickr – Guilhem Vellut
The Baltoro glacier is located in the Baltistan mountainous region of Pakistan. The glacier flows through the Shigar River.
Pasterze Glacier, Austria
Flickr – foto11gen
The Pasterze glacier is the longest in Austria, measuring more than 8 km in length. But not for long, the glacier decreases in the length of about 10 m each year.
Glacier Ngozumpa, Nepal
Flickr – Nucksfan604
The Ngozumpa glacier is the longest in the Himalayas, resting under the Cho Oyu (the sixth highest mountain in the world ). The glacier, which flows slowly, is deposited in a melting water lake that has been called “Deversor” (Spillway).
Furtwängler Glacier, Tanzania
Flickr – Gerald Davison
The Furtwängler glacier is at the top of Kilimandjaro. As a shocking threat to climate change, the glacier is expected to melt completely by 2020.
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