Malaspina glacier
Malaspina glacier | ||
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The Malaspina glacier seen from space (1994) |
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location | Alaska ( USA ) | |
Mountains | Elias chain | |
Type | Foreland glacier | |
length | 45 km | |
surface | approx. 2000 km² | |
Altitude range | 670 m - 0 m | |
width | Max. 60 km | |
Coordinates | 59 ° 55 ′ N , 140 ° 32 ′ W | |
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drainage | Gulf of Alaska |
The Malaspina Glacier is located on the southern Pacific coast of Alaska ( USA ) and is one of the largest foreland glaciers on earth .
The glacier was named after the Italian navigator Alessandro Malaspina .
As a so-called foreland glacier, it is composed of various ice streams and is created by the union of several glaciers at the foot of the Elias chain . The largest tributary is the Seward Glacier , which has a length of 80 km. Other larger glaciers that feed the Malaspina glacier are the Agassiz glacier in the west and the Marvine glacier in the east. The Malaspina glacier is 60 km wide and 45 km long. It covers an area of around 2000 km² and flows into the Gulf of Alaska . A special feature are the so-called ice reservoirs above the valley glaciers.
In 1968 the Malaspina Glacier was designated as a National Natural Landmark .