-College Fjord and Glacier Bay-
College Fjord is a fjord located in the northern sector of Prince William Sound.
The fjord contains five tidewater glaciers (glaciers that terminate in
water), five large valley glaciers, and dozens of smaller glaciers, most named
after renowned East Coast colleges (Harvard, Yale, etc). In 1964 College Fjord
was the epicenter of the most powerful earthquake in U.S. history (which caused
a tsunami that killed 13 in Whittier)
Glacier Bay was discovered by explorer Captain George Vancouver, at the south
end of Glacier Bay, choked with ice in 1794. Glacier Bay itself was almost
entirely iced over. In 1879 naturalist John Muir found that the ice had
retreated almost all the way up the bay. By 1916 Grand Pacific Glacier was at
the head of Tarr Inlet, about 65 miles from Glacier Bay's mouth. This is the
fastest documented glacial retreat ever. Scientists are hoping to learn how
glacial activity relates to climate changes from the retreat. 12 of the 16
glaciers actively calve and create ice bergs, which is something we were able to
witness first hand! Amazing.
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College Fjord
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College Fjord glacier
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See the eagle?
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College Fjord - two glaciers that merge into one
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Ice water anyone?
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College Fjord
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Vinny in Glacier Bay
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Hard to capture the 'calving' but it was so amazing in real life...VERY loud
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And that's how icebergs are born ;)
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Beautiful blue ice...
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VAMH in Glacier Bay
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Cheeeeese
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