Columbia Glacier (Alaska)
The Columbia Glacier, a glacier in Prince William Sound on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, is one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world, and has been retreating since the early 1980s. It was named after Columbia University, one of several glaciers in the area named for elite U.S. colleges by the Harriman Alaska Expedition in 1899. The head of the main branch of the glacier originates at the saddle between Mount Witherspoon and Mount Einstein.
| Columbia Glacier | |
|---|---|
Satellite image, September 2018 | |
Columbia Glacier | |
| Type | Tidewater glacier |
| Location | Descending from the Chugach Mountains to Prince William Sound, Alaska |
| Coordinates | 61°13′11″N 146°53′43″W |
| Area | 1,000 km2 (400 sq mi) |
| Length | 51 kilometers (32 mi) |
| Thickness | 550 m (1,800 ft) |
| Terminus | Sealevel (Prince William Sound) |
| Status | Retreating |
The Alaska Marine Highway vessel M/V Columbia is named after the Columbia Glacier.
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