These photographs were made from a Glacier Bay photo station established in 1941 on White Thunder Ridge, Muir Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska. The photographs document changes that have occurred during the 63 years between August 13, 1941 and August 31, 2004.

The 1941 photograph shows the lower reaches of Muir Glacier, then a large, tidewater calving valley glacier and its tributary Riggs Glacier. Muir and Riggs Glaciers filled Muir Inlet. The séracs in the lower right-hand corner of the photograph mark the location of Muir Glacier’s terminus. The ice thickness in the center of the photographs is more than 0.7 kilometers (0.43 miles).

For nearly two centuries prior to 1941, Muir Glacier had been retreating. Maximum retreat exceeded 50 kilometers (31 miles). In places, more than a 1 kilometer (0.62 mile) thickness of ice had been lost. Note the absence of any identifiable vegetation and the numerous bare bedrock faces present on both sides of the glacier. (W. O. Field, # 41-64, courtesy of the National Snow and Ice Data Center and Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Archive)

The middle photograph, taken on August 4, 1950, documents the significant changes that have occurred during the nine years since the 1941 photograph. Muir Glacier has retreated more than 3 kilometers (1.9 miles), exposing Muir Inlet, and thinned 100 meters (328 feet) or more. However, it still is connected with tributary Riggs Glacier. In places, erosion has removed some of the till from its surface. (W. O. Field, # F50-R29, courtesy of the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Archive)

The August 31, 2004 photograph reveals changes that occurred during the 54 years between second and third photographs. Muir Glacier has retreated out of the field of view and is now located more than 7 kilometers (4.4 miles) to the northwest. Riggs Glacier has retreated as much as 0.6 kilometers (0.37 miles) and thinned by more than 0.25 kilometers (0.16 miles). Note the dense vegetation that has developed on the till cover of White Thunder Ridge. Also note the correlation between Muir Glacier’s 1941 thickness and the trimline on the left side of the 2004 photograph. (USGS Photograph by Bruce F. Molnia)

A pair of northwest-facing photographs taken on the southwest side of Reid Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, show the changes that have occurred to Reid Glacier between June 10, 1899 and September 6, 2003. The 1899 photograph shows the approximately 60-meter (197-feet)-high tidewater terminus of the then retreating Reid Glacier. The glacier terminus is adjacent to the mouth of Reid Inlet. No trees are present on the hillside or on any other surface in the field of view. A few icebergs of various sizes are floating in the water in front of the glacier. A large block of grounded glacier ice is located adjacent to the snow-covered slope in the left middle-ground of the photograph. The concentric ripples suggest that a large calving event has recently occurred at the terminus to the right of the stranded ice. (G. K. Gilbert, 258, courtesy of the USGS Photographic Library)

In the 104 years between photographs, Reid Glacier has retreated about 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) and is just visible at the head of the fjord on the left side of the field of view. The hillside in the foreground is covered with dense vegetation, including both conifers and deciduous trees. Vegetation, predominantly alder, covers much of the lower slopes on the opposite side of the inlet. The spit in the foreground is part of a moraine deposited by Reid Glacier when it sat at the mouth of its fjord during the early 20th century. (USGS Photograph by Bruce F. Molnia)

A pair of southwest-facing photographs show the changes that have occurred at the lower end of Lamplugh’s inlet during the 62 years between August 1941 and September 8, 2003. The 1941 photograph by William O. Field shows the calving terminus of Lamplugh Glacier extending to within (0.8 kilometers) 0.5 miles of the photographer's location.

The 2003 photograph shows that the glacier's terminus is more than 0.5 kilometers (0.3 miles) forward of its 1941 position. Additionally, glacial sediment on the ridge in the foreground indicates that the glacier had advanced beyond the photo point sometime during the interval between photographs, probably in the late 1960s. Note the isolated vegetation. (USGS Photograph by Bruce F. Molnia)

A pair of northwest-facing photographs taken on a steep slope located in a side valley on the east side of Queen Inlet, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, shows the changes that have occurred to Carroll Glacier and upper Queen Inlet between August 1906 and June 21, 2004. The 1906 photograph by Charles Will Wright shows the calving terminus of Carroll Glacier sitting at the head of Queen Inlet. (USGS Photo Library Photograph - Wright 333)

The 2004 photograph shows that Carroll Glacier has changed to a stagnant and debris-covered, and that it has significantly thinned and retreated from its 1906 position. The head of Queen Inlet has been filled by sediment. An examination of early 20th century nautical charts suggests that the sediment fill exceeds 125 meters (410 feet). (USGS Photograph by Bruce F. Molnia)

These two northwest-facing photographs were taken on the northeast side of Wachusett Inlet, Saint Elias Mountains, Alaska. The September 9, 1961 photograph shows the lower reaches of Plateau Glacier, then a calving valley glacier with parts of its terminus being land based on either side of the fjord. The central part of the terminus is capped with séracs and rises about 35 meters (115 feet) above tidewater. Including submarine ice, the total ice thickness here is greater than 200 meters (656 feet). Two people are located on the knob in the center of the photograph. (M.T. Millet photograph M-61-P51, courtesy of the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve Archive) 

The September 14, 2003 photograph reveals that Plateau Glacier has retreated out of the field of view and has all but melted away, after leaving a small remnant on the flanks of the Bruce Hills (northeast of the field of view). The tributary glacier has retreated more than 2.75 kilometers (1.71 miles), has thinned by as much as 275 meters (902 feet), and has left an area of debris-covered ice in the path of its retreat. Dense vegetation covera much of the foreground area that was previously a bare boulder field. The vegetation was so dense that the two geologists, wearing orange float-coat, standing at the shoreline on the right side of the peninsula, were unable to reach the point of the headland occupied by the two individuals in the 1961 photograph. (National Park Service photograph by R.D. Karpilo)

These north-facing photographs of Pedersen Glacier, Kenai Mountains, Aialik Bay, Alaska, both taken on the west shoreline of Aialik Bay. The first image is an undated summer view, probably dating from between the mid-1920s and the early 1940s. This photograph is from a postcard labeled Pederson Glacier, Aialik Bay, Alaska. The water in the foreground is part of a lake/lagoon located adjacent to Aialik Bay. When photographed, Pedersen Glacier was calving icebergs into the lake from a terminus that ranged from 20-40 m (66–131 feet) high. (Undated, unnumbered postcard; unknown photographer, courtesy of Kenai Fjords National Park)

The second photo was taken on August 10, 2005. In the roughly 60 - 80 years between photographs, most of the lake/lagoon has filed with sediment and now supports grasses, shrubs, and aquatic plants. Several dozen dead trees are remnants of a mid-20th century forest that was drowned when the coast subsided more than 3 meters (9.8 feet) during the 1964 Alaska Earthquake.

Pedersen Glacier’s terminus has retreated more than 2 kilometers (1.24 miles). The tributary located high above Pedersen Glacier separated from it sometime during the third quarter of the 20th century. Isolated patches of snow are present at a few higher elevation locations. Stands of trees have have grown between the sediment-filled wetland and the glacier. (USGS Photograph by Bruce F. Molnia)

Two north-facing photographs of Yalik Glacier, Kenai Fjords National Park, Kenai Mountains, Nuka Passage, Alaska, were taken in Nuka Passage, about 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) south of the position of the 1909 terminus of the glacier. The first image, by D.F. Higgins, is an August 6, 1909 view of the then retreating northern part of the terminus. The absence of any icebergs indicates that by 1909, the glacier was no longer in contact with tidewater. When photographed, Yalik Glacier had a gently sloping terminus with little elevation at its margin. (USGS Photo Library Photograph – Grant 235)

The second photograph dates from August 8, 2004. In the 95-year interim, Yalik Glacier has thinned by more than 100 meters (328 feet) and retreated more than 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles). It is now fronted by a lake. The shoreline south of the glacier supports several varieties of grasses, shrubs, and trees. (USGS Photograph by Bruce F. Molnia)

This pair of northwest-facing photographs was taken from about 8 kilometers (5 miles) north of the mouth of McCarty Fjord, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska. The pair documents significant changes that have occurred between July 30, 1909 and August 11, 2004. The 1909 photograph by USGS Geologist U.S. Grant shows the west side of the terminus of the then retreating McCarty Glacier. Little, if any, vegetation is present in the photograph. (USGS Photo Library Photograph – Grant 144)

The 2004 photograph documents the retreat of McCarty Glacier from the field of view. The glacier has retreated more than 15 kilometers (9.8 miles). Dense, diverse vegetation has become established on the slopes. (USGS Photograph by Bruce F. Molnia)

A pair of northwest-facing photographs were taken from near the head of Holgate Arm, Aialik Bay, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska. The photos document changes that have occurred during the 95 years between July 24, 1909 and August 13, 2004. The 1909 photograph by USGS Geologist U.S. Grant shows Holgate Glacier, a tidewater glacier at the head of the fjord with “Little Holgate Glacier,” one of its former tributaries, located to its left. “Little Holgate Glacier" terminates at the shoreline. No vegetation is present at the head of the fjord. (USGS Photo Library Photograph–Grant 132)

The 2004 photograph shows the continuing retreat of both glaciers. “Little Holgate Glacier" has separated into several smaller ice masses and Holgate’s terminus, while still in tidewater, has retreated from the field of view. Alder has become established on the hill slopes. (USGS Photograph by Bruce F. Molnia)

Three oblique aerial photographs show changes in the terminus of Bear Glacier, Kenai Mountains, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska between 2002 and 2007. The September 2, 2002 aerial photo faces north and shows the retreating, calving terminus of the glacier located at the head of a large ice-marginal lake, informally named Bear Lake. Prior to 1950, the entire basin of Bear Lake was filled by Bear Glacier’s piedmont lobe.

By 1961, a small lake occupying less than 10% of the basin had developed adjacent to the southeast margin of the glacier. By 1984, the lake nearly doubled in size. In the 18 years between 1984 and September 2002, the lake quadrupled in size. The triangular-shaped terminus of the glacier depicted here has retreated at least 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from its 1984 maximum position. The large icebergs and the low terminus suggests that the glacier has thinned so much that much of its lower reaches are afloat. Floating glacier termini typically retreat rapidly and calve large tabular icebergs. (USGS photograph by Bruce F. Molnia) 

The second photograph was made on August 6, 2005. During the 35 months between the photographs, the triangular-shaped terminus of the glacier retreated more than 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) with the large triangular lobe disappearing, the result of intensive calving. The glacier has also thinned by about 10 meters (33 feet). The large icebergs that are present are evidence of the rapid disintegration of the glacier’s terminus. (USGS photograph by Bruce. F. Molnia)

The third photograph was made on August 13, 2007. From 2005-2007, the terminus continued to retreat, although at a slower rate than prior to 2005. A few of the large icebergs are remnants of even larger icebergs present in 2005. Others are the result of continuing disintegration of the glacier’s western terminus. In the 24 months between images, the western margin of the glacier retreated more than 0.4 kilometers (0.25 miles). (USGS Photograph by Bruce F. Molnia)

These north-facing images were taken on the west shoreline of Harris Bay, Kenai Fjords National Park, Kenai Mountains, Alaska. The first photograph, a postcard, is an undated winter to early summer view, probably dating from between the mid-1920s and the 1940s. The rocky shoreline in the foreground is covered by numerous small icebergs, calved by the retreating glacier. The glacier had a sérac-capped terminus that ranged from 20-50 meter (65.6-164 feet) high. (Undated, unnumbered postcard; unknown photographer, courtesy of Kenai Fjords National Park) 

The second photograph dates from August 12, 2005. During the roughly 60 to 80 years between the photographs, Northwestern Glacier retreated out of the field of view. In fact, the 2005 terminus is located more than 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) to the northwest. Ice-free Harris Bay is in the foreground of the image. (USGS Photograph by Bruce F. Molnia)

Three north-facing photographs were taken from about the same offshore location, about 0.5 kilometers (0.3 miles) north of Toboggan Glacier, Harriman Fiord, Prince William Sound, Chugach National Forest, Alaska. The photographs document changes over more than a century, from August 20, 1905 to August 22, 2008.

The 1905 photograph shows that Toboggan Glacier was thinning and retreating and was surrounded by a large barren zone. This suggests that retreat and thinning began in the mid to late19th century. Minimal vegetation existed on the fjord-facing hill slopes. The terminus appears to have thinned to about 50% of its former thickness. (USGS Photo by Sidney Paige - 731)

The 2000 photograph shows that, after 95 years, the glacier is still thinning and retreating. Its terminus, a thin tongue of ice, is surrounded by a mass of debris. The glacier has thinned by as much as 150 meters (492 feet) and retreated more than 0.5 kilometers (0.3 miles). A large accumulation of snow sits on the valley floor adjacent to where the northern-most hanging glacier tributary previously joined Toboggan Glacier. The tributary no longer makes contact, having retreated more than 0.6 kilometers (0.37 miles) up the valley wall. The former zone of barren bedrock is now covered by vegetation. (USGS photograph by Bruce. F. Molnia)

The August 22, 2008 photograph reveals the continuing thinning and retreat of Toboggan Glacier. The thin tongue of terminus ice that was visible 8 years earlier is gone. Both hanging glacier tributaries continue to retreat. (USGS photograph by Bruce F. Molnia)

These oblique aerial photographs of Yale Glacier, Chugach Mountains, Chugach National Forest, Alaska, were takein in June 1937 and July 28, 2006. The photos are taken toward the north and show the retreating, calving, tidewater terminus of Yale Glacier, located at the head of Yale Arm, College Fiord, Prince William Sound, Alaska.

In 1937, Yale Glacier’s terminus was located at about the same position that it occupied when it was visited by the Harriman Alaska Expedition in 1899. A stream of icebergs issues from several embayments cut into the approximately 45 meter (148 feet) high face on the east side of the terminus. Several current and former tributary valley glaciers descend the east wall of the fjord. The two closest to the terminus have lost contact with Yale Glacier. Except for the moraine-covered ice on both margins of the glacier, snow still covers most of the lower reaches of the glacier. (B. Washburn, #122, courtesy of National Snow and Ice Data Center)

During the 69 years between photographs, Yale Glacier retreated as much as 6 kilometers (3.7 miles), with most of the retreat occurring since 1957. The width of the tidewater part of the glacier terminus is much less than half of what it was in 1937. Yale Glacier has thinned substantially, in places by more than 250 meters (820 feet). All of the eastern tributaries have retreated and lost contact with Yale Glacier. An island and a large area of glacially sculpted bedrock have emerged from beneath the retreating glacier. Retreat of the land-based, western portion of the terminus has kept pace with the retreat of the eastern, tidewater part of the glacier. The 2006 photograph was made from an altitude of approximately 3,200 meters (10,500 feet), while Washburn’s 1937 photograph was made from an altitude of more than 5,200 meters (17,050 feet). (USGS Photograph by Bruce F. Molnia)