Kennicott Glacier
Encyclopedia
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
. It trends southeast 43 km (27 mi) from Mount Blackburn
Mount Blackburn
Mount Blackburn is the highest peak in the Wrangell Mountains of Alaska in the United States. It is the fifth highest peak in the United States and the twelfth highest peak in North America. The mountain is an old, eroded shield volcano, the second highest volcano in the United States behind Mount...
to its terminus at the head of the Kennicott River in the Wrangell Mountains
Wrangell Mountains
The Wrangell Mountains are a high mountain range of eastern Alaska in the United States. Much of the range is included in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve. The Wrangell Mountains are almost entirely volcanic in origin, and they include the second and third highest volcanoes in the...
. It is located in the middle of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park near the small town of McCarthy, Alaska
McCarthy, Alaska
McCarthy is a census-designated place in Valdez-Cordova Census Area, Alaska, United States. The population was 42 at the 2000 census.- Geography and location:...
and the historic ghost town of Kennecott, Alaska.
It was named in 1899 by Rohn of the United States Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
for Robert Kennicott
Robert Kennicott
Robert Kennicott was an American naturalist.-Biography:Kennicott was born in New Orleans and grew up in "West Northfield" , Illinois, a town in the prairie north of the then nascent city of Chicago....
, pioneer Alaska explorer and director of the scientific corps of the Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
Telegraph Expedition in 1865.
The glacier is also the namesake of the Alaska Marine Highway vessel M/V Kennicott
M/V Kennicott
M/V Kennicott is a mainline ferry vessel for the Alaska Marine Highway System.Constructed in 1998 by the Halter Marine Group in Gulfport, Mississippi, the M/V Kennicott has been one of the most vital vessels to the Alaska ferry system since its inception...
.