Lituya Glacier
Encyclopedia
Lituya Glacier is a tidewater glacier
in the U.S. state
of Alaska
. Located at 58°44′07"N 137°46′21"W inside Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
, its source is in the Fairweather Range
and it feeds into Lituya Bay
on the gulf
coast of Southeast Alaska
.
It is partially responsible for creating the 1958 Lituya Bay megatsunami. The glacier, which has receded over the years, carved Lituya Bay into a unique topographic phenomenon with steep walls, a very deep submerged bottom, and a very narrow entrance to the ocean which created the opportunity for a megatsunami to occur.
The glacier is also the namesake of the Alaska Marine Highway
ferry M/V Lituya
.
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...
. Located at 58°44′07"N 137°46′21"W inside Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Glacier Bay National Park is a national park in Alaska. The area around Glacier Bay in southeastern Alaska was first proclaimed a U.S. National Monument on February 25, 1925. It was changed to Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve on Dec. 2, 1980 by the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation...
, its source is in the Fairweather Range
Fairweather Range
The Fairweather Range is the unofficial name for a mountain range located in the U.S. state of Alaska and the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is the southernmost range of the Saint Elias Mountains...
and it feeds into Lituya Bay
Lituya Bay
Lituya Bay is a fjord located on the coast of the Southeast part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is long and wide at its widest point. The bay was noted in 1786 by Jean-François de La Pérouse, who named it Port des Français...
on the gulf
Gulf of Alaska
The Gulf of Alaska is an arm of the Pacific Ocean defined by the curve of the southern coast of Alaska, stretching from the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island in the west to the Alexander Archipelago in the east, where Glacier Bay and the Inside Passage are found.The entire shoreline of the Gulf is...
coast of Southeast Alaska
Alaska Panhandle
Southeast Alaska, sometimes referred to as the Alaska Panhandle, is the southeastern portion of the U.S. state of Alaska, which lies west of the northern half of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The majority of Southeast Alaska's area is part of the Tongass National Forest, the United...
.
It is partially responsible for creating the 1958 Lituya Bay megatsunami. The glacier, which has receded over the years, carved Lituya Bay into a unique topographic phenomenon with steep walls, a very deep submerged bottom, and a very narrow entrance to the ocean which created the opportunity for a megatsunami to occur.
The glacier is also the namesake of the Alaska Marine Highway
Alaska Marine Highway
The Alaska Marine Highway or the Alaska Marine Highway System is a ferry service operated by the government of the U.S. state of Alaska. It has its headquarters in Ketchikan, Alaska....
ferry M/V Lituya
M/V Lituya
M/V Lituya is a shuttle ferry for the Alaska Marine Highway System.Lituya was built by Conrad Shipyards in Morgan City, Louisiana in 2004. The Lituya is the smallest vessel in the ferry system and, exclusively serving the Metlakatla–Ketchikan shuttle route, thus making it the only AMHS...
.