Tana Glacier
Encyclopedia
Tana Glacier is a 17-mile-long (27 km) glacier
in the U.S. state
of Alaska
. It begins at Bagley Icefield
and flows northwest to its 1950 terminus
near the head of the Tana River. Its name, of Alaska Native origin, was first recorded by prospectors in 1900.
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 begins at Bagley Icefield
Bagley Icefield
The Bagley Icefield in southeastern Alaska is the largest nonpolar icefield in North America. It was named after James W. Bagley, a USGS topographic engineer who developed the Bagley T-3 camera and mapped Alaska prior to World War I...
and flows northwest to its 1950 terminus
Glacier terminus
A glacier terminus, or snout, is the end of a glacier at any given point in time. Although glaciers seem motionless to the observer, in reality glaciers are in endless motion and the glacier terminus is always either advancing or retreating...
near the head of the Tana River. Its name, of Alaska Native origin, was first recorded by prospectors in 1900.