Underwater Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska
Glacier is the cradle of the iceberg. Speaking the language of science is not a huge accumulation of ice, slowly moving along the surface of the earth. It so happens that stops the movement of the ice and the ice formed dead. Going to great mountain lakes or oceans, they form the so-called calving front, where there is calving icebergs.
One of the famous underwater ice is Mendenhall Glacier in Alaska. As a result of thawing of water in the main areas here are constantly formed new caves where meltwater partially destroying the wall is washed cracked, gradually forming underwater passages, labyrinths. They may be narrow, which can not be reached, or turn into a real gallery, depth and length of which sometimes reaches several hundred meters.
Some glacier caves is formed by postglacial water seep under the layer of ice. Basis in the caves formed in such a way stone. Moves caves than a little reminiscent of the image of the tree, where the role of the branches operate small channels, flocking into the barrel – main place of the cave. The top of the glacier is a kind of well where water collects on the surface, which gives effect to the beginning of the small channels.
The unique and fantastic beauty of Mendenhall glacier attracts many nature lovers. Many take to a special camera and make unique images of caves, galleries and tangled branches, passes. But here we must be very careful. Caves are fragile enough. Constant thawing creates instability, which is the instability of glacier structure.
To get to the glacier is quite simple. From the administrative center of the US Alaska Juneau to Mendenhall only 13 km. From there a shuttle helicopter, jet boat. Lovers of hiking transitions can go on their own route. The glacier is only a small part of a huge ice field Juneau area of over 2,400 square meters. km. This gleaming white splendor dates back 36 great glaciers.