Mendenhall Glacier
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Image:Mendenhall Glacier 2004 08 15.jpg Image:Mendenhall Glacier (Winter).jpg Image:Mendenhall Glacier (Winter; close).jpg
The Mendenhall Glacier is located in the Mendenhall Valley, about 12 miles from downtown Juneau, Alaska.
The Mendenhall Glacier was originally named Auke Glacier by John Muir, but was renamed in honor of Thomas Corwin Mendenhall, the superintendent of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (1889–1894) in 1892. The glacier extends from the Juneau Icefield, its source, to Mendenhall Lake and ultimately the Mendenhall River.
The Juneau Icefield Research Program has monitored the outlet glaciers of the Juneau Icefield since 1946 including the Mendenhall Glacier. From 1946-2005 the terminus of the Mendenhall Glacier, which flows into suburban Juneau has retreated 580 meters. The glacier has also receded 1.75 miles since 1910, when Mendenhall Lake was created, and over 2.5 miles since 1700.
The USDA Forest Service administers the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center as part of the Tongass National Forest.
See also
- Glaciology
- Juneau Icefield
- List of glaciers
- Retreat of glaciers since 1850
- Mendenhall River
- Mendenhall Valley
- Thomas Corwin Mendenhall