When a Glacier Is a Dam, Part 2 A Hubbard Glacier, Alaska, USA story
Glaciers
Water
Hubbard Glacier blocked the entrance to Russell Fjord again in 2002. The blockage started in June and raised the level of the lake to 18.5 meters above sea level. On August 14, the ice dam broke free, and for the next day and a half, the channel was full of fast-moving ice chunks and debris. By the morning of August 15, the lake level had dropped to 4.8 meters above sea level.
Location
July 13, 2002, Landsat 7 (path/row 62/18) — Hubbard Glacier, Alaska, USA
Aug. 14, 2002, Landsat 7 (path/row 62/18) — Fjord blocked by Hubbard Glacier, Alaska, USA
July 13, 2002, Landsat 7 (path/row 62/18) — Close up of Hubbard Glacier, Alaska, USA
Aug. 14, 2002, Landsat 7 (path/row 62/18) — Close up of fjord blocked by Hubbard Glacier, Alaska, USA
Hubbard Glacier, Alaska, USA Additional Imagery & Stories
What If the Glacier Dam Doesn't Break?
If the glacier permanently blocks Russell Fjord, the fjord would turn into a 64-kilometer-long lake. This lake would eventually drain into the Situk R...
When a Glacier Is a Dam
Hubbard Glacier slides in from the north in these images. Two bodies of water meet at the end of the glacier. Disenchantment Bay extends to the southw...